Nothing could have been finer than the arts in Carolina during the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival (NVCAF) held in October at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Presented by the Veteran Administration, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and the American Legion Auxiliary, this year’s event was hosted by the Durham VA Medical Center. This year 3,345 Veterans from 130 VA medical facilities entered the art, music, drama, dance, and creative writing competitions at the local then state levels. Of those, 124 gold medal-winning Veterans earned an invitation to participate in the 2015 NVCAF.

The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival continues to evolve each year as it showcases the artistic achievements of Veterans from across the country. The Art Exhibit, featuring work from 51 categories, included acrylic, watercolors, and oil paintings, monofilament portraiture, fiber arts, ceramics, sculpture, pyrography, photography, woodworking, mosaic, and collage entries. Please view the Gold Medal entries for the 2015 Festival by clicking on the link: 2015 NVCAF 1st Place Artwork. A live stage show, complete with orchestral accompaniment provided by the Music Performance Trust fund, is performed by Veterans who have achieved medal-winning status in a variety of categories from the performing arts divisions of music, drama, and dance, as well as creative writing. The performing artists joined together for choral presentations during the program. Some of the performers and the stories of their artistic journeys can be viewed at the following links: Find the Cost of Freedom - Air Force Veteran Joe Ramage and Army Veteran Seamus Gersy; US Navy Veteran Dorothy Day - Shenendoah; and the inspirational and incomparable US Army Veteran George Farr – September Song.

Chuck Coley, USAF Veteran and Gold Medalist in the Art Division for Digital Art, commented that “Art is like meditation, except when you finish…something has been created.”

US Army Veteran and Gold Medalist in the Music Division for Vocal Solo, Christine Pointer, says that “Participation in the creative arts brings me unspeakable joy. It is a big part of me and has a positive impact on my life.”

The benefits of the arts in the health and well-being of our veterans is undeniable. The 2015 Festival took place from October 12-18, with a week of workshops offered for participants, staff, and caregivers, to educate them in a variety of artistic modalities, by utilizing the talents of local community artists. Festival week activities create lasting bonds and friendships among the participants, giving them an opportunity to share experiences and talents with fellow Veterans. For more information about the 2015 NVCAF and the upcoming 2016 local competitions, beginning January 1 – March 25, please visit the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival official website. To see and hear Veterans’ views of the healing effects of art in their lives, please check out the following: Veterans Creative Arts Festival 2015 Durham NC.