Creative Forces

Last month, Creative Forces dance/movement therapists and colleagues from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system facilitated an experiential workshop at the American Dance Therapy Association conference in Denver, Colorado.

Promoting healing across the lifespan was the focus of the workshop. The team showed how clinical care and arts-in-health community programs play a powerful role in healing for military communities. The workshop also included live music, and presenters discussed how program participants connect through kinesthetic empathy and social reciprocity.

Last month, the Creative Forces team at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Veteran Health Indiana, hosted their Creative Arts Veterans Day Celebration. Music therapist Tonya Jackson and art therapist Kristi Gmutza unveiled a new virtual gallery of works created by veterans for the Creative Arts Festival earlier this year.

During the celebration, veterans featured in the gallery shared their work. Visual artists discussed their art, musicians performed, and actors presented a performance. Attendees also created Veterans Day cards for hospitalized veterans.

Tour the virtual gallery: https://bit.ly/4a8hCBV

Special thanks to Belle Lin-Boily, Community Arts and Wellness Liaison, who helped facilitate the event.

The National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE)'s Intrepid Spirit Center at Fort Cavazos is part of the Creative Forces network. Music therapy and art therapy at Fort Cavazos are part of patients' coordinated, individualized care. Read this article to learn more:

Invisible Wounds of War | Tex Appeal Magazine Intrepid Center helps local veterans find relief Story and photos by BRANDY CRUZ After several deployments, Air Force retiree Vincent

In recent years, the percentage of veterans who report having service-connected disabilities has risen. This includes disabilities that were incurred in, or aggravated during, military service. About 41 percent of Gulf War-era II (post 9/11) veterans report having a service-connected disability.

Today on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we are proud of the work our creative arts therapists (CATs) provide to veterans like Michael Schneider. Through music, art, and dance/movement therapies, our CATs improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for service members, veterans, and their families and caregivers.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: ArtsHERE Informational Webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. In this webinar (Nov 30, 2-3:30pm ET), attendees will learn about ArtsHERE and best-practices when preparing a Statement of Interest. The deadline to submit a Statement of Interest is 11:59 p.m. ET on January 19, 2024. For more information and to submit a Statement of Interest, visit ArtsHERE.org. T...

Families of military-connected children with disabilities may experience frequent separation from family and support networks and disruptions in the continuity of early intervention and special education services. Learn more about ED resources that can help support: https://www.ed.gov/veterans-and-military-families

"Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand,/ Mine to yours, yours to mine." — Alberto Ríos

(Read all of "When Giving Is All We Have" here: https://bit.ly/46ubotf)

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the National Endowment for the Arts!

November is Military Families Month and this month and every month we honor and recognize the commitment and sacrifices of our military and veteran families.

Hear from the Swayze/Ontiveros family in Kansas City, Missouri, about their military family experience and how Caregivers On The Homefront offers programs for families like theirs.

https://youtu.be/lFPzCI2_KJQ?si=ECpONe7WKJ8_KCes

NEA Artful Life Moment: The Swayze/Ontiveros Family In this NEA Artful Life Moment, the Swayze/Ontiveros Family, who are a military family, share how the arts have impacted their lives through Caregivers on th...

“Shared partnerships will help us advance our research priorities. Being in the same room allows us to collaborate more effectively.” -Dr. Sara Kass

Today Sara M. Kass, MD CAPT (ret), USN, MC and HJF Senior Military Medical Advisor in Support of Creative Forces, discussed future plans for advancing creative arts therapies research for military-connected populations. Dr. Kass’ remarks closed our two-day State-of-the-Science Summit.

Were you with us at the Summit? Share your favorite takeaway in the comments! 👇

Artwork by Dr. Gioia Chilton
National Endowment for the Arts

"We’re here to really integrate the art of creative arts therapies in science.

We want to think like scientists in the clinic.
We want to think like clinicians in the lab.

We want to push forward this research to help the people we’re working with. There’s a direct line that can be drawn." - Jay M. Uomoto, PhD, HJF Clinical Research Director for Creative Forces.

Yesterday at our State-of-the-Science Summit, Dr. Uomoto joined Sunil Iyengar and Bill O’Brien from the National Endowment for the Arts in welcoming attendees with a call to action.

The event is being held this week at the The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.

This month and every month, we continue to thank our military and veteran families for their service. We celebrate their incredible stories of resilience, growth, and connection through creative expression.

