Local Veteran chosen to attend the National Creative Arts Festival

Local Tucson Marine Veteran, Peter Bourret has been selected as a first-place winner in the 2023 National Veterans Creative Arts Competition, Writing Division.  Veteran Bourret took first-place for his poem “Shifting Gears,” and second place for his inspirational prose, “The Casualty Count Keeps Climbing.”  Veteran Bourret will get the chance to attend the National Creative Arts Festival in May, which will be held in Denver, Colorado. 

“I attended the festival in 2017 and I’m looking forward to see how it has grown and changed over the years,” said Veteran Bourret. 

Other Arizona Veteran winners include:

• Army Veteran Raymond Crandall, who took third place in the woodworking category with his intricately crafted “Fire Truck Piggy Bank,” complete with secret compartments, made in honor of his wife Sandra. He's already planning his entry for next year's festival.
• Army Veteran Oscar Sura, who earned third place in Instrumental Drums/Percussion with his rendition of "Soul Sacrifice." He describes playing percussion as his "therapy."
• Marine Veteran Henry Johnson, who placed second in Black and White Photography, with his image, "Souls Alight." A dedicated photographer, Veteran Johnson travels with his family and friends, armed with his 35mm Nikon, seeking the perfect shot.

Co-presented by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Legion Auxiliary, the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival is the culmination of VA facility competitions in art, creative writing, dance, drama, and music for Veterans enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs national health care system. Veterans exhibit their artwork and original writings or perform musical, dance or dramatic selections in a live stage show performance. All Veterans invited to participate are selected winners of a national creative arts competition in which thousands of Veterans enter from VA medical facilities across the nation.

VA medical facilities incorporate creative arts into their therapy programs to further the rehabilitation goals for both inpatients and outpatients. This annual competition recognizes the progress and recovery made through that therapy and raises the visibility of the creative achievements of our nation’s Veterans.

The first-place winners are invited to attend the national festival hosted in Denver, Colorado, May 11-18, 2024. Please join us in congratulating these fine artists for their amazing talents and accomplishments!  For more information on the Veterans Creative Arts visit: https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/national-veterans-creative-arts-festival/