VSA Texas at Library Live: Veterans Edition!

Hey all, Eric here to tell you about our next concert at the Carver Branch of Austin Public Library coming up this Saturday, March 24th, from 2:00-4:00 PM! We are particularly excited about this upcoming concert because it will feature Veteran musicians, most of whom have participated in our Distinguished Artist Veterans program. Here's a bit more about the musicians playing this Saturday:

Our opening act Rick Milisci is a U.S. Army Veteran who grew up in Wichita Falls, Texas. His song “People Just Need Love” was featured in our 2017 Veteran music compilation The Re-Integration Project {Sounds} which you can download here. His music has a bluesy vibe while his vocal delivery has a raw yet soulful appeal.

Hope in the Day is a duo featuring Kris Tidwell and Steven Clarkson who have combined their separate passions for music and poetry into a unique sound. Kris recently completed one of our Veteran writing classes in Austin and read several poems with accompaniment from Steven on mandolin at our Lion and Pirate Open Mic. In their performances Kris reads original poetry over a soundscape created by Steven's electric mandolin run through a variety of ambient effects. The result is nothing short of psychedelic and thought-provoking.

David Romero is a regular at our Lion and Pirate Open Mic known for his burgeoning collection of rare folk instruments and heartfelt covers of traditional folk tunes with originals in the mix. He is frequently accompanied by his wife Ann Marie on flute, and they usually get the crowd to sing along! David is heavily influenced by English, Irish, Scottish, and American folk music, and he sings in Spanish as well. His song “Absence Inside” was also featured in our 2017 Veteran music compilation The Re-Integration Project {Sounds}.

David and Ann Marie Romero perform a song at the Lion and Pirate.

Our final performer Matthew Owen Williams joins us all the way from Florida for this concert! Matt is a Retired Army Chaplain and one of the founding members of Vet Church, an outreach to those who struggle with hurt, anger, depression and pain. As a singer/songwriter Matt has written and recorded a single, an EP, and a full-length record. His lyrics are witty and honest, and he sings with a raw passion. He travels around the country playing music, offering encouragement, and instilling hope to other Veterans and their communities. His performance is one you won't want to miss!

So come out to the Carver Branch (1161 Angelina Street, Austin, TX 78702) and support Veteran musicians this Saturday afternoon! The concert is free, doors open at 1:30 PM, show starts at 2:00 PM. You can RSVP, get updates, and invite your friends to our Facebook event page here. See you there!

Flyer for March 24th Veterans concert at the Carver Branch of Austin Public Library

Spring Forward and Create Art!

I don’t know about you, but this time change has been hard to deal with this year. I just don’t want to get out of bed in the mornings! But the chirping birds, the promise of warmer weather and longer evenings in the sunshine makes me remember that it is time to get up and that the day is going to be great.

"Happy Mountains" yarn painting by April Sullivan

With the name April, I bet you can guess Spring is my favorite time of year. It is time to start new projects and finish old ones. For me, that means making more art. If it means the same for you, then I have some opportunities coming up that you might want to get involved in.

At VSA Texas, we have some great new calls for art out and we are looking for artists to participate. There’s something for everyone in this list!

Ground Floor Theatre Gallery – Austin, TX
April 3-30, 2018
DEADLINE: ASAP
We are having a one month exhibition of local Austin artists with disabilities at this theatre lobby in East Austin. I have four artists confirmed, but there is probably room for 1-2 more. Just let me know if you are interested. This one is coming up quick!

SPRING Mobile Art Exhibition – Bass Concert Hall Gallery – 2nd Floor – Austin, TX
May-August 2018
DEADLINE: April 9, 2018
This call for art is specifically for Texas seniors, age 65 and up. We have space for wall-hanging work in this exhibit. So if you are an older artist, show us what you got!

Photo from last year’s Mobile Art Exhibition at Austin Bergstrom International Airport

9th Annual Distinguished Artist Veterans Exhibit – Cultural Activities Center – Howard Gallery – Temple, TX
June-July 2018
DEADLINE: April 17, 2018
We have space for 2D and 3D work in this large gallery in Temple. We invite all Veterans with disabilities and Wounded Warriors in Texas to enter this call for art.

Howard Gallery at the Cultural Activities Center in Temple

WEST – West Austin Studio Tour – AGE of Central Texas Building Lawn – Austin, TX
May 12-13 and May 19-20
DEADLINE: ASAP
We are an official stop on the WEST tour hosted by Big Medium and we are looking for artists with disabilities to come out with their tents and artwork to sell on the lawn. We have an indoor location secured in case of rain. If you have always wanted to be on this annual city-wide art tour but couldn’t afford the fee, we offer a low-cost way to get involved.

