New York City Veterans Named Finalists at National Veterans Creative Arts Competition
Last Fall, dozens of Veterans across the five boroughs submitted artwork in the form of paintings, creative writing, musical performances, dramatic interpretation, photography, and more to the 2022 National Veterans Creative Arts Competition.
The results are in, and two Veterans representing the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System won 2nd Place in their respective categories:
James McCracken won 2nd Place in the Art Division: Black and White Photography for his photo “The Three Graces,” and Julie White won 2nd Place in the Music Division: Instrumental Classical, “Excerpt from Movement II, Beethoven Sonata 13.”
Navy Veteran and Brooklyn native James McCracken is passionate about telling stories through photography. His entry, which took 2nd Place in the Art Division: Black and White Photography category is called The Three Graces, and touches on gentrification in Brooklyn. “New York City is one of the best places to take photos and share your work as an artist. There are so many stories all around us waiting to be told.”
Army Veteran Julie White, who took 2nd Place in the Music Division: Instrumental Classical for her performance of “Excerpt from Movement II, Beethoven Sonata 13,” recently received her bachelor’s degree in Music Business Management.
“It has been gratifying for our team to witness the Veterans share parts of themselves that may not have been expressed before and take pride in skill sets they may not utilize as often as they'd like,” Creative Arts Therapist Casey Faulkner said. “We are hopeful that interest in participation in Recreation/Creative Arts Therapy will continue to grow throughout New York Harbor. We're looking forward to the next show and encourage all interested Veterans to be on the lookout for information regarding the next exhibition in the Spring.”
When asked about what advice he could give to Veterans who want to pursue art and potentially compete in the National Veterans Creative Arts Competition next year, McCracken says: “You can’t make good art unless you practice. Take as many photos as you possibly can.”
Submissions were showcased last September at the Margaret Cochran Corbin VA Medical Center in Manhattan.