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March 25, 2008

Photo Caption:  Charles W. Anderson, Jr., a Vietnam Era veteran, proudly displays the beaded artwork that he entered in the applied arts competition during the Veterans Creative Arts Festival held recently at the Perry Point VA Medical Center. Photograph courtesy of Rising Sun Herald.

Perry Point VA Medical Center Hosts
Veterans Creative Arts Festival

The Perry Point Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center recently hosted a day-long Veterans Creative Arts Festival.  This annual event showcases the talents of veterans through artistic expression.  An afternoon visual arts program featured the entries of 42 hospitalized veterans and outpatients in the categories of applied arts, fine arts and craft kits.  Following the visual arts program, an evening performing arts program was held that featured the talents of veterans in music, creative writing and drama. 

According to Marian Jones, Recreation Therapy Festival Coordinator, "The Creative Arts Festival recognizes and encourages veterans to express their artistic achievements through competition in the divisions of arts and crafts, creative writing, dance, drama and music." 

Winning entries from this local competition will be submitted to a national panel of judges comprised of recreation and creative arts therapists from other VA facilities.  Winners of the local competition will go on to join veterans from across the country in a National Veterans Creative Arts Festival that will be held in Loma Linda, Calif., during October 2008.  The National Creative Arts Festival is sponsored annually by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Legion Auxiliary and Help Hospitalized Veterans.