Art Program for Veterans & First Responders

Overview

The Veterans & First Responders Art Program is a free new program of the Arts Council of Tamworth in partnership with the Tamworth Community Nurse Association, Harbor Care, Hidden Battles Foundation, and the Carroll County Veterans Coalition. The group meets the second Saturday of every month at the Tamworth Community Nurse Association (84R Main Street, Tamworth) from 9 AM to 11 AM with guided instruction for visual arts projects.

The group is led by arts instructor Nona Angelini. In addition to her professional education in psychology and fine arts, Nona has a background in health services and veterans services. This includes previous employment as a veteran case worker with Operation Delta Dog.

The Veterans & First Responders Art Program is open to military veterans, active duty service members, Guards and Reserves members active and retired, law enforcement personnel, fire service members, and emergency medical services personnel. The group is intended to provide a safe and supportive community for participants to explore their creative sides, meet with others with shared experiences, and build community bonds.

If interested, you can sign up to participate here or just drop in!

Why Art?

Research from Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families indicates that the unique culture of the U.S. military can lead to “service members with unaddressed problems, particularly mental health needs.” The Syracuse University report states that supportive art programs provide benefits to veterans such as non-verbal forms of self-expression and “connection to other veterans and civilian community members that can build a sense of connection and camaraderie” that in turn “reduce[s] isolation and promote[s] a sense of community and belonging.”