2018 West Austin Studio Tour logo

So as you see, there are plenty of ways you can get your art out in the world this Spring with VSA Texas. You can always check our calls for art on our website or just contact me at april@vsatx.org. I’m always planning something new and I want to see what you are creating.

Amplify VSA's Veterans Projects!

Next week, the region’s largest day of giving, “Amplify Austin,” will lift off on March 1st. For a 24-hour period, people from throughout the nation will make donations to VSA Texas. Click here to schedule your donation. All donations, no matter the size, are meaningful to us.

Do your friends and family know about VSA’s life-enhancing Veterans Services Programming? These programs, which include classes, workshops, and performances in the arts, writing, and music, address post-conflict healing and reintegration for people who have served and are currently serving in our armed forces.

Scientific studies inform us that art heals by changing a person’s physiology and attitude. Ultimately, veterans with combat stress must achieve some meaningful role in their lives that is separate from their injury. Joining a larger community and interacting with people who are unrelated to their injury or illness helps to end isolation.

VSA Texas has 9 years experience producing arts programs designed for members of the military community, with strong support from veterans service organizations. Our Veterans Services Programming strengthens the relationship between creative veterans and the public by offering another way to consider war and its toll on the human spirit.

Through our programs, veterans are gently supported as they become part of the larger civilian and artistic community. We see ourselves as a launch pad for growth and encourage participants to use us as a stepping-stone for full integration.

We currently have over 300 artists on our veteran artist roster and have experienced an increased demand for projects to support writers, musicians, and craftsmen. We need your help to grow the program so that we can continue challenging perceptions of how people contribute by creating an arts-inspired, inclusive community of individuals with diverse abilities. Please click here to schedule your donation for Amplify Austin Day!

From Combat to Community

I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week in the Killeen area and at Fort Hood for the Texas Creative Forces Summit. This convening of veterans, current military personnel, artists, arts providers and veteran service providers was the start of something big. Although, a focus on the arts as a healing tool for veterans is not a new idea. In fact, we have been focusing on this issue at VSA Texas since 2009. But it is nice to see more growth in this area and to have backing by federal organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Department of Defense.

The first day started with speeches by Texas State Representative Hugh Shine and Mayor of Killeen Jose Segarra. Our keynote speaker was local veteran artist Chris Van Loan who has participated in some of our programs.

"Ascension" by Chris Van Loan from the 8th Annual Distinguished Artist Veterans Exhibition

We learned about the programs happening at the Intrepid Center of Excellence including their robust Art Therapy and Music Therapy programs. Fort Hood soldiers with PTSD and TBI work through 8 weeks of intensive therapies that include these modalities. But as we learned, only 50% of people who need services seek services clinically. So community arts programs like the writing classes we offer at VSA Texas can fill those gaps.

At lunch we were treated to speeches by special guests Cecilia Abbott, the First Lady of Texas, and Karen Pence, the Second Lady of the U.S. Both are strong supporters of the arts and especially art therapy. We already knew that about Mrs. Abbott because we had been approached by the Governor’s Office last November to find a veteran artist interested in drawing the Governor’s Christmas card. We chose artist Lucia Miron, a Veteran from North Texas who captured a room in the governor’s mansion decorated by Mrs. Abbott for Christmas in a Fiesta style. She also featured the family dog.

A draft of the Texas Governor’s 2017 Christmas Card designed by Veteran Artist Lucia Miron

Karen Pence speaking about the importance of Art Therapy

Our afternoon was filled with ideas and information from artists, arts organizations, storytellers, and musicians.

The next day we went to Fort Hood and watched a performance piece called Re-Entry by American Records. It was a powerful work that used direct language from interviews with returning service members and their family. After that we had small group discussions to synthesize what we learned and what our strategies would be going forward to make the IH-35 Corridor from San Antonio to Fort Worth a robust area for our current service members, veterans, and their families to participate in the arts. As Retired Brigadier General Nolen V. Bivens said throughout the conference, we need to bring our military “from Combat to Community” through the arts!

