Winners announced in Local Creative Arts Festival
Veteran Jeremiah Brown’s oil painting of Cheikh Anta Diop won “Best of Show” during our local Veterans Creative Arts Competition at the Auditorium last Thursday, August 4, 2022.
Veterans from southwest Michigan displayed their artwork in Battle Creek VA’s annual competition, which included 36 unique projects judged across 51 different categories, and is part of a year-long, fine arts talent competition between thousands of Veterans from VA medical facilities across the nation. The Auditorium was open to visitors from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm where they could enjoy these creative pieces and speak with the artists about their work.
“Each one of my paintings is inspired by researching a subject,” said Brown. “I’ve always been interested in African history, and Cheikh Anta Diop was an anthropologist and physicist, who studied the human race's origins and pre-colonial African culture. I hope others are inspired to become more informed because of my work.” There were many other unique submissions on display, including a painted electric guitar, a model car display, and several molds, sculptures, and impressionist pieces. Each entry was judged within its category, and ribbons were awarded for first, second, and third place entries.
Battle Creek had two 2021 finalists place in the national art division this Spring: Tonya Wigger took 3rd place in Stained or Painted Ceramics with Starblaze, and Dan Dunn’s Flower Box took second in the Wood Building Kit category. National results for this fall will be posted in January 2023. You can check out the Festival Website for these results and more information about the Veterans Creative Arts Festival. To find out more, or to assist in future local events, contact Pam Dickinson at extension 33902.