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Salisbury VA Hosts Local Veterans Creative Arts Festival W. G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center will host the local Creative Arts Festival for veterans to qualify for competition at the regional level for the National Festival. The Creative Arts Festival at Salisbury is sponsored by the VA Medical Center and the American Legion Auxiliary Department of North Carolina. The festival provides veterans the opportunity to receive recognition for their creative accomplishments. The competition is an annual event that provides veterans receiving treatment as an inpatient and/or outpatient at VA facilities the opportunity to participate in creative self-expression in art, creative writing, dance, drama and music as part of their therapy, and to gain recognition for their artistic accomplishments. Categories are as follows: art division, creative writing, dance division, drama division and music division. All divisions will be judged for a first, second, and third place winner. First place winning pieces will advance on to the regional level where they will compete with entries submitted by veterans from other VA facilities around the country for advancement to the National Finals. All applications for the competition are available through the recreational therapy office located in Building #6. The deadline for all categories is 6:00p.m. on Friday, February 17. No entries will be accepted on the day of competition. The competition, which is open to the public, will be held in the social room of building #6 starting at 2:00p.m. on Saturday, February 25. Three local veterans representing the W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center won national recognition in the 2011 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival competition. Hugh Deadwyler took second place nationally for his humorous essay, “My Father’s Folly.” Ronald Conroy secured two second-place national titles for his freestyle dance performance, “Dancing Machine” and inspirational essay, “Building Four Ward Four 87 Paces.” Paul Hill, Jr. also won two second-place national titles for his guitar playing of the patriotic solo, “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and religious solo, “He Leadeth Me." The Creative Arts Festival at Salisbury is sponsored by recreational therapy, voluntary services and the American Legion Auxiliary Department of North Carolina. Veterans are encouraged to apply, as efforts are underway to increase participation in this year’s competition and represent the talented veterans in the Salisbury area. For more information contact, DeMarcus Steele at 704-638-9000, ext. 3041; Terri Gilbeau, ext. 3575; Jennifer Everett, ext. 3065; Aleashia H. Brandon, ext. 3460; or Martha Corriher at 704-798-3625. Check our website pages at www.salisbury.va.gov and www.facebook.com/VASalisbury. |