Left to right: Rick Perkins, Glenn Towery, April Sullivan, Bart Pitchford, Miriam Conner at the Creative Forces Conference

Lynn's Top 10

I just celebrated my 10-year work anniversary at VSA Texas, and it's brought to mind some of my fondest and funniest memories with this wonderful organization. Here are my top 10 moments at VSA Texas:

1. Getting hired at VSA Texas, thought it was the coolest place and still do.

2. Attending the VSA International celebration in Washington, DC with the rest of the staff, all courtesy of Celia Hughes, our Executive Director. The last morning, before we left, we toured several of the monuments, courtesy of a cab we commandeered in the hotel driveway. The driver was a true gentleman.

3. Plunking April on her head with my pencil. I think that was the first month I was here. Now I use water guns, blasters and soakers.

4. April yelling at me to chase down the AT&T telephone guy, “He’s making a run for it!” We had been without a phone system for a week, and he was trying to escape from the labyrinth of the AGE building and its hundreds of feet of extraneous phone wires in the ceiling. And then there was the flood from the frozen sprinkler system. But that didn’t involved the AT&T guy.

5. My first Art in the Park in Austin was cold and rainy. It also sleeted. But we managed to get all the art booths moved inside McBeth Recreation Center and made it work.

6. VSA Texas's first Disability From Real to Reel Film Festival where I got to meet Roger Ross Williams who produced and directed “Music by Prudence.” He won an Academy Award for the best documentary short that year.

Roger Ross Williams, Keith Maitland, and Patrick Floyd who co-made the movie “Eyes of Me” with Keith

7. Representing VSA Texas and our newly launched Distinguished Artist Veterans program at a SXSW event hosted by Kevin Bacon. Each invited guest was given 5 minutes to speak privately with Kevin about our program. I bought a new outfit for the occasion. You know I did.

Posing with Kevin Bacon

8. Helping out at the "Sight. Sound. Soul." event with piano man Henry Butler at the Palm Door. I was Madame Caphelon, fortune teller extraordinaire, who foretold many people donating hard earned dollars to VSA Texas.

9. The Bat’s Ahoy fundraiser – that was a hoot! Our boat lost power, and we drifted with all of our folks, with and without disabilities, down Townlake and eventually ran into a column beneath Townlake bridge. Our Board President called the police, but they couldn't get to us for at least an hour or so. The boat company had another small flatboat craft they used to guide us back to the pier where everybody piled off. Meanwhile, we enjoyed food, booze, and entertainment with Purly Gates singing the Gilligan’s Island theme to the kids!

Boarding the Lone Star cruise boat prior to our fateful voyage on Townlake!

10. Receiving a plaque for 10 years of service to VSA Texas. What a surprise!

Posing with Celia Hughes and Pádraig Naughton, Chair of the VSA Affiliate Council, at this year's VSA Intersections Conference in Austin

I look forward to continuing this wild ride with VSA Texas!

Connections

Hi VSA Texas friends! This is April, and I have been working hard on our veterans program lately. We have an exciting event planned for June 15th from 6-8 pm at Art979 Gallery, 210 W 26th Street in Bryan, TX.

Invitation for the 2017 Distinguished Artist Veterans Showcase that includes a painting of a gecko by Mary Ishler and a poem called The Desert by Judy Smith.

This will be our 8th annual Distinguished Artist Veterans art exhibit and we have something different planned. This year it is all about connections! We expanded our program in 2015 to include The Re-Integration Project writing classes. Our second publication of writings by veterans is out at the printer now and it is filled with 100 pages of poems, short stories and screenplays.

Cover of The Re-Integration Project publication including an abstract marker drawing by Valerie Short called Everyone’s Dream.

How is this about connections, you ask? Well, we have connected our veteran writers with veteran artists and songwriters by asking the artists and musicians to choose a piece of writing from the book and create a response. The art has been coming in all week to my office and every artist who drops off artwork is excited to tell the story of how their work was inspired by the veteran writers. Denise Knebel was here this morning from San Antonio. She created a painting in response to a short story “Terminal” by Thomas Orlando. In this story a junior officer butts heads with a colonel, but by the end of the story, their relationship becomes one of mutual respect. The connection that the officer makes with the colonel in the beginning of the story comes back around to him in the end. We find a similar storyline in Perry Jefferies “Club-Footed Frankenstein.” As Denise explained it, so much of what happens in the military is about connections between people. She portrayed that in her acrylic on canvas, “Connections…for us all.”

An acrylic painting with many layers including images of figures and planes overlaid by square patterns of purple bars, dripping veins of green and yellow, and circles of gold.