Today we’re excited to share Luz Helena Thompson’s story. Thompson (Imagery Artworks) is a visual artist and U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “Art has been a lifesaver for me. It has been a form of recovery from trauma,” she explains.

Click the link below to learn more about Thompson’s work as a visual artist and leader of creative expression workshops for veterans on the NEA blog.

National Endowment for the Arts

The Opportunity to Heal: A Conversation with USMC Veteran and Visual Artist Luz Helena Thompson Marine Corps veteran and visual artist Luz Helena Thompson shares how engaging with the arts has helped her process and heal from traumatic experiences.

Upcoming Community Engagement grant deadline, new award for music therapy research, and Rosanne Cash performing with veterans in Alaska. Read our newsletter for all the latest news from Creative Forces!

National Endowment for the Arts

Latest News from Creative Forces The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF), recently announced an award of $900,000 to the Indiana Institute for Medical Research, collaborating with the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, I...

We’re observing Veterans Day by celebrating a collaboration with Rosanne Cash from earlier this year.

Singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash worked with Alaska veterans and active-duty service members to write and perform original music. The program was a collaboration with Creative Forces music therapist Danielle Kalseth, local singer-songwriters, and Community Engagement grantee Anchorage Concert Association.

Watch the video to see how songwriting is a therapeutic tool for those living with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries: https://youtu.be/YZ5YG-nUN78?si=3Y0GNX2poxuJyQEJ

Today we pause to remember and thank our military veterans for their service and their sacrifice. We are particularly grateful to work alongside veterans as colleagues, as teaching artists in projects we support, and as arts and cultural leaders across the country.

(Image: Marie Watt, Edson's Flag, 2004, American flag (from U.S. military burial) with wool blankets, satin, and thread, 130 × 84 in. (330.2 × 213.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Driek and Michael Zirinsky in honor of Jane Beebe and Spencer Beebe, 2015.28.7, © 2004, Marie K. Watt)

Learn more about the work funded by our Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants!

This Next Avenue article features a glimpse of community arts engagement activities provided by Open Studio Project, ArtsQuest, and Outside The Lens.

Creative Forces Network Funds Free Therapeutic Arts Programs for Veterans Two U.S. Cabinet departments partner with a federal arts agency and community arts engagement programs for vets and their families across the country

How can your organization use the arts to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military-connected communities?

Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants helps military service members and veterans exposed to trauma as well as their families and caregivers through experiences of art or art-making. This program is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Matching grants are available to nonprofit organizations and state/local/tribal government entities and range from $10,000 to $50,000 each. Applications are due January 17, 2024.

Learn more at maaa.org/creativeforces

Photo: Exit12 Dance Company dancers, veterans, and refugees from Ukraine perform together in Truths Colliding, a project funded by Creative Forces and presented on Memorial Day weekend 2023. The performance took place on the Intrepid Museum in New York, New York. Photo by Alberto Vasari

November is National Family Caregivers Month and a time when we recognize military and veteran caregivers for their time and effort to care for their loved ones.

The VA’s Caregiver Support Program offers resources to assist family members, friends, and others who are providing care for veterans. Learn more about the VA’s services and resources at the link below.

VA.gov | Veterans Affairs Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.

“Since becoming involved with the Community Café events, I have had the opportunity to meet some amazingly talented veterans and active-duty service members who otherwise wouldn't have had an outlet for things we can't speak about sometimes.

Putting those thoughts into words, then to paper to make music from our souls … it's an incredible experience. Really happy to be a part of it all.” - Devon Stewart, Army veteran

Devon Stewart is among the musicians who jam with members of the military community from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a Creative Forces clinical site, during Community Café events at The Nave Spenard in Anchorage, Alaska.

The Anchorage Concert Association, a Creative Forces Community Engagement grantee, hosts the Community Café jam sessions and open mic performances every second Wednesday of the month. These events explore healing through songwriting and music performance, bringing together artists, veterans, active duty service members, and their families and caregivers.

Members of the 11th Airborne Division Band are a part of the musicians jamming, and you can also find Creative Forces music therapist Danielle Kalseth joining in on stage! The next monthly event is Wednesday, November 8.

Pictured: Community Café host and participant and US Army veteran Devon Stewart. Photo courtesy of 11th Airborne Division Band

Earlier this month, the Oklahoma Arts Council presented the Oklahoma Arts and the Military Summit III as a precursor to the annual Oklahoma Arts Conference.

