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The arts and the military

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    Transforming war & trauma experiences

  • Duration 4:19
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Veterans like myself who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan include their stories and the veterans history project it adds richness to the collection.

Because you're able to compare our experiences to those -- served in World War I world war two and Vietnam.

The -- military healing initiative working with The Library of Congress has created a program that allows soldiers to not only document their experiences at war but also gives veterans a way to cope.

Turning traumatic experiences into arts joining us now founder of the veteran artist program be arm MacDonald and -- -- from the opposite the undersecretary for history art and culture at the Smithsonian paid to both for coming in today thank you for having our right now -- tell us about these workshops that you have coming up and how people can get involved with -- -- of their family members yet.

They can sign up online at WW arts and military -- work.

One is at the -- it's a weeklong workshop what's called.

Making you know -- taking uniforms and making and pumping into Paper and creative writing so -- it's an opportunity to actually deal with something war in while you were in Afghanistan and Iraq.

And actually create an express those experiences through -- powerful part.

Another is that GM you called peace Paper and combat Paper again people are literally taking -- uniforms carrying them up into ranks creating Paper and recording this experience.

It's bringing professional artists together.

And art therapist together with military families and patterns.

-- -- what a unique powerful thing to do and -- -- -- without art over the wall in a place for veterans and.

Healing and telling their stories and in sharing something that may department purple eyes -- I think what's happening right now America's there's increasing gap between those -- have served in the military since 9/11.

And those that are trying to understand what it's like.

And the arts especially in the mainstream creative arts community.

Is where that needs to happen.

Because you have an audience and the consumers really looking in -- wanting to understand it and a veteran he's talk about it.

I'm in the combat experience is so varied.

You also have artists who are veterans who are trying to get back into -- crew in the arts who may have just missed the timing when to use the networking.

That's necessary to make that step so.

But -- a veteran who's trying to talk about their experience through art or you're an artist who happened to be a veteran this is a great opportunity.

To connect and think some of the -- -- actually be on display for others experience that attracts a lot of their works that's going on we also have an a Republican and so Thursday night at the court in college -- gallery of art.

The -- display the company Paper exhibition these are works of art which which veterans from all branches of the services have created on Paper made from their uniforms so there.

Prince there's stories there's poems and there's a one time display of outpatient work from the Walter Reed national medical military hospital called what we want to -- to you.

Film screening and on Friday at The Library of Congress he's on there's the -- history project.

There actually to perform pieces that are constructive from interviews that were done by Jonathan way in the telling project last week so -- be -- very moving performance all of this is free policy open the public.

And it is wanna say it's about a two way street it's not just that the veterans are being held -- -- nation needs healing.

I think we need to understand the power that our house in our lives here and now.

And here what do you say to folks who say act I'm not an artist I don't I don't know about creating more of doing -- special things but I do have something to say and I think this might be -- -- Well I encourage all veterans and especially those that have any sort of artistic inclination to step out there and and be bold about expressing themselves.

Especially if you have an experience that you want people to know about it's tough it's challenging it's risky.

And it can be scary but there's organizations out there.

Arts military veteran artist program and many others that offer the services and whether it's mentoring networking collaborations and even productions.

Like we're doing and it's so important.

Not only for the veteran community to come together but.

Folks like Jane and their national arts community to support and provide them -- that's that's essential and developed development and reintegration veterans.

Going -- a lot of people involved in pulling something like this together so we thank you.

-- for representing all of them for the project that you're doing and how they're getting dissenting to that's and to the rest of us to understand their experiences -- -- -- just -- just scratching the surface right now -- it's it's amazing to be an amazing to see what comes after this event but we hope many people come out sign up for those workshops and come -- for the public events he'll be a different person for time think about payments from the human.

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