Veterans Creative Arts Competition at Minneapolis VA

Send an email request to VHAMINARTS@va.gov and ask to join our mailing list. You will be first to know when our annual Call for Submissions comes out for the upcoming year (typically in May) and receive general information pertaining to this program. You can request to get off of the mailing list at any time.

Unfortunately, no. All Veterans must be enrolled in Minneapolis VA care in order to participate in this event. If you are interested in enrolling in care, visit: https://www.va.gov/minneapolis-health-care/register-for-care/

Absolutely. Also, encourage your Veterans to visit this website and review the competition handbook carefully.

Please do! We have Veterans participate with a wide range of skills and experience from beginner to expert. Veterans participate for a wide variety of reasons – they experienced recreation or creative arts therapies during rehabilitation, they use creative arts for coping with mental health, they have a developed a creative identity and want to share it in community with other veterans – no matter the reason for your creative expression, we encourage you to join in!

These are workshops focused on building creative skills to increase confidence and create community and connection with other veterans. Veterans are invited to participate in these workshops in order to help them create something to be entered into the annual competition, exhibit and showcase. Workshops are often scheduled from April-June. Many of the workshops are hosted at local arts non-profits and within community settings. Space is limited and an intake to participate is required. Veterans who participate in a workshop are highly encouraged to participate in the upcoming Veterans Creative Arts Competition. For more questions, contact VHAMINARTS@va.gov  

No, your creative art submission does not have to be military related, although we do have submissions that are specific to military experience. See the guidelines and rules for more details.

Absolutely! You can participate in as many divisions as you want (creative writing, visual art, music, dance, and drama). You can submit up to three entries per division, but each entry MUST be in a different arts category (see handbooks for details)

Each division has up to three (3) local judges who offer expertise in that creative art. Judges are invited by Recreation & Creative Arts Therapy team. The judging criteria (included in the competition handbook) are provided to each judge and they independently judge each entry based on these criteria. The independent judges scores are tallied to get an overall score. These overall scores determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each category of every division. These winning entries are then sent to the national judging process. 

Yes. We want you to be a part of our local event in the way that feels right for you. If you choose to display/exhibit/perform only and participate in the juried competition, keep in mind your entries will NOT advance to national. 

Your submission paperwork and consent form will need to be filled out with your legal name and other identifiable information. Those documents are securely stored and used by staff only. On the entry forms, you can indicate how you want to be publicly acknowledged during the exhibition and showcase. For public display of visual art and creative writing, we can use “anonymous,” initials or a pen name. However, keep in mind your visual art or writing style and content may provide identifiable details to those who know you, even without a name present.  In the performing arts category, reach out to VHAMINARTS@va.gov to see if it is possible to film with this in mind. Keep in mind that voice and performing style might be identifiable even when your face is not filmed. Filming for anonymity might also impact judging due to the criteria for how performers are judged. If your submission wins and is moved forward to the national competition, our local team can help you navigate that situation at that time.

No. Only Veterans who submit their entries and paperwork prior to the deadline can participate. Veterans who show up at the event hoping to display art or perform, will NOT be able to showcase their artform in or around the event. Veterans who persist on sharing art or performing will be asked to leave. Please join the mailing list by emailing VHAMINARTS@va.gov and request information on participating next year.

No. Veterans can only participate in one local competition each year. Veterans can participate where they are enrolled to receive care. Check with your local facility to see if they host a creative arts competition. If they do not, you are welcome to participate in the healthcare system nearest you.

Yes! You are welcome to participate if your CBOC is part of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Please follow the submission guidelines. 

Our Recreation and Creative Arts Therapy team oversees this programming and event. We also have some incredible VA staff and volunteers who assist with this event. 

Certainly! To learn more about volunteering, please email VHAMINARTS@va.gov. Someone from our team will reach back out to you to answer any questions. We will then connect you with our Center for Center for Development and Civic Engagement. 

All creative writing MUST be submitted in Word format. No other format will be accepted. Email your entry to VHAMINARTS@va.gov.

You can upload a copy of these and email to VSAMINARTS@va.gov OR a mailing address will be sent to you once you submit your creative writing entry via email. 

We have a large screen that showcases the writing with some seating for viewing. There is also a printed anthology of the writing that will be available for viewing. Participants will receive one (1) printed anthology featuring all creative writing submissions for your participation in this year’s competition and showcase.

This is a designated time during our event for participating creative writers to read their writing aloud to an audience. Creative writers can also request to have their writing read by a VA staff or other representative. There is a three-minute time limit for each creative writer. More details on day and time will be provided for creative writers who submit an entry. 

Please reach out to VHAMINARTS@va.gov or call to coordinate alternate plans.

Please reach out to VHAMINARTS@Va.gov or call to discuss. The POC might have you send images to better determine what category your art fits into. 

Up to three, however they each need to be entered into a different category. For example, one (1) color photograph, one (1) acrylic painting, and one (1) watercolor. You cannot submit more than one artwork into a single category. 

The Minneapolis VA Auditorium in the Flag Atrium is set up with portable display walls, tables and easels to showcase artwork. Most artwork is grouped in like-categories. 

This is a designated time during our event for participating visual artists to share more about their artwork or creative process. Artwork will be displayed on a large presentation screen. Seating is available for audience members. There is a three-minute time limit for sharing. More details on day and time will be provided for visual artists who submit an entry. 

No. You will submit your artwork by the submission deadline. The artwork will be judged and displayed during the event. At the end of the event, you will pick your artwork up. If your artwork is selected for the national event, an R/CAT team member will coordinate shipping of your artwork. 

This is a designated time during our event for participating performing artists to perform in front of a live audience. Guests are welcome and this is open to the public. There is a three-minute time limit for sharing. More details on day and time will be provided for visual artists who submit an entry. 

You have a couple of options. Either record a video yourself that meets the submission criteria listed in the handbook and upload it to a link provided to you by our team. Or you can get filming support from our VA staff. Filming with support from our staff happens on-site at the Minneapolis VA and there are limited spots available. Either way, email VHAMINARTS@va.gov and someone from our team will help guide you through the process.

Yes, portions of performances are highlighted during the event and played on a large screen during certain times of the day.

You can always Google search the song to see what the song is labeled as. Otherwise, our VA staff can provide some guidance, email VHAMINARTS@va.gov.