SAVAHCS Celebrates Strong Showing at 2025 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival

The event, held April 16 at 1 p.m., recognized the achievements of Veterans whose work rose to the top among more than 7,000 entries submitted by over 4,500 Veterans from 124 VA facilities nationwide.

Miranda Blakeslee, Creative Arts Therapist at SAVAHCS, praised the artists for their dedication and creativity. “The representation by Tucson was amazing and really demonstrated the incredible creativity of our Veterans, and the brilliant use of creativity for self-care amongst Veterans receiving care within SAVAHCS,” she said.

Among this year’s gold medalists was Air Force Veteran Matthew Tucker, who earned first place in Art/Monochromatic Drawing for his piece Mellow. Known for his lifelike graphite work, Tucker will represent SAVAHCS at the national festival in Columbia, S.C., this June.

Army Veteran Orlando Ford earned first place in Drama/Short Video–Military Theme for Through My Lens – Healing in Focus, a piece that explores storytelling as a tool for healing. Ford, who works at SAVAHCS supporting Veteran programming, will also attend the national festival in June.

Army Veteran Gene Moore received first place in Drama/Inspirational Poetry for Without Home, a spoken-word piece that captivated audiences with its message and delivery.

Several Veterans earned national silver medals. Army Veteran Julian Martinez placed second in Art/Carving for 1st Step’s a Doozy. Martinez, a familiar face at SAVAHCS as a volunteer, is well known for his wood-carving talent and upbeat support for other Veterans.

Army Veteran Clay Ruge earned second place in Art/Color Photography for Desert Sunset. Ruge, a strong advocate for aphasia awareness, uses photography as a form of communication and storytelling.

Air Force Veteran Robert Gadsden received second place in Drama/Inspirational Poetry for Highly Flavored. A longtime performer and writer, Gadsden’s charismatic spoken poetry has earned repeated recognition at the national level.

Navy Veteran Robert Allen earned second place in Art/Beadwork for Huichol Style Beaded Gourd. His intricate piece included more than 14,000 individually placed beads—a reflection of his patience, craftsmanship and growth in a new artistic medium.

Army Veteran Raphael Temblador placed second in Art/Pyrography for Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand, a meticulously detailed wood-burning piece expressing self‑care, healing and creative focus.

Air Force Veteran Dora “Dori” Martinez earned a second‑place medal in Creative Writing/Short - Short Story–Inspirational for Wabi‑Sabi, a reflective story that impressed judges at both the local and national levels.

Rounding out Tucson’s winners was Army Veteran Lee Myers, who received third place in Art/Acrylic Painting for Fall Leaves. Myers began painting recently, learning to use color and self‑portraiture to express her story and growth. Fall Leaves was her final project in the class where she began developing her artistic voice.

The celebration honored not only the medalists but the importance of creative expression in Veteran health and healing. SAVAHCS leaders and creative arts staff noted that the achievements reflect the dedication of Veterans who use the arts as part of their recovery and personal growth.