Beyond the art, we are also working with veteran songwriters. As they turn in their songs, I am finding a theme to the music. Most of the songs are soul- or country-influenced and all of them are about love. With titles such as “Tornado of Love” by Glenn Towery or “People Just Need Love” by Rick Milisci, the songs bring about a feeling of love and the connection each of us has with everyone else.

I am telling you, this is going to be a great event! If you can’t make it to Bryan on June 15th, I urge you to take a trip to view the show while it is on display until July 15th. Or visit our website, because I will be posting the writings, songs, and art there soon.

Finally, I want to say, this project would not be possible without funding support from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. In the spirit of connections, I want to share with you a fantastic blog by one of the Peer & Family Support Program mentors that was published on the Reeve Foundation's blog recently. The blog, written by Julie Rodes, describes her journey from being a patient with a new spinal cord injury to her recent acceptance into medical school.

Stay connected!

A Lion, A Pirate, An (Unplugged) Open Mic, Music, and Poetry in Austin, Texas

Originally written and posted February 21, 2017 by David Borden on his blog. Reposted with permission. Photos courtesy of Malvern Books.


It's another Lion and Pirate Open Mic night at Malvern Books at 613 West 29th Street in Austin, Texas. The night is filled with cake (3rd anniversary of the event), poetry, funny stories, advice, songs, and art.

The event is put on by the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD) Pen 2 Paper Project and VSA Texas. CTD is a cross-disability advocacy organization, focusing mostly on state-level issues. Pen 2 Paper holds an annual writing contest to open up conversation about disability and give writers with disabilities a platform to share their work. VSA Texas exists to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to enjoy the arts as a spectator, as a participant, as a professional.

VSA Texas had hosted an open mic for a few years when they had Access Gallery. April Sullivan, one of the hosts and co-founders of the event from VSA Texas says, "It was popular and fun, but we were unable to keep it going when we lost the funding to keep the gallery open in 2012. So in December 2013, Laura and I were both attending the Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities Annual Holiday Party at Threadgill’s (always a fun time with a fierce White Elephant Gift Exchange!). We started talking. Laura met Becky of Malvern Books at the Texas Book Festival around that time, and she mentioned that Malvern wanted to be a community space, not just a book store. This seemed like a perfect fit- and it has been!"

Laura Perna is the other host and co-founder of the event. She works for CTD.

The Lion and the Pirate are the unofficial mascots of Malvern Books (Malvern the lion greets everyone who comes into the store). April says, "At first, we were going to call it The Lion, The Pirate, and The Microphone, but we got a little too raucous at our first event and had to drop the microphone bit. Funny story! VSA Texas brought our PA to the first Open Mic. We were told we could use it, but needed to keep the volume low in respect for the neighbors. My late husband Milton was a big part of the planning because he wanted to host the Open Mic. But he wasn’t so good at low volume. He kept cranking it up and getting louder and louder as the night went on."

The lion...

After that first open mic, the Malvern staff took away the mic since Milton couldn’t keep it low. After that over-loud debut event, The Lion and the Pirate became "Unplugged."

The Lion and Pirate has had 304 "unplugged" open mic performances since February 2014, with about 20 regulars. Malvern posts the performances on their Youtube channel if you want to catch any of the past events.

April says, "We have had great feedback. We're told the atmosphere is very inclusive and friendly and nothing like the other open mics out there. For many people, this is the first time they have presented in public. And our audience is always open to new things. We've had singers, writers, storytellers, magicians, comedians, musicians, artists showing their latest work, even interpretive dance."

The safe environment encourages spontaneous collaboration. On this night, several poets had unrehearsed improvisational musical accompaniment. But this kind of thing happens all the time, which makes this creative space unpredictable and fun.

...and the Pirate

Andrew Murphy from the Austin Public Library attend the open mic last year. He was so taken with it that he recruited the group to be a part of Aural Lit - a live reading event at the library. The result: the Distinguished Artist Veterans event at the Terrazas Branch library with an art exhibit and live reading of veteran writings. In addition, this launched Library Live where some of the Lion and Pirate musicians played a concert at the Carver Branch library, which is planned to continue quarterly. Laura and April have also met with Michael Noll from the Writers League of Texas about promoting books by writers with disabilities to independent bookstores.

The Lion and Pirate is not just about music and spoken word, once they hosted Body Shift, a mixed-ability dance ensemble. Malvern is a lot of wonderful things, but a big open space, it is not. The first time Body Shift wanted to do something, Laura wondered how it was going to work. "But Malvern is used to improvising. They just did their thing among the book shelves and tables, and the audience reformed around them. It was pretty glorious."

