Veterans Arts Programming
Arts and creativity help veterans find support and community, process trauma, and combat challenges like PTS and depression. The Veteran Arts Program is a collaboration between the Arts Council of Johnson County and Johnson County Parks & Recreation District. Our arts programs for veterans aim to encourage community, sharing, and artistic expression between veterans and civilian members of our community.
Interested in learning more about the benefits of arts programs? Check out the latest updates from the National Initiative for Arts and Health in the Military
Programs:
Place of Peace Visual Art Exhibition
Place of Peace is a visual art exhibition featuring artworks created by veterans and active duty members from all branches of the military. The annual exhibit is presented in partnership with Johnson County Park & Recreation District-Fine Arts Department. This year’s exhibition is open April 20 – August 19, 2023 at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center.
The opening reception for Place of Peace will be May 11th, 2023 from 6pm-8pm at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center. Click here to learn more about this exhibition opening.
The arts can help veterans find support a community, process trauma, and combat challenges such as PTS and depression. The mission of this collaborative veteran and military arts programming is to provide a creative outlet for veterans and community members to interact with a understand each other’s experiences; serving as an opportunity to help veterans transition to civilian life but also as a chance for participants to learn from each other, regardless of their veteran or military status, build communication and dismantle pre-conceived notions and stereotypes.
Finding a Place of Peace- be it a spiritual center, a garden, painting, theatre performance, or spending time with friends and family- is absolutely essential. It is critical in preventing a negative outcome. Let this exhibition help you find your place of peace and aid in the broader understanding of how we, as a community, can best help those who have served to protect us.
This exhibition is a collaboration between the Arts Council of Johnson County and the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center. Thank you to the Veterans United Foundation for supporting Place of Peace.
Veterans Story Collecting Project
The Veterans Story Collecting Project explores the experiences of local veterans during their military service and after their return to civilian life. Kansas City area veterans of all branches are interviewed for the project. From these interviews, eight portraits or excerpts were selected to be performed by area teaching artists and actors.
This project is a collaboration between the Fine and Performing Arts Department of the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, The Arts Council of Johnson County, NYU Steinhardt’s Verbatim Performance Lab, and the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College.
Portraits can be viewed on the Verbatim Performance Lab’s YouTube channel.
The Veterans Story Collecting Project is generously supported by the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, the Midwest Trust Center and the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center.