Fort Sill Garrison Commander COL Jim Peay (pictured) shared reflections on how the arts fostered resilience and self-expression in his life during his remarks at the event. The event featured guest speakers from the military and arts communities, group discussions, a workshop, and a performance by Perpetual Motion Dance.

The summit was designed to encourage cross-sector collaborative programs to bring arts learning opportunities to military communities in Oklahoma. “Arts, health, and wellbeing across the military continuum,” was a theme discussed at the event.

Creative Forces team members Carolyn Bartley and Matt Aelmore presented a workshop about community arts engagement and military programming.

Learn more about the event and Fort Sill’s commitment to the arts to support well-being and social integration of veterans, active-duty members, and their families: https://bit.ly/3tRWxex

Photo by Christopher Wilson

How Music Can Be Mental Health Care In music therapy, clients play and listen to music as treatment for stress, depression and anxiety. Here’s how it works.

Recent research published by Dr. Gioia Chilton, ATR-BC, CSAC, and colleagues presents findings from the Bridge with Path Drawing assessment, which is used to explore Meaning in Life with service members experiencing effects of TBI/PTSD. Dr. Chilton is a DoD art therapist on the Creative Forces team at Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

For active-duty service members transitioning to retirement who experience continuing effects of TBI and PTSD, this art therapy drawing assessment may have enabled an exploratory creative process that improved their ability to put concerns into words.

Read the full article published in Military Behavioral Health: https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2023.2254223

Image: Bridge with Path drawing a service member created to search for meaning, describing the path as “going towards darkness,” and describing his identity confusion.

National Endowment for the Arts

Have you signed up for the Creative Forces newsletter yet?

For the latest news and updates from our clinical team’s creative arts therapies work, our Community Engagement Grant program, and our research activities, click here: https://www.creativeforcesnrc.arts.gov/subscribe

Photo © Brendan Bannon

National Endowment for the Arts

"I approach music and dance with discipline to feel myself, to keep my mind calm, my heart clean, and my focus straight. With these principles in mind, I believe obstacles can be overcome, mountains climbed, discomfort endured.

People see a 'handicap' when you lose your eyesight or legs, but true handicaps come only from the mind, the limits we place on ourselves. We can do anything, and our community is everywhere." - Sidiki Conde, Master Guinean drummer and dancer and National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow

Community Engagement grantee Center for Traditional Music and Dance's Song Stories project provides U.S. military veterans in the Bronx, New York, with a pathway to healing and connectivity through West African music and drums. Sidiki Conde leads the program.

Photo: Master Guinean drummer and dancer Sidiki Conde addresses an audience of hospital staff and veterans at the Song Stories kick-off concert at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center on September 7, 2023.

Photo by Andrew Colwell

The American Red Cross Hero Care Network provides emergency communications and critical services to military members, veterans, and their families all over the world seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Learn more:

Hero Care Network The American Red Cross Hero Care Network provides emergency communications and critical services to military members, veterans and their families all over the world, all year round.

Today on World Mental Health Day, we recognize those working to provide veterans and service members the mental health support they deserve. Our clinical work places creative arts therapies at the core of patient-centered care at military medical and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, including telehealth delivery of care for patients in rural and remote areas.

Creative Forces creative arts therapists provide art, music, and dance/movement therapies, as well as therapeutic writing instruction, for military patients and veterans.


National Endowment for the Arts

Photo: Miodrag Ignjatovic

"Through the Veterans Choir, I have not only learned to read music better, I have been able to use my voice in more expressive ways and we are currently learning the most difficult piece of music I have ever seen, The Path.” - Sarah L. Blum, nurse and Vietnam Veteran

This month, in celebration of International Music Day, we’re highlighting our Creative Forces Community Engagement grantees that use music to reach the communities they serve. Path with Art in Seattle, Washington, is a Community Engagement grantee.

Path with Art partners with the Seattle Opera to present the Seattle Opera Veterans Choir. The program offers opportunities for music-making and community-building to local veterans, including those recovering from homelessness and other trauma.

On November 3, the program will present the premiere of The Path, a piece commissioned for and performed by the U.S. Army Soldiers’ Chorus with the Veterans Choir. The piece is based on interviews with members of the Veterans Choir.