Dancing at Malvern

Sometimes the surprises come from random people. "One time there was a guy here early," April says, "He came up to me and confessed that he had hijacked our Open Mic for his birthday party. He took our flyer for the event and added details about this being his birthday party and then everyone going over to Conan’s for pizza afterward. It was great! We had a big turnout, lots of new people, fun poems being read that were written specifically for him. Then some of us joined him and his friends for pizza. He did it again the next year!"

Laura says, "I will never forget when J-Bo of the Old Hats (a staple at the L&P) described the Lion & Pirate as 'a community.' To me, that really hit home that this was about more than just the performances. We've also lost some folks along the way, and I think having this community allows them to live on a sense. Not just through our memories of them, but the impressions their work made (and continues to make) on us."

April says, "We find ways to share our pain through sharing our stories and songs and sharing their stories and songs. When Bear left to move away, when we lost Milton, and most recently SylviAnn, we all shared that loss together. Even you, David, sharing about your daughter is such a hard thing, but we were all there for you and feeling that with you. So it helps to have that community."

Moving forward, Laura says she'd like to get ASL interpretation at every open mic. "Not just to sign what the speaking performers are saying, but also to voice what signing performers are doing. CTD had some ASL poets at an event last year and it was really something else; ASL poetry is its own art form, and it would be really cool to have it in our mix. Not to mention ASL story-telling, music?, other stuff I don't even know about! Plus, as an inclusive space, we need to make sure that Deaf, Deaf-blind, and hard-of-hearing folks can participate. At this point, we don't have a budget for this, and I've looked into ASL interpreter volunteers with no luck (so far). If you are reading this interview and know of a good resource, my email is lperna@txdisabilities.org!"

April the Lion and Laura the Pirate

April says, "What I love about this partnership is the teamwork makes the job easy on all of us. Malvern, P2P, and VSA Texas all pitch in to make it successful. Malvern has the lovely space, provides snacks, sets up and cleans up, video tapes and takes great pictures. For marketing, Malvern creates a facebook event every month, P2P creates a flyer every month, and VSA Texas emails out invitations to past and new presenters each month. Laura and I share the hosting duties so we always have someone there in case one of us can’t make it. Although, we always try to make it."

Most importantly, the Lion and Pirate is a fun, relaxed atmosphere, an inclusive event, and an opportunity for people to have their voices heard. Events are monthly, check them out.

This Sunday, April 2, 2017 at 2pm I'll be throwing a book release party for And Yet We Rise at Malvern. I'm grateful to VSA Texas, CTD, and Malvern for their support.

For more about David Borden and his works, visit his website here.

Celebrating 100 Blogs in 100 Words and Pictures

As OMOD project coordinator and self-appointed blog manager, I cannot be happier to compose our 100th blog entry! When I first took the reins of our VSA Texas blog in July 2015, we hadn’t published a blog entry in five months and our monthly page views had plummeted; now, just shy of two years later, we publish entries on a weekly basis – barring the weeks when my own perfectionism gets the best of me – and our page views regularly extend into the thousands. Of course, this has little to do with me and everything to do with our dedicated team of bloggers made up of our amazing staff and guest contributors!

In managing our blog, I am constantly reminded that our blog has never been about the statistics or the number of readers we gain. It has always been about telling the story of our organization and hearing from the everyday people behind the incredible work we do. And the 100 photos I culled from these first 100 entries (and spent an embarrassing number of hours editing into ten tiny collages) will illustrate that far more effectively than my words:

The wonderful world of Body Shift, featuring stunning photos by Camille Wheeler and others!

Adventures in OMOD

Remembering the tremendous work of Actual Lives Austin!

Launching youth into the world of media through our Side-by-Side internships and New Media Arts classes

Bringing art and entertainment to children with disabilities through our annual Art in the Park and Art in the Gardens festivals

Expanding our services to Texas Veterans with creative writing classes, public readings, and art exhibits around the state

Providing opportunities for Texas artists with disabilities to share and sell their art. Not only visual art, but CDs, books, greeting cards, even handmade apparel, too!

Our blog has also offered a forum to engage in critical discussions about disability representation in media.

Our Unsung Hero of the Week series has allowed us to acknowledge our dear friends and collaborators who make our work possible and honor those who are no longer with us.

