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IRON MOUNTAIN – The Iron Mountain Veterans Affairs Medical Center is seeking entries in visual arts, creative writing, and performing arts by Veterans for the local Veterans Creative Arts Festival being held March 8, 2019, in Iron Mountain with a chance to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, October 28 to November 3, 2019, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
In 2018, seventeen entries were submitted in various categories for the local arts festival, and fifteen moved on to compete at the National competition. Two of those entries placed in their category. Navy Veteran Traci Deitz took second place in the Black and White Photography category and Army Veteran Daniel Huffman took second place for his painting in the Special Recognition Mental Health category.
While the contest is open to all veterans who get care at VA, many use it as part of their therapy to heal from post-traumatic stress or a variety of other health care concerns.
There are more than 100 categories in performing, visual arts and creative writing. Some of the art categories include painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, paint-by-numbers, and leatherwork. Performing arts categories include dance, drama, music and more.
The local Creative Arts Festival will be March 8, 2019, in the VA medical center’s 5th floor Conference Center (room 5150) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is open to the public. First place in each local category will compete at the national competition, and many of those first-place winners are selected to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival and display or perform their entries.
Deadline for submitting entries is Friday, February 22. For more information or to register, contact Boone Kerley at 800-215-8262, ext. 32792, or e-mail him at: Jesse.Kerley@va.gov.
