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Photo by Jon Anderson
Ken Howard veterans art
Ken Howard, a Vietnam War veteran from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, who served as an Army tank commander, stands beside some of the artwork he has created as part of an art therapy program at the Birmingham Vet Center. The veterans' artwork is on display at the Hoover Municipal Center in Hoover, Alabama.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Doug Armstrong veterans art
Doug Armstrong, a Vietnam War veteran from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, shows some of the artwork he created as part of an art therapy program run by the Birmingham Vet Center in Hoover, Alabama. The veterans' artwork is on display in the lobby on the third floor of the Hoover Municipal Center.
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Photo by Jon Anderson.
Hoover Arts Alliance veterans art 2017
Members of the Hoover Arts Alliance stand beside artwork created by veterans at the Birmingham Vet Center in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama. The Hoover Arts Alliance pays for supplies for the art therapy program. From left are Sara Perry, Carolyn Kolar, Linda Chastain and Colette Scott.
The Hoover Arts Alliance held a reception on Thursday for veterans whose art is on display at the Hoover Municipal Center for several months.
Close to 40 pieces of art are on display and most of them are available for purchase, with prices mainly in the $50 to $75 range.
The artwork was created by veterans participating in a “Healing Through Art” program offered by the Birmingham Vet Center in Hoover’s Trace Crossings community. The idea is to help combat veterans and other veterans who have experienced trauma gain peace and healing through the experience of creating art. Supplies for the program are paid for by the Hoover Arts Alliance.
There are about 15 veterans in the program, which started about 1½ years ago, and typically seven or eight veterans are there in a given week, art teacher Tamara Thomas said.
Ken Howard, a Vietnam War veteran from Vestavia Hills who was an Army tank commander, said the program is great therapy. Some veterans suppress their emotions, and this is a good way of expressing those emotions in a non-threatening manner, he said.
A lot of his artwork has a military theme because he likes to use art as a way to honor fellow veterans, he said. Vietnam was a bad experience for a lot of veterans, and putting politics aside, the individual valor shown by members of the military needs to be respected, he said.
People who want to purchase the displayed artwork can contact Tamara Thomas at 999-0602. Some of the veterans may keep the money, but many of them have chosen to donate it back to the Hoover Arts Alliance, which in turn will donate the money back to the Birmingham Vet Center to buy supplies for the art therapy program, Thomas said.
The Birmingham Vet Center is run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.