Allied Arts hosted the “Thank You for Your Service” opening reception July 11 to honor the veteran artists from the Georgia War Veterans Home (GWVH).
“We are always proud to host this annual event to honor our local veterans and their creative efforts,” said Kristen Allen, program coordinator at Allied Arts. “We are happy to connect the community to our veterans and give them a place to discuss their stories and their inspirations behind each piece, while also letting the veterans view art from throughout the years produced by their peers.”
The Georgia War Veterans Home is a care facility for veterans located in Milledgeville. According to the Georgia Department of Veterans Services, it is operated through an agreement with United Veteran Services of Georgia and contains a GDVS Veterans Field Service Office to assist veterans in the area. The home serves Baldwin, Hancock, Putnam, Washington, and Wilkinson counties.
Activities Director Michelle Flood of the Georgia War Veterans Home, GWVH staff, and veterans attended the reception alongside community members. Many of the veterans shared their stories and personal connections to Milledgeville with attendees. History, honor, and creativity were the topics around the refreshment table throughout the night.
“This exhibit is a collection of art over the years from the Georgia War Veterans Home,” said Flood. “Whether from the past or present, the artwork represents our residents' creativity, hard work, and inner heart.”
The residents produce the pieces during art therapy, which is a form of therapy that uses creative thinking to improve the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of an individual. This class allowed Flood to build a figuritve bridge between the home and Allied Arts to create a “welcoming space” to connect the residents to their community.
“We want the community to see how residents continue to support their community and improve themselves. This exhibit is not solely for them but also a chance for the community to honor them and visually see what is important to them or their story,” said Flood.
A special part of the exhibit hosted a book titled Robert’s Scribblings: A Collection written by veteran Robert Rakestraw, who recently celebrated his 102nd birthday.
“We wanted to give visitors of the Marlor Arts Center a chance to flip through or read his book,” said Flood proudly showing off the book's cover and some of the pages inside.
The “Thank You for Your Service” exhibit will be on display through July 31 during normal business hours.