Last but most important, our blog gave the dedicated staff who work in our offices the opportunity to tell their own stories and articulate how their own lives have been impacted by this work. They are the heart of VSA Texas.

Okay, so I know that was more than 100 words, but I just couldn't cut it down any further! I hope you will forgive me, and more importantly, I hope you will continue to read our blog as we add new voices and new stories to the mix!

Calling All Creative Veterans!

Hi blog readers! April Sullivan here to tell you about all the exciting work we have been doing with our creative veterans and what we have coming up.

Our awesome writing instructors Cecily Sailer and Stephanie Whallon taught more writing classes at the end of 2016. Cecily was at our VSA Texas classroom and Stephanie went out into the community and taught her class at the Austin VA Outpatient Clinic. In the final class, the writers visited the Blanton Museum of Art to get inspiration from the visual art. I heard from the VA staff that “on the way back to the VA the Veterans couldn’t stop talking about how much they have loved the writing class and the trip to the Blanton.” It was a great partnership and we look forward to more opportunities at our local VA.

A photo of Stephanie and the VA Writing Class students at the Blanton Museum of Art

We have another writing class starting January 22nd and a few spots left if you are a veteran interested in giving it a try! This six-week class will take you on a tour of genres and give writers of all levels (beginners too) practice in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Contact me if you are interested. Here is a poem by one of the writers:

Guardians of Liberty

Until the last cadence is finally called

I am a soldier undaunted that is all

Until every lost Brother and Sister come home

With every beat of my heart their souls live on

Standing ready for the call at dangers gate

rest assured for that moment we all wait

Sleep sound my country and without fear

For our sacrifice please never shed one tear

For this path we march, our gift to you

The danger and cost we already knew

With vigilance we ensure the path ahead is clear

For freedom we stand United Far and Near

Countless Brothers and Sisters stand just like me

Protecting Freedom with Blood, Guardians of Liberty

Kris Shoults 

United States Air Force 1988-1992

Are you wondering what our plans are for all of these creative writing pieces? Well, we have big plans! These works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction will be part of a large event this summer that will include visual artists and musicians as well as writers. We are currently looking for Texas veterans who are visual artists and also those who are songwriters or musicians to submit to our call for art and our call for songwriters. We are looking for artistic and musical veterans to create a work of art or write a song based on the writings. These writings, songs, and visual art pieces will come together in a publication, CD, and live event at the Art979 Gallery in Bryan, TX in June/July 2017.

If you are a veteran visual artist or musician interested in being a part of this event, please contact me about the call for art or the call for songs, or see the Veterans Page on our website.

And if you want some inspiration, come hear the Veteran Writers read their works at our Lion and Pirate Open Mic on Saturday, January 21st from 7-8:30 PM at Malvern Books.

Perry Jefferies, US Army Veteran, reading at our Open Mic

Wishes for the New Year

For many, 2016 was a difficult and divisive year. We lost many creative heroes, from legendary musicians to cherished actors and actresses, but still saw the emergence of new talents and wonderful works of art. We also survived one of the most contentious elections in American history. As we peer into the future, hoping for the best, here are our wishes and other thoughts for the year ahead:

April

My wish for 2017 is for our veteran programs to take off. The work we are doing in our exhibitions and writing classes for Texas Veterans has been very meaningful work and I would like to see these services reach more people across the state. I believe this is a very achievable goal because we have a great team of staff, teaching artists, partner organizations, and of course the veterans working on the project. So keep an eye out for bigger and better creative work by Texas Veterans in the coming year!

Untitled, an acrylic mixed media by Salina Loriaux, an Iraq War Army Veteran from San Antonio, TX

Olivia

I hope in the New Year that we all have more time for being together with friends and loved ones in person. May it be possible to give more real hugs than virtual ones.

Janelle

My wish for the New Year: Peace on Earth

Silva

My wishes for the New Year are that I would be able to simplify my life and be more present for my family and kids. I want to learn to speak with eloquence and honesty about issues that are hard and difficult with people who matter to me. And to be able to continue to learn while teaching dance and movement to diverse populations. Hyvää uutta vuotta kaikille toivottaa Silva!

Nicole

1. Get published in a higher end literary magazine. Advance my writing techniques and become a better writer overall.
2. Perfect the art of cooking three different tasty meals, meals I prepare on my own, so good people ask me for seconds and thirds.
3. Sell ten pieces of my art under Outsider Art on eBay.
4. Love myself more.
5. Get an iPad and transition from drawing in journals to doodling on an iPad.
6. Swim.
7. Love others more and talk less (definitely talk less).
8. Go to Maine and Niagara Falls.
9. Visit a maple syrup factory and see how syrup is made.
10. Get businesses to donate to VSA Texas.

