American Legion Post 53 Centers Visual Art In New ‘Reflection Space’
the Legion’s post adjutant reflects on sculpture, new mural’s impact in the Water Street district
Evelyn Nelson, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
The American Legion Post 53 (634 Water St., Eau Claire) has unveiled a completed "reflection space," where visual art and storytelling intertwine for an experience that offers tranquility for passersby and Legion members.
For over a century, a core mission of the Legion has been to support veterans, especially those in crisis, Brad Venaas, the post adjutant of Post 53, said. With the addition of the new reflection space, the Legion now offers an additional community area where listening, collaboration, and overall support are readily available.
“We want to create a space that we hope (will) be able to help veterans,” Venaas said. “We want the community to be aware that the Legion is here and they can come support us — as well as do our mission and take care of veterans and their families.”
The support toward the reflection space has been years in the making, Venaas shared. In 2022, the Sculpture Tour of Eau Claire contacted Post 53 with a proposal to install a statue to symbolize the Legion’s mission outside its headquarters.
Following two years of community fundraising and campaigns to highlight the impact of "Stand for the Flag" — the sculpture’s title — in the community, Post 53 was able to purchase the sculpture in November 2024. The artwork was acquired from its original sculptors, Lee Leuning and Sherri Treeby, who are based in South Dakota.
“That money was specifically donated by people who wanted to see this project go forward; the community was very generous,” Venaas said.
This generosity and community investment quickly resulted in another visual art addition — and other elements — to the growing reflection space.
Over the past year, additional community-raised funding was secured for a bench and a new mural created by local artisan Jo Ellen Burke. Burke’s mural complements the original sculpture and depicts a parade scene to reinforce the sculptors' original vision: to remind passersby to honor those who have served.
Venaas said the "Stand for the Flag" message within the Legion's reflection space will continue to be amplified by the new connections from across the Chippewa Valley, whether through fundraising efforts or artistic partnerships. He noted, “without those kinds of relationships we would have never (gotten) it done.”
The mural currently sits alongside the Clear Water Real Estate (630 Water St., Eau Claire) building, facing the reflection space. Some of the real estate company's owners also happen to be active members of Post 53, Venaas added.
In late August, the Legion hosted an official dedication event to welcome Chippewa Vallians to the fully completed reflection space. The event, Venaas said, became an open invitation for donors and community members to witness firsthand how their contributions transformed Post 53’s exterior into a place rooted in tranquility and connection.
Since the event, Venaas has had the opportunity to sit alongside residents, members of the Legion, and visitors passing by the reflection space.
Venaas recounted one veteran's experience: "This is the best thing that's happened to me since I got to Eau Claire," the veteran shared with Venaas, finding solace on a bench after needing a place to pause on his journey to Hayward, Wisconsin.
Looking ahead, Post 53 hopes to expand the reflection space to include a garden, planted and tended by members of the Legion. Venaas explained the garden would feature poppies, a significant motif for military families and communities and a nod to the Legion’s annual Poppy Drive.
The American Legion Post 53, located at 634 Water St. in Eau Claire, welcomes new visitors and residents to its reflection space. The space is accessible during the day and when the legion hosts events.
