Veterans Arts
Veterans arts is a genre of the arts where the maker, creator or performer has served in a branch of the armed services. The medium, style or subject matter are not consequential to the genre, only the connection between the creator and their military service as a current or ex-serving member or their close family member[1].
Veterans arts is distinct from military art where the subject matter is related to military and war themes. The making of creative works of all mediums has long been the domain of veteran artists. Veterans who are currently serving in an arm of the military services have tended to engage in the arts to record and tell the story of their surroundings, experiences of war and service or to pass the time. Post-service veterans’ engagement in the arts may move into new directions with themes unrelated to military service. The variety of themes and subjects explored in the arts is expansive, with veterans pursuing new interests and/or revisiting old experiences and themes related to their service.
'Veteran artists' is the term given to the visual artists, writers and performers who engage in the creative arts. In many cases veteran artists have turned to the arts as a career, and in some cases have risen to the pinnacle in their industry with notable veteran artists including:
- Elvis Presley (musical performing) - US Army,
- Anthony Field (musical performing) - Australian Army,
- King Charles III (painting) - Royal Navy,
- Sir Sidney Nolan (painting) - Australian Army,
- Audie Murphy (acting) - US Army,
- President Ronald Reagan (acting) - US Army, and
- Banjo Paterson (poetry) - Australian Army.
Other veterans engage in the arts for personal enjoyment, to connect socially with other veterans or the broader community, as forms of rehabilitation therapy and treatment and for their own wellbeing.
The oldest known practicing veteran artist was Erwin Fabian[2] of Melbourne, Australia. Erwin was a practicing sculpture artist at 103 years of age. He passed away on 19 January 2020 at 104 years 2 months. Erwin served in the Australian Army during World War 2 having escaped Nazi Germany in 1938.
Organisations
Organisations with the primary purpose of facilitating and promoting veterans arts include:
Arts in the Armed Forces is a United States organisation based in Brooklyn, New York, supporting United States current and ex-serving veterans and families through the performing arts. Founded in 2006 by Adam Driver and Joanne Tucker, the programming aims to be inclusive and engaging with participants[3]. www
Australian National Veterans Arts Museum (ANVAM) is Australia's national arts and cultural institution promoting veterans arts in Australia. Based in Melbourne, Victoria, ANVAM was established in 2013 with the primary purpose of supporting veterans wellbeing. This was at a time when suicide rates within the Australian veteran community were rising and ANVAM's founder, Tanja Johnston, took the initiative to establish a community based cultural institution with national and international reach[4]. www
National Veterans Art Museum (NVAM) is the United State's national arts and cultural institution showcasing veterans art in the US. Based in Chicago, NVAM was established in 1981 by a group of Vietnam veterans. NVAM's purpose is to inspire greater understanding of the impact of war through the collection, preservation, and exhibition of art created by veterans of all U.S. military conflicts[5]. www
Society of Artistic Veterans (SocArtVet) was established in 2012 in New York City to support veterans working within the creative industries sector[6]. www
United States Veterans Artists Association (USVAA) was established in 2004 to create opportunities for veteran artists in the creative arts sector, and highlights the work of significant veteran artists to the world[7]. (USVAA) www
Veteran Art Connection is an offshoot of Military Connect in the US. Veteran Art Connect promotes art therapy for therapeutic benefits for veterans, and provides a marketplace for the sale of artworks created by veterans[8]. veteranartconnection
Veteran Art Project (VetArt) is based in Vista, California, to support the veteran community through process driven creative arts engagement. Specialising in skills based development in ceramics, glass, wood and bronze casting, VetArt also showcases veterans arts through exhibitions in the San Diego area[9]. www
References
This article "Veterans Arts" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Veterans Arts. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