Celia

Here is what the Chinese Zodiac has to say about the upcoming year. From Astrology Club:

The Year of the Rooster (2017) will be a powerful one, with no middle of the road when it comes to moving forward. This year, impressions count. You’ll want to look your best and be clear on your intentions concerning love, money, and business. Stick to practical and well-proven paths to ensure success, rather than risky ventures. In a Rooster Year, all of the Chinese animals can reap great rewards by tapping into Rooster traits. Loyalty, commitment, hard work, family values, and top-notch appearances are just some of the characteristics that will be rewarded this year. This will be a year that the most vital promise made will result in a flawless job no matter what it takes to achieve it. It will be a year when it is truly better to do less, but do it perfectly.

The year of the Rooster teaches the lessons of order, scrutiny and strategic planning. The sage advice of Sun-Zi, which is still taught in modern military circles, advises one to “achieve psychological advantage over the adversary and use force only as a last resort.” I think we can all take heart of that advice in 2017, the year when diplomacy wins!

As a Rabbit in the Year of the Rooster, I plan to use my skills of diplomacy and strategic management to broadcast my essence for the greater good! Click here to read more about the Year of the Rooster.

White circle over purple background featuring the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac with a rooster in the center for 2017.

Eric

My wish is for healing: of fresh and old wounds, of past pains that still feel new, of fear, anxiety, uncertainty, of families torn apart by seemingly unreconcilable differences, of friendships that have withered with time and change, of the Earth itself with its vast scars we ourselves have made. May the New Year bring a fresh start, an opportunity to focus, dig in, and work harder than the year before, a chance to grow closer to our dreams, to accept our limitations as well as our strengths, and to let the regrets that distract us from the present wash away with the rain.

Lynn

I am wishing for those Peaceful Waters. From Gordon Lightfoot:

The dead leaves of autumn
That cling so desperately
Must fly before the cold October winds
Their simple lives have ended
Must they be born to die again
Oh may the light of freedom shine
For all the world to see
And peace and joy to all mankind
Through all the years to be
For soon the leaves will die
And the long hard wind will blow
May this world find a resting place 
Where the peaceful waters flow

The VSA Texas crew outside Magnolia Cafe. From left to right: Janelle, April, Celia, Eric, Lynn, Adrianna

What are your wishes for 2017?? Tell us in the comments below!

Creative Veterans Unite!

Coming up at the end of this month is an event celebrating our first exploration of adding Veteran Writers to our Distinguished Artist Veterans program. As those of you who have followed our veterans program knows, we have been hosting an annual exhibition of visual art every year since 2009. The exhibit is always a juried call for art, and brings us new and exciting artwork by veterans from all over the state of Texas. We have featured sculptures, paintings, drawings, jewelry, and so much more. But never writing until now! Our new project is called The Re-Integration Project and we started by hosting some writing classes for veterans in the Central Texas area. Over the course of two six-week long classes, a total of ten men and women learned about different writing styles including poetry, personal narrative, screenwriting, and fiction. The classes were taught by local writers Stephanie Whallon and Cecily Sailer. We also had an assistant from the Military Veteran Peer Network who helped us while also writing his own work. Below is a short excerpt from Gene Hooper’s story “S-13: A Day at Sea”

Nick wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew that rumors onboard a ship travel fast. And he knew that if he wanted answers, he needed to move to his next watch station on the bridge. Maybe there is something to all of it, he thought, and he raced through the ship to the bridge.

When Nick entered the bridge, things were calm, so he reported to the officer of watch. Nick announced his presence with a strong deep tone. “Officer of the watch, Seaman Stone, reporting for duty. Permission to relieve the helmsman.” 

“Permission granted,” Lieutenant McDaniel responded. The deck watch was always uptight and very formal. Traditions, professionalism, and commutations were key components to keeping a ship out of harm’s way out at sea.

Nick took his place at the helm. The bridge was too quiet, the kind of quiet that speaks loudly. He felt as though everyone knew something but was afraid to tell him. He wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but he already didn’t like it.

