On Friday, January 18, 2019, at 11:15 a.m. EST, Houston Artist John Ross Palmer will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. The philanthropic Eagle Scout will join the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and countless United States Presidents in performing this high honor. The 44-year-old Palmer, who celebrated his twentieth anniversary as a professional artist in 2018 with a Retrospective spanning five days, has confirmed at least a dozen of his top collectors from around the country will travel to D.C. to observe the solemn occasion.
Palmer’s wreath-laying is sponsored by The First Class Club (“FCC”), the elite group of Palmer art collectors that sponsors his annual international trip and art series. Club members will be in attendance and following the ceremony Palmer will announce the destination for his 2019 global art adventure at an undisclosed, historically-significant location. It’s the tenth anniversary of the FCC and the first time that the destination won’t be announced at Palmer’s Houston Art Gallery. To date, the FCC has sent Palmer to create art series in Berlin (2010), Dublin (2011), Jerusalem (2012), Sao Paulo (2013), Nice (2014), Port of Spain (2015), Havana (2016), Auckland (2017) and Bogota (2018).
“I have great respect for our country’s service members and words cannot express my gratitude for those that make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedoms,” says Palmer. “My career is built upon the freedom of speech and expression that is guaranteed by our Constitution. I will be thinking of the protections that soldiers have given to me and millions of Americans when I lay the wreath.”
To mark the occasion, Palmer has released Honoring Our Fallen, a silk scarf that’s steeped in symbolism and created, stitched, pressed, and folded by Palmer himself in his private Houston Heights Studio. John Ross Palmer began infusing his artwork onto high-end silk scarves in 2018 when he received a 500 commission scarf project from First Lady Barbara Bush and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library for the annual Vintner Dinner.
If you would like to join Palmer’s group to observe the wreath-laying, please contact Palmer’s husband and Gallery Owner Ryan Lindsay at 713-8392-6882 or [email protected]. Following the ceremony, Palmer and Lindsay are treating guests to a private luncheon in the Cabinet Room at DC’s legendary Old Ebbitt Grill. Space is limited.