Alameda County Board Commends Oakland Vet Center

From Alameda County Arts Commission: Supervisor Wilma Chan, President of the Board, and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors presented a commendation to honor local veterans and the Oakland Vet Center for their participation in the Veterans Art Program. For the last two years, this new program has brought creative expression workshops to the Oakland Vet Center to support the crucial services provided to our Alameda County veterans and their families.

“I am pleased to present this commendation to the Oakland Vet Center to celebrate the artistic accomplishments of local Veterans participating in the Veterans Art Project and to honor the Oakland Vet Center’s commitment to providing innovative care for our Veterans,” said Board President Wilma Chan. “This partnership project demonstrates that creativity and art are a vital part of every successful, healthy, and thriving community.”

The Veterans Art Project is coordinated by the Alameda County Arts Commission in partnership with the Oakland Vet Center. This innovative program is part of a statewide initiative for Veterans and active military funded by the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional supporters are the Alameda County Veterans Affairs Commission and Alameda County Veterans Service Office.

The goal of the Veterans Art Project is to provide Veterans with opportunities to express themselves in a supportive environment, explore visual art making techniques, and engage in community building. Over the course of 10 art activities in the past year, 250 Veterans created art during counseling groups and community events. Projects included painting, drawing, textile art, and visual storytelling.

Artworks created through this program are currently on view as part of the Arts Commission’s Art In Public Spaces program in the Board of Supervisors Lobby Gallery on the 5th Floor of the Alameda County Administration Building at 1221 Oak St., Oakland. The public is encouraged to visit the exhibition that will be on view through Thursday, August 10.

The art projects on display include:

• Collaborative project “Wishes, Hopes and Dreams Community Tree” involving 50 Veteran participants.
• Vietnam Veteran “Then and Now” Photo Project featuring service photos, current photos and writing by 16 participants in two Vietnam Veteran counseling groups.
• Collaborative quilt “Darkness Seeking Light: Life Reframed” featuring textile art by 13 participants in the Women’s Military Sexual Trauma counseling group.
• Canvas paintings by 6 Veterans who participated in an acrylic painting workshop.
• Additional collaborative art projects created during community events at Oakland Vet Center.

This exhibition is free and open to the public during open hours. For more information about the exhibition, please call (510) 891-5716.

Photo courtesy of Alameda County Arts Commission (Image of Veterans who participated in the Veterans Art Project along with Members of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, Oakland Vet Center Staff, and Alameda County Arts Commissioner and Staff. Pictured (from left) are Rodney Miyatake, Veteran; Billy Smith, Veteran; Violet Juno, Arts Commission Coordinator; Fred Williams, Veteran; Anita Carr, Arts Commissioner; Howard Anderson, Veteran; Carlos Garcia, Veteran; Leonard Medley, Veteran; Eva Hornsby, Veteran; Edgar Patterson, Veteran; Francine Rotolo, Veteran; Dr. David Joseph, Oakland Vet Center Director; Wilma Chan, President of the County Board of Supervisors; Gloria Wilson, Veteran; Keith Carson, County Supervisor; Nate Miley, County Supervisor; Stacy Dulan, Oakland Vet Center Coordinator; Scott Haggerty, County Supervisor; Richard Valle, County Supervisor; Oley Jones, Veteran; Fred Moore, Veteran; Rachel Osajima, Alameda County Arts Commission Director. Photograph by Paul Kuroda.)