Exhibits Open to Public and Media

WASHINGTON – The Durham VA Medical Center in North Carolina will host more than 100 Veterans from across the country for the 2015 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival. The festival will run Oct. 12 through Oct. 18.

The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival features gold medal-winning entries from 53 categories of art, ranging from oil painting to leatherwork to fiber art. Veterans’ artwork will be displayed at an exhibit at Gerrard Hall at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill on Oct. 18 from noon to 1:45 p.m. Performing artists will present a stage show at Memorial Hall also at the university, on Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets are free to the events and must be obtained by contacting 919-286-0411, ext. 6070. The exhibit and stage show are open to the public and media.

The weeklong Festival, sponsored by VA and the American Legion Auxiliary, showcases the artistic achievements of Veterans from across the country who placed first in national art, music, dance, drama and creative writing division competitions. The Veterans are participating in workshops, rehearsals and artistic interaction sessions, culminating in Sunday’s art exhibit and stage show performance.

Among many other therapeutic benefits, the Festival encourages artistic expression to help Veterans dealing with PTSD and other psychological issues. More than 3,500 Veterans participate in local competitions for a chance to attend the annual national festival.

The Festival relies heavily on the support provided by numerous American Legion Auxiliary volunteers.

For more information, visit www.creativeartsfestival.va.gov. Media interested in covering the event can call Michael Molina at (202) 560-7305.

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Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov

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