WNCVAHCS Creative Arts Festival
The Charles George Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center hosted its 21st Annual Local Creative Arts Festival as part of a rehabilitative treatment program to aid patients in recovering from physical and emotional challenges.
A total of 80 Veterans, under the care of the Western North Carolina VA Health Care
System, showcased their talents in a wide range of visual arts categories. These included
painting, graphics, metalwork, poetry and more, demonstrating the diverse creative
abilities of the participants.
The top three finalists will be entered in the National Creative Arts Competition
later this fall. “When people are creative, they become strong,” says Michael Mullert,
a Vietnam Veteran in the audience.
Rebekah Wiggins, an art therapist at the medical center, underscores the
importance of the arts in recovery.
She explains, “Arts offer a non-threatening way to communicate and gain insight as
well as motivation and meaning in recovery. The Creative Arts Festival provides an
opportunity for Veterans to display their talents and demonstrate the powerful impact of
the arts in recovery, while also fostering connections with the broader community.”
The Western North Carolina VA Health Care System offers a wide range of services,
including mental health, primary and specialty care and social programs to improve the
well-being of its patients.
The Chief Nurse Executive, David Przestrzelski, says: “I have watched the National
Creative Arts Festival grow over the past 20 years and, while the art quality is phenomenal,
the heartfelt stories told in each piece never cease to inspire.”
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