By Appalachian Places staff
Lots of color and expressions of art and culture were on display at The Women Veteran’s Art Exhibit on Aug. 25, 2023, at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Johnson City, Tennessee. The exhibit was hosted by the Warrior’s Canvas & Veterans Art Center in Johnson City. The center’s mission is to “improve the lives of veterans by fostering a sense of comradery built around the arts, and to use this common interest to build bridges in our local communities.”
The idea for the veteran’s art exhibit came from a similar event held at the VA in 2018, according to Nichole Chapin, manager of the Women’s Veterans Program at the VA. “We always wanted to bring back something like it,” Chapin said.
Located at 320 East Main Street in Johnson City, the Veterans Art Center provides a gathering space for veterans and the community. The facility includes a meeting hall, classroom and an art gallery — all of which provides a home base for community projects.
In March 2023, Warrior’s Canvas, along with the East Tennessee State University Department of Appalachian Studies, was one of the sponsoring organizations for the inaugural Veterans Fair of East Tennessee, held on the ETSU campus. Among the largest of such events, the fair grew out of the work of Jeremy Dubhros, a graduate student in the ETSU Appalachian Studies master’s program. The fair will be an ongoning event serving the veteran community of the region.
For more information about events and programs sponsored by Warrior’s Canvas, visit warriorscanvas.org.