The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, is pleased to announce the third round of recipients of Creative Forces® Community Engagement grants, supporting military, veterans, their families and caregivers, for 41 organizations in communities nationwide.

A 2023 Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant enabled COSACOSA at large to expand its reach, fostering creative expression and social connection for veterans in the Philadelphia area. Serving Justice, the organization’s Creative Forces-supported military arts program, culminated in a veteran-led mosaic project, spoken word album, and poetry chapbook.

An inventory of Creative Forces published research and scholarly manuscripts as of July 2023. Each listing includes the open access link for the article.

Clare Shepherd is a retired Army captain who discovered her passion for glass art after spending eight years in the military. Shepherd has found joy in connecting other veterans to art. She is also a teaching artist at Maryland Hall, a 2023 Creative Forces Community Engagement Grantee.

Jazz vocalist and Navy veteran Angela Walker shares her journey from battling health challenges to discovering the healing power of music. Angela has been a featured performer and competitor at the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, winning more than ten times. She has also found a community through the arts and enjoys performing for veterans and active-duty service members.

Veteran Donna Harge shares her journey with art therapy and music therapy at the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System. After her military service and a career at the VA, she traveled the world. She now finds healing and joy through music and art and shares that joy with her community.

Throughout the Creative Forces network, our clinical team and Community Engagement grantees honored military veterans with programs, exhibits, and performances nationwide.

The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF), Inc., is pleased to announce a clinical research award of $900,000 to the Indiana Institute for Medical Research, which is collaborating with the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center (Indianapolis, IN), as part of the Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, is pleased to announce the second round of recipients of Creative Forces® Community Engagement grants, supporting military, veterans, their families and caregivers, for 34 organizations in communities nationwide.