Two gulf coast-area veterans' creative arts competition entries place in national competition | va gulf coast health care | veterans affairs

BILOXI, Miss. – Two Veteran’s works featured in the July 2020 Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) Creative Arts Competition placed nationally during the 2021 U.S. Dept. of

Veterans Affairs National Creative Arts Festival. U.S. Navy Veteran Kenneth Burrell’s ‘PTSD,’ was recognized as the top entry in the Creative Writing Division and U.S. Air Force Veteran

Michael Niswonger’s ‘Lady Justice’ captured second place honors in the competition’s Art Division. GCVHCS Recreational Therapist Scarlet Cox said finishing at the national level demonstrates

the commitment of both the organization and the Veterans they serve in ensuring the GCVHCS Creative Arts Competition proceeded despite the ongoing global health crisis. “This year brought

challenges but our Creative Arts Team excelled in finding new virtual ways to make the competition happen,” she said. “Our Veterans championed right along with the team submit their entries

for judging. Held virtually in July 2020, the GCVHCS Creative Arts Competition had more than 50 entries in five divisions, according to Cox, and produced 25 first place finishing entries

submitted to the national competition. Cox said Veterans enrolled at VA health care facilities across the nation compete in local creative arts competitions similar to what was held at the

GCVHCS’ Biloxi VA Medical Center, adding that the competition includes categories in the visual arts division that range from oil painting to leatherwork to paint-by-number kits.

Additionally, categories in writing and performing arts including dance, drama and music are also included and local creative arts competition first place winning entries advance to a

national judging process with first, second and third place entries in each category determined. Cox added that selected gold-medal-winning Veterans – this year including Burrell and

Niswonger – are invited to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, something hosted by a different VA facility each year. “We’re so proud of not only Burrell and Niswonger but

of all our Veterans who use creative expression for leisure and therapeutic benefits,” Cox said. “The GCVHCS Creative Arts Competition provides Veterans the opportunity to showcase their

work and demonstrate how effective creative arts therapy can be.” The GCVHCS, comprised of the Biloxi VA Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi; the Joint Ambulatory Care Center (JACC) in

Pensacola, Florida, and the Mobile, Alabama, and Eglin and Panama City Beach Community-based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCS), provide a variety of health care services to more than 81,000

Veterans.