Celebrating Veteran creativity: National recognition for Eastern Oklahoma VA artists
PRESS RELEASE
February 17, 2026
Muskogee, OK - Two Eastern Oklahoma VA Veterans earn top-3 honors for their artwork at the 2025 National Veterans Creative Arts Competition.
Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System held its local creative arts competition in August 2025. Veterans who placed first, second or third became eligible to advance to the National Veterans Creative Arts Competition.
Two Eastern Oklahoma VA Veterans earned top-3 national placements in their respective categories. Michelle Hendrickson placed third for her beadwork, and Nichole Montgomery earned first place for her mixed media piece.
The 2025 National Veterans Creative Arts Competition featured more than 7,000 entries submitted by over 4,500 Veterans from 124 VA facilities across the country.
As a result of her first-place win, Nichole Montgomery will travel to Columbia, South Carolina, in June 2026 to represent Eastern Oklahoma VA at the 2026 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival.
Veterans interested in participating in the national competition can submit their works directly to the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival.
Entries must have been completed after October 1, 2025. Veterans can submit their artwork locally through July 31, 2026. For more information, contact the Creative Arts Committee at VHAMUSCreativeArts@va.gov or call Katelynn Quinn at 918-781-3643, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.