“Childlike Dreamz,” by artist Horace Bethea, is featured in the exhibition. Perkins offers veterans free art classes.
The Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown is showcasing a special exhibition of art by military members and veterans.
The United States Veterans and Active Duty Military Exhibition had 85 entries, with 28 artists participating. A reception will be held Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m.
“With specific regard to our veterans programming, it’s really about establishing a space where veterans feel comfortable, where they can establish relationships with people who may have shared experiences, and also engage in this naturally therapeutic process of creation,” said Perkins’ executive director Kahra Buss.
Perkins offers free memberships for active-duty military and vets, and also offers free veterans-only art classes that cover drawing, modes of self-expression and more. They are taught by artist Art Smith every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon.
A modified media collage, “Somme wherre,” by artist Michael Keating.
“Each one of our members, each one of our students, we’re all coming from different backgrounds, different beliefs, different cultures, different experiences …” Buss explained. “We’re all here for one reason, and that is to be in a creative community. Recognizing that there are differences in where people are coming from is the reason behind specialized programming for different communities.
“Different communities are looking for different support and different resources,” she added, “so it’s our opportunity to connect with our community, and specific sub-communities … because we don’t all need the same things. We all have different needs and different levels of experience that are taken into account.”
The United States Veterans and Active Duty Military Exhibition – which closes on Monday, Dec. 16 – is part of a full complement of programming for vets that Perkins has developed over the last few years, including the Moorestown Veterans Guitar Chapter, a free class on guitar basics. Volunteer instructor Shandon Willey is a recent Air Force retiree who wants to give back to the veterans community.
Learn more at www.canvas.perkinsarts.org/classes/3704.
“Our goal is to create opportunities for veterans and active-duty military to come together, be a part of a community, and really find some comfort in sharing experiences through the arts with others who have perhaps had some of their shared experiences,” Buss noted.
“As an arts institution, we hope that we can support our veterans community and our active-duty military – and their dependents – through participatory programs at the center.”
