After getting out of the Army in 2008, Brian "BR" McDonald decided to get back to his roots as an actor/singer and founded the Veteran Artist Program (VAP), an nonprofit organization that helps veterans launch (or re-launch) careers in the arts by connecting them to working artists. From personal experience, McDonald found that many veterans have drive and artistic skills, but their years of service have disconnected them from the professional networks working artists need.
Leader Spotlights
Critically important to the mission and goals of Americans for the Arts, these individuals help advance the arts through their leadership.
“My parents signed me up for violin lessons when I was six years old, and since that time the arts have been one of the most powerful and meaningful influences in my life. The arts inspire, provoke, heal, and educate - challenging us to think and act in new ways. In the Puget Sound, arts and business are inextricably linked at the core of the innovation and creativity for which the region is renowned. Each sector supports the other, and together make this community an extraordinary place to live, work, and play.”
Dr. True is a medical anthropologist and folklorist with the University of Pennsylvania whose research focuses on the role of narrative and ethnography to reduce barriers to care and improve post-deployment health outcomes for combat veterans.
“As CEO of the Arts & Business Council of Miami, it energizes me every day to serve as a thought leader and guide to link business with the arts, inspire creativity, and develop innovations for profitable partnerships with the 500+ arts groups we serve. For 30 years the Arts & Business Council has made Miami’s art scene bigger, better, and more professional by delivering sustainable solutions to keep the arts in business.
My personal support of the arts is informed by my belief that the arts have the power to transform lives and to bring out the best in what it means to be a human.
Laura Spinelli is quietly and consistently breaking ground for arts and the military as the Director of "Giant Steps," an ongoing recovery-oriented group program for Veterans who are in treatment at the Mental Hygiene Clinic at VA Connecticut.
