One local artist's exhibit has arrived in Great Falls just in time for Veteran's Day.

Artist Jean Price created "Three Thousand And Counting," an installation piece that's on exhibit at the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art.

Each and every one of the tags in her exhibit represents an American life lost in Operation Iraqi Freedom; all of the tags bear the name, rank, and age of fallen service members.

Price explained, "It's not a sculpture that you can walk around or walk in it. But hopefully you can put your mind in it."

For Montanans, the copper and brass tags mean something a lot closer to home, representing the fallen who were either from Montana, or have ties to the Treasure State.

As she observes her work, she notes, "This person never had a chance to be married or this person was so-and-so the third. There never got to be a so-and-so the fourth."

Jean's friends even helped put the pieces together. Carol Collins said, "I got really emotionally involved when making these tags and I know she does."

To commemorate Veterans Day, Jean and her friends are updating the exhibit by adding hundreds of handmade foil dog tags, and she's even made a map of the exhibit to help families locate the names of their loved ones.

Price said, "I can't say that I know a single person that's on here but...I grieve for their families."

You can see Jean's work Monday through Saturday. Admission into the museum is free until December 1st.

Click here to read the brochure about her exhibit (new window, PDF).