We learned with sadness this month of the death of Virginia Dwan, an American art collector, art patron, philanthropist, and founder of the Dwan Light Sanctuary in Montezuma, New Mexico. The tenth anniversary issue of CONSEQUENCE Magazine (the predecessor to Consequence journal) featured excerpts from her book Flowers. This collection of repetitive images of military cemeteries across the nation conveyed and addressed the magnitude of loss that results from war. The concept for the book stemmed from her earlier work on Alternatives to Violence authored by Lorenz Ng.
As early as 1982, Virginia Dwan engaged in peace making. She contributed to the Nuclear Freeze Movement, a campaign that culminated in a million people gathered in Central Park in New York City. Subsequently the Soviet Union agreed to support the Freeze proposal, and in the November elections voters passed the proposal by an overwhelming majority.
Thanks to Virginia Dwan’s generosity, Consequence Forum is still going and growing. Her support over the years made all the difference. At one time, our annual budget was about the same size as her donation. For a few years, her generosity was all that kept us going. We resolve to carry on with our mission to convey the consequences of war and geopolitical violence, a mission in line with the efforts for peace she supported all her life.
May she now rest in peace.