Visit the Facebook event page for more information about the concert:
https://www.facebook.com/events/162968770143868?ref=newsfeed

Pictured: Sarah L. Blum and the Veterans Choir
Photos by Philip Newton for Seattle Opera

National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, is pleased to announce a clinical research award of $900,000 to the Indiana Institute for Medical Research, which is collaborating with the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center (Veteran Health Indiana), as part of the Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network.

The research project is titled “Stepped-Care Intervention of Music and Imagery to Assess Relief (SCIMITAR) Trial” and will test whether a two-step music therapy intervention improves pain, psychological symptoms (anxiety, PTSD, depression, and stress), and health-related quality of life in veterans with chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain.

Read the full announcement: https://www.creativeforcesnrc.arts.gov/news/music-therapy-research-award-announced

U.S. Army doctor and Uniformed Services University graduate, LTC Frank Rubio, embarked on a remarkable !

His journey aboard the International Space Station showcases the dedication of medical professionals in space exploration.

Read his story at NASA:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/frank-rubio-year-in-space

| | | U.S. Army Aviation

"We are all using some form of creative energy, and it does have a correlation and sometimes causation with our health and wellbeing. What if we do that with more intentionality? What if we do that with more emphasis? What if we do that with more resources?"

Dr. David Fakunle joins the Art Works podcast to talk about the role of storytelling & the arts in healing & public health.

Listen: https://bit.ly/44KH50m

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize and celebrate military service members and veterans from the Hispanic community.

Today, we’re celebrating Agnes Gomez Patterson, who enlisted in the Air Force in 1950. When she arrived at Lackland Air Force Base outside of San Antonio, Texas, for basic training, she found she was the only Mexican-American within her 150-woman squadron.

As a teletype operator with the 62nd Communications Squadron from 1950 to 1952, Agnes also participated in base activities such as softball, basketball, and bowling, which helped boost her confidence and communication skills. Though she separated from the military in 1952, she went on to work as a civilian for the Air Force and the Navy and as a volunteer for the Red Cross. As she wrote in her memoir, following her time in the military, “I found my voice, and now it was hard to stop me.”

Pictured: Agnes Gomez Patterson at Larson Air Force Base (AFB), Washington. Photo courtesy of Agnes Helen Patterson Collection (AFC/2001/001/92108), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress Veterans History Project

National Endowment for the Arts

In celebration of National Dance Day tomorrow, we’re highlighting our Community Engagement grantees that offer dance and movement programs.

Cohesion Dance Project’s Creative Movement Engagement Program will engage military-connected individuals and families in dance and movement activities. These activities will incorporate art forms such as painting, creative writing, poetry, and photography. The six-week program, presented in partnership with the Montana VA Health Care System, begins in November.

“Through this program we hope to provide a safe and welcoming environment where participants can explore their artistic potential and experience joy through movement, connection, and art creation,” explained Tanya W. Call, founder and artistic director.


National Endowment for the Arts Mid-America Arts Alliance

Our latest research is featured in Psychology Today! In the article, Dr. Anjan Chaterjee discusses our recently published retrospective analysis of over 100 self-portrait masks created by service members during Creative Forces art therapy sessions at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at Walter Reed Military Medical Center.

In the study by Payano Sosa et al. (2023), researchers examined neural changes in service members after therapy, finding psychological closure in their art.

Learn more about the study and how art therapy is used to treat post-traumatic stress symptoms: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-behavior-and-beauty/202307/the-brain-and-art-therapy-for-post-traumatic-stress-symptoms

The Brain and Art Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Treating “impending disaster, hopelessness, fear, and isolation."

“I feel like [photography] is braided into my DNA. My mom made these wonderful, lyrical, just sweetly composed pictures, and I was captivated by the dark room at the age of four or five.”

Photographer Brendan Bannon thinks about photography as a vehicle of engagement with the world.

He currently works as the founder and director of The Odyssey Project, which helps returning combat veterans reintegrate into civilian life through photography, peer support, and mentoring. The Odyssey Project partners with Creative Forces Community Engagement Grantee Josephine Herrick Project.

Check out a conversation with Brendan about his career and work leading The Odyssey Project on the National Endowment for the Arts blog: https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2023/conversation-photographer-and-odyssey-project-founder-brendan-bannon

Photo of Brendan Bannon by Maria Bannon, 2023