Nationwide, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities use the creative arts as one form of rehabilitative treatment to help Veterans recover from and cope with physical and emotional disabilities. Across the country each year, Veterans treated at VA facilities compete in a local creative arts competition. This competition includes more than 53 art categories that range from oil painting to leatherwork and even paint-by-number kits. In addition, there are 120 categories pertaining to all aspects of music, dance, drama and creative writing. The creative writing division is a more recent addition to the competition and includes original works in poetry, essay, short story, and personal experience writing. A national selection committee chooses first, second and third place winners among all of the entries. Select winners are then invited to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival each year.

In 2010, 3,625 Veterans from 123 VA facilities entered the competition nationwide, with 143 of the medal-winning Veterans earning an invitation to participate in the 2010 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, hosted by the VA Medical Center in Tomah, Wisconsin. In 2011, the Festival will be hosted by the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks and held in Fayetteville and Bentonville, Arkansas.

The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival is a week of learning, exploring, fellowship and celebration of the healing power of the arts. Because the gold, silver or bronze medal winners are already selected to participate in the Festival, there is no competition at the event itself; rather, it serves as a showcase for the top national winners. During the week of the event, participants may attend classes in fine, applied and craft art, all taught by local artists. As part of the Festival, Veterans also visit a variety of local attractions including art museums and galleries, as well as other sites of interest to area visitors.

The Festival will culminate on Sunday, October 23, 2011, with an art exhibit featuring all first-place art entries, followed by a gala stage show performance. The stage show is professionally directed with live orchestral accompaniment generously provided by the Music Performance Fund. Tickets are free and actively distributed to assure a full house for the Veterans’ performance.

The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival is presented each year by the the Department of Veterans Affairs, Help Hospitalized Veterans and the American Legion Auxiliary.