Have you ever wanted to tell your story of military service or that of a loved one? The Veterans and the Arts Initiative would like to invite military-connected community members to share their unique stories through a meaningful mixed-media format in Empowered Legacy: Preserving Military Stories Workshops (4/3–4/17). In this beginner-friendly visual art series, we’ll be asking you: have you told your story yet? In the following paragraphs, read some of the stories of our Veterans and the Arts Initiative staff.
“When I started out as an Ensign, I didn’t know anything. I’ve never worked as hard as those first months. And I had nothing to show for it. Over the next few years, I improved my skills, but it wasn’t until I put on those bars that I finally had proof to others that I was competent and experienced. I’ll never part with those bars. They represent everything I accomplished over those five years.” –Ann Chen
These are just some of Navy Veteran Ann Chen’s proud memories of her achievements in the Nurse Corps. This reflective series isn’t just for Veterans and Servicemembers, however. Emily Fasick, program assistant of the Veterans and the Arts Initiative, shares their experience of service as a military family member:
“Things change when your little sibling joins the Army. If you thought it was hard to wrap your head around the idea of them learning to drive a car, just wait until they’re in command of a tank. You send them silly memes of movies you used to watch together, filling up their inbox with good memories while you wait for them to return from time out in the field. You learn to do the math for time zone differences and far-off homecomings. And you wait, mostly. Big siblings never stop looking out.”
In this series, Empowered Legacy instructor and retired Coast Guard Veteran Tina Claflin will demonstrate how to use materials such as paint, paper, photographs, and personal memorabilia to craft a visual timeline of service, or to honor the legacy of another. Here is how Claflin has combined her own story with that of her uncle’s to create a history her whole family can continue to learn from:
“My Coast Guard story is woven into my uncle's Coast Guard service. He was the reason I joined and my inspiration to serve. Because he is no longer with us, I have a deep sense of responsibility to his children and my family so that they can know his service history. So I retrace the path of his career to understand it, document it, remember it, and make it a permanent legacy to my family history.”
Dr. Niyati Dhokai, program director of the Veterans and the Arts Initiative, explains how she discovered many facets of her role supporting Veterans and Servicemembers in post-acute neurorehabilitation:
“After almost five years, on my last day of working in a neurorehabilitation program with Veterans and Servicemembers recovering from traumatic brain injury (TBI), one of the people I supported drew an image of me to cope with the fact that it was my last day and gifted the image to me. I was so focused on the job that I never considered who I was in this role. Now I know that I was an instructor, an ethnomusicologist, a music facilitator, a novice banjo tuner, and a learner who became an advocate.”
Thinking about discovering your own story? Start exploring your journey with us! This weekly workshop series takes place on Wednesdays, April 3–17 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. The series is open and FREE to military Veterans, Servicemembers, and military family members; children ages 14 and up may participate alongside their parents. Space is limited. Learn more and register.