FALLBROOK -- From displays honoring the sacrifices of the U.S. military to those decrying the pain and suffering of war, a new exhibit at the Fallbrook Art Center tackles a topic that executive director Mary Perhacs said is timely and appropriate for this small town.

"It's actually my proudest moment," Perhacs said on Monday, surrounded by the photographs, sculptures and paintings that express the divisive topic of military conflict from a variety of perspectives.

She said the exhibit has more potential for controversy than any in the past, simply because of the topic.

But she said her goal was to present a collection of art and memorabilia that respectfully reflects on "Decades of Conflict," the show's title.

Each piece was carefully considered, Perhacs said. That includes U.S. military medals and patriotic memorabilia, and paintings and sculptures protesting the war in Iraq.

And some visitors have told her they didn't like the edgier stuff.

But she takes it in stride, having expected that the show would ruffle a few feathers.

"On so many levels, this is what I wanted to do," Perhacs said. "Do I want every show to be like this at the Art Center? No. But art isn't just about a pretty vase to put on your table. It's also about feelings and topical issues."

There is decidedly more material in the show that pays tribute to past and present members of the U.S. armed forces than that which protests the Vietnam and Iraq conflicts.

But it's all there, including a sculpture by Lisa Maher of La Jolla depicting a pile of discarded shoes.

"Shoes, perhaps more than any other personal objects, convey the individuality of the men, women and children who are the victims" of armed conflict, Maher wrote in an explanation of the piece mounted nearby. "Piling them represents the disregard with which we treated these deaths, this 'collateral damage.'"

Perhacs said she wanted the pieces speaking out against war to be respectful -- and to have a point.

"So much in art today is just cheap shots -- just sensationalism for sensationalism's sake," she said. "Everyone who has an edgier viewpoint (in the show), I felt was valid. I turned down work that I felt was a cheap shot.

"Some of the edgiest work in here is by wounded veterans who served honorably. Isn't that what art's about? That they have a way to express themselves, get it out?"

History buffs will appreciate the breadth of interesting items, including a silk Japanese flag from World War II, original photographs of the Vietnam war and images of San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn as an enlisted Marine in Vietnam.

The show was timed to coincide with two key events -- the presidential election on Nov. 4 and Veteran's Day on Nov. 11.

It runs through Nov. 16, and admission costs $5, although students and members of the military -- both active and retired -- get in free.

"Fallbrook is a military town -- the military has always played a part here, and there's never been an art show about it," said Perhacs. "I wanted to approach the show from the standpoint of the people -- those who served, those who were left behind, and those who came back."

And the most important role the exhibit can play, she said, is to honor those who have sacrificed to defend freedom around the world.

"You've got to thank these people -- look what they went through, what they're still going through," she said.

The Fallbrook Art Center is located at the corner of Main Street and Alvarado Street in downtown Fallbrook. For more information, visit www.fallbrookartcenter.org.

Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 740-3516 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com.