Gene Hooper writes fiction informed by his experiences as a veteran and his naval expertise. “S-13” is his first story, which sheds light on some of his core values. Being new to writing, Gene has spent time with great educators through VSA Texas’ veteran writing projects and learned new writing skills. He will continue writing and building his skill set. Gene also works with veterans with PTSD. He believes in the healing power of writing, and believes it can provide encouragement. Gene’s full story can be found in the chapbook that is being printed for the reading and art exhibit coming up on August 31st. We are partnering with the Aural Literature program of the Austin Public Library and featuring a reading of literary works by our veteran writers as well as displaying artwork by veteran artists from all over the state in our 7th Annual Distinguished Artist Veterans exhibit.

© 2016 Alec Carvalho, Wave in Birch, carved wood, 12” x 12”

We will have work on exhibit by 11 artists from all across the state including Laredo, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. We asked the artists to relate their work to a theme that corresponded to the writings we received. For example, Alec’s piece Wave in Birch relates to the theme of Ownership of Experience and Life Choices.

Another artist who relates to that theme of Ownership of Experience is Ruth McIntosh. Ruth combined art and writing in her entry by framing a poem that is embedded into handmade paper created from the pulp of her old military uniforms. Her piece is called PTSD and she noticed something interesting about her finished work:

“I randomly tore the edges of the paper on which the poem is printed, however, unknowingly I created the outline of a face. The lines of the printing also just happened to suggest a face. This is amazing since the last two lines of the poem are, 'PTSD has many faces. One of them is mine.' It is as if I subconsciously made a self portrait.”

© 2015 Ruth L. McIntosh, PTSD,
Handmade paper and inkjet printing on paper, 16” x 20”

We invite you to see and hear from these veterans at our Re-Integration Project Reading and Opening Reception on Wednesday, August 31, 2016 from 7:00-8:30 PM at the Terrazas Branch Library, 1105 E. Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX 78702!

VSA Texas Unsung Hero of the Week: Rod Sigler

Rod Sigler is a local veteran musician whose talent gained him a spot in the stage show at the National VA Creative Arts Festival in 2015. Rod sent us a few words about his trip to North Carolina:

“What a great event! The nation's greatest Veteran talent was calibrated together for one event that was the Creative Arts Festival. People from all walks of life and different talents came together to show their gold medal winning art, dance, drama, and voices.

Rod Sigler at the National Veterans
Creative Arts Festival in North Carolina

"I, Rod Sigler, represented Austin, TX and enjoyed the fellowship so much that it sent me back home on a mission to make an impact in the community and take some other veterans with me. Most of the songs we sang were classics by John Denver. Initially I thought that it was not my style of music and would not be something I would enjoy doing. What I found is that I could step out of my comfort zone, grow, and demonstrate the flexibility to do more kinds of music and reach a point where, those of us who won solo parts, we could own it and add our personality to it. Moving through the week it started to wear on us but many of us started to consider the words of the songs. We began to ask questions like, "Who is this person I am singing next to?" Before you knew it, what we had worked on for hours a day for an entire week had culminated into a fine event that we nailed. The North Carolina community was so loving, and you could tell they loved and appreciated veterans. Before you knew it, the music stopped and there was no more preparation. There was almost a midst of sadness that swept across the room and on the bus ride home. It was over. Time to get back to our life.

Rod with his gold medal for first place in the
Original Vocal category for his song, "We Are Veterans"

"The key to any experience like this is will it be a moment or a movement to bring back things learned in order to see what can be done in our communities. I told the group in a meeting that the only way that we could not let anything garnered that week to die is to keep breathing life into it by returning home, seeing who you can build up, inspire, and impact in a manner that causes others to reach higher, make a difference to the local community of vets back home and maybe themselves make the trip next year.”

 Rod practicing for the stage show

Rod has definitely inspired us here at VSA Texas to work on expanding our Distinguished Artist Veterans program to include more veteran musicians and writers. Look out for more details on that program and learn more about our veteran services at http://www.vsatx.org/veteranServices.html.

If you are a veteran served by the VA, then you too can enter the National VA Creative Arts Competition. The 2016 event will be held in Jackson, MS and includes categories in Visual Art, Dance, Drama, Music, and Creative Writing. To qualify, you must enter through your local VA. If you are in Austin and receive services at the Austin VA Outpatient Clinic, then entries are due by March 9th. Make an appointment to record your Music, Dance, or Drama entry on 9th. Bring your Art or Writing entries to the Austin VA Outpatient Clinic on March 8th & 9th. Contact Jeffrey Norrod at the VA at 254-624-2911 for details.