Nationwide, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Across the country each year, Veterans enrolled at VA health care facilities compete in a local creative arts competition. Medical facilities use the creative arts as one form of rehabilitative treatment to help Veterans recover from and cope with physical and emotional disabilities. The competition includes categories in the visual arts division that range from oil painting to leatherwork to paint-by-number kits. In addition, there are categories in writing as well as the performing arts of dance, drama, and music. Local creative arts competition top winning entries advance to a national judging process and first, second and third place entries are determined at the national level. First place winning Veterans are invited to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival hosted by a different VA facility each year. For more than 25 years, RCTV has been helping with this yearly production.