Through the Eyes of a Veteran
Jungle Beasts painting submitted during the 2011 Creative Arts Festival held in Arkansas
Each year Veterans participate in a VA rehabilitation program where they use creative arts as a treatment and healing method. More than 1600 of these Veterans enter their creative and performance art pieces into their local VA’s Veterans Creative Arts Festival in hopes to have their works displayed in the national festival.
This event showcases works in 104 art categories—52 visual art which recently includes writing and 52 performance art—created by Veterans who have won first place in their local competition.
This will be the first time that this event will take place in Boston. On Oct. 8, 2012 Veterans from across the country will arrive in Boston and will immediately begin preparing for their showcase. Visual artist will spend the week at art seminars, museums and galleries crafting their skills, and performance artists will spend their time rehearsing lines and lyrics for their grand performance.
Visual pieces will be displayed at the Massachusetts State House Hall of Flags on Oct. 12, 2012, and the performance portion will take place on Oct. 14, 2012 at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston. Tickets for this event are free of charge, but they must be requested in advanced.
This National VA Creative Arts Festival will also be the first Department of Veteran Affairs special event to be held in Boston. What better event to host than one that gives Veterans the opportunity to share experiences that can’t be articulated through simple conversation; and that gives audience and family members a chance to take a journey of understanding through our Veterans’ lives? The festival gives a deeper insight into what our Veterans have to offer to the world. They are not solely Veterans; they are talented artists and performers. They have a story to tell and it is an honor to have the chance to listen.
As the New Year approaches, keep your ears open for more information on how to register to attend this event.
To learn more about the creative arts festival, and to read individual stories, watch videos and view the art gallery from the 2011 festival visit the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival webpage.
By Kassmin Williams, VA Boston Public Affairs Intern
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