Veteran Artists & Community Greet the Harry Donovan VALOR HOME Summit County 1st anniversary!

art.speak.heal exhibit at Tri-C featuring work by veteran artists at Valor Home

On July 8th Valor Home Summit County will celebrate it's first anniversary. I'm planning an event for veteran artist residents to share their poetry, painting, music, and more with the community. The presentation of veterans art will be followed by a talkback. Details to come. Please send me an e-mail if you'd like to be kept in the loop on this or other events. That's vetartproject@gmail.com. Wishing you peace through art, Lisa

2014 and new directions!

I can't believe it's been a year since I last posted. Many new and wonderful things have happened indeed! The Women Warriors Project continues to grow strong in the Midwest. I've devoted much of my time and attention to working with veterans who are homeless and there are a number of creative arts projects in the works. I completed by training and am now a Registered Drama Therapist. More soon--off to do a group!

Where to BEGIN in the NEW Year: An Update

It's a new year and so much has happened since my last post I'm not sure where to begin. The Vet Art Project is going strong with a contract to provide creative art therapeutic services to Family & Community Services for all their veterans programming. Currently we offer drama therapy, art therapy, and creative writing & poetry therapy at a residence for veterans who are homeless in Kent, Ohio. Another residence will open in the first quarter of this new year and we'll provide therapeutic services there, too. More residences are planned in other cities in Northeast Ohio in the coming year, too, and we'll provide program in these locations as well.

I offered a therapeutic theater program at the VA in Parma for 10 weeks last Fall and that was successful--perhaps the first program of its kind offered IN network. This program was supported by an outside grant.

The Women Warriors Project continues to reach out to women veterans and women who have supported our veterans and current service members--approaching it's one year anniversary in NE Ohio!

And I've been invited to present a paper at the 9th International Congress of Qualitative Research to share changes in feelings of empowerment among veterans who participate in therapeutic programming offered by the Vet Art Project. So I am working to help drama therapy and creative arts therapeutic programming gain the attention and respect it deserves.

The Vet Art Project Chicago continues to offer quarterly showcases and Vet Art Project Pittsburgh is revving up with more programming.

Hope

Thanks to everyone who has supported and continues to support this project. Donations can be made in support of this project through the Web site vetartproject.com and contributions are tax-deductible through our national fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas (link on the site). A lot of changes and a lot of good growth for us all--thanks for your kindnesses! Wishing you all peace through art!

The Women Warriors Project returns!

This coming Tuesday evening the Women Warriors Project will reconvene for the month of August. Meeting one evening each month we use creative arts therapy techniques to share our stories and our lives with other women who've served in the military or in supportive roles to those who serve whether as a partner or spouse, daughter, sister, or friend. Our experiences are different from those of men, and we want to share our unique journeys together to realize we are not alone, others face similar challenges, how we can help each other move forward, and our voices are significant additions to what it means to serve one's country. Please join us this Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at First Grace UCC in Akron. If you cannot join us, please contact me at vetartproject@gmail.com to learn how you can start your own Women Warriors Project in your home community. Let's come together to move forward with strength, courage, joy, and gratitude.

Grants Galore! And we are GRATEFUL!

I am very pleased to share that the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation and the Puffin Foundation have recently awarded the Vet Art Project grants. The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation grant will help underwrite drama therapy programming in Northeast Ohio including workshops with veterans at area shelters and with Warriors Journey Home, a therapeutic theater program at the Parma VA, and in support of the national launch of Vet Art Project America Retreat that will offer transformational arts programming for veterans and family members as well as train creative arts therapists and counselors in the philosophy of the project to build projects in their home communities.  The Puffin Foundation will support this programming helping to purchase supplies and more.

A recent benefit performance titled Theatre of War was produced in Chicago at the Chopin Theater which offered artists interpretations of their connection to or disconnection from war. This funding will support programming in Chicago as well as helping Chicago-area veterans and family members attend the Vet Art Project America Retreat in Northeast Ohio. For more details on this wonderful event, please see below post.

A site for Veterans' Art

I was recently contacted by a veteran who used art as a big part of his recuperation process and he's started a FaceBook page. This group is a place where veterans can post artwork that they've created as part of their journeys. I hope to post some of Dan's artwork here soon.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Artwork-by-Veterans/389324847797098?skip_nax_wizard=true# 

Here's the description:

Artwork by Veterans inspires greater understanding of the real impact of war with a focus on the healing aspect Art provides. The page is set up as a museum to collect, preserve and exhibit art inspired by military service and created by veterans

Plans, Programs & More

From distant shores . . .

to the bluest peaks . . .

we have witnessed the majesty that is Mother Nature and fed ourselves . . .

In addition to the fabulous performances that made up Theatre of War, other news in the world of the Vet Art Project includes . . .

• BeatRoot: A Spiritual Journey through Movement continues since January 2012
• Women Warriors Project began in NE Ohio in April of this year
• Stress-Reduction Workshops at Shelters for Formerly Homeless Veterans
• Therapeutic Theater Workshop at a VAMC

Additional recent support provided by . . .

• Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation
• Warriors Journey Home
• Family & Community Services
• First Grace UCC

Upcoming programming includes . . .

• Creative Arts Workshop Series with Vet Art Project Chicago in conjunction with other Chicago-area veterans arts organizations
• Vet Art Project America Retreat: A transformative creative arts retreat for veterans and family members with follow-up experiential training for creative arts therapists and counselors
• Women Warriors Survivor Project

We continue to illuminate the world through story and building community