Veterans - Ink Stick Project Writing Class
2019-07-13 13:00 - 17:00, 2019-07-20 13:00 - 17:00, 2019-07-27 13:00 - 17:00, 2019-08-03 13:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Apache Arts & Craft Center, 761st Tank Battalion and 62nd Street, Bldg 2337, Fort Hood, TX, United States
A Writing Class for Current and Prior Service Members
Hosted by Art Spark Texas
Held at Apache Arts & Craft Center
761st Tank Battalion and 62nd Street, Bldg 2337, Fort Hood
Class Schedule: Saturdays, July 13-August 3, 2019 from 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Instructor: Clayton Bradshaw
FREE
Register by calling 512-454-9912 or email April Sullivan.
Space is limited. Any experience level welcome.

This four-week course is designed to help current and prior service members tell their stories. The greatest writers have served in war. From Chaucer to Hemingway and Vonnegut to Tim O’Brien, they have found ways to bring life truths to the masses. This class will give you the tools to write about your experiences or to express the truths you have learned in a life built on service. We will focus on fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Clayton Bradshaw served in the US Army for eight years as an infantryman. He deployed with 3/2 SCR to Iraq from 2007 to 2008 and to Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011. He graduated from Sam Houston State University with a BA in English and currently participates in the MFA Creative Writing program at Texas State University while teaching writing to university freshmen. His work can be found in The Deadly Writers Patrol, r.kv.r.y., Second Hand Stories, War, Literature and the Arts, and O-Dark-Thirty. He is currently writing a novel, Quietus, based on the post-war struggles of the veteran community.

An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is a partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Aairs and the state and local arts agencies with administrative support provided by Americans for the Arts.

Veterans - Journal Making/Writing Class
2019-07-18 13:00 - 17:00, 2019-07-25 13:00 - 17:00 | Help Heal Veterans, 2508 S. 5th St., Temple, TX, 76504, United States
A Journal Making/Writing Class for Current and Prior Service Members
Hosted by Art Spark Texas
Held at Help Heal Veterans
2508 S. 5th St., Temple, TX 76504
Class Schedule: Thursday, July 18th at 1 pm – Make Journals; Thursday, July 25th at 1 pm – Writing in Journals
Instructors: Patricia Alger and Cynthia Linzy
FREE
Register by calling 512-454-9912 or email April Sullivan.
Space is limited. Any experience level welcome.

In this two day class, start by making Journals using handmade paper. Learn the skills to put together your own multi-page journal. Led by Patricia Alger. Then, in the second week, learn how to make the ideas and pictures inside your head come alive on paper by sharpening your use of color and imagery. You will be led through visualization exercises, easy writing prompts, and useful writing examples to create strong writing by careful word choice and many other effective writing techniques. Discover your own writing style in a relaxed, supportive class atmosphere. Led by Cynthia Linzy.

An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is a partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Aairs and the state and local arts agencies with administrative support provided by Americans for the Arts.

Spouses - Journal Making/Writing Class
2019-08-01 13:00 - 17:00 | Help Heal Veterans, 2508 S. 5th St., Temple, TX, 76504, United States
A Journal Making/Writing Class for Spouses of Current and Prior Service Members
Hosted by Art Spark Texas
Held at Help Heal Veterans
2508 S. 5th St., Temple, TX 76504
Class Schedule: Thursday, August 1st at 1 pm – Make Journals; Thursday, August 8th at 1 pm – Writing in Journals
Instructors: Patricia Alger and Cynthia Linzy
FREE
Register by calling 512-454-9912 or email April Sullivan.
Space is limited. Any experience level welcome.

In this two day class, start by making Journals using handmade paper. Learn the skills to put together your own multi-page journal. Led by Patricia Alger. Then, in the second week, learn how to make the ideas and pictures inside your head come alive on paper by sharpening your use of color and imagery. You will be led through visualization exercises, easy writing prompts, and useful writing examples to create strong writing by careful word choice and many other effective writing techniques. Discover your own writing style in a relaxed, supportive class atmosphere. Led by Cynthia Linzy.

An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is a partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Aairs and the state and local arts agencies with administrative support provided by Americans for the Arts.

Art Spark Texas at Library Live!
2019-11-09 14:00 - 16:00 | Art Spark Texas offices, 1152 San Bernard Street, Austin, TX, 78702, United States
Join us at Carver Branch Library for an afternoon of live music and art presented by Austin Public Library (APL) and Art Spark Texas. We are proud to present this showcase as part of Austin Veteran Arts Festival. Arrive at 11:30 AM for the opening reception of “From the Lens of a Veteran” photography exhibition!
Show at 2:00 PM / Doors at 1:45 PM
With performances by:
Valor Alan
Moana Tela
Nubia Emmon
Free and open to the public!
About the musicians:
M.O.E (Moana Tela) is a singer-songwriter from American Samoa located in the South Pacific Ocean. M.O.E stands for Music Over Everything. The acronym was inspired by her love of diverse music. While visiting her mother’s island of Fiji, she helped shape her outlook on music in a significant way. She realized the power of great energy expressed through music and was always prepared to perform. Although it was traditional to listen to island jams, with reggae being the most popular sound. M.O.E was more interested in American music in the genres of hip-hop, pop, rap, R&B, and Rock.
Hearkening back to the nostalgic 90s when R&B/Hip Hop music was as versatile as its artists, Nubia Emmon reminds us of that groundbreaking and exhilarating time period. She brings the cool laid back swag of an Aaliyah, the energetic spontaneity of Left Eye’s rap and her own unique artistry to the music scene. She can move easily between performing danceable club tracks to a slow ballad such as “At Last” by Etta James. As unassuming as she is, Nubia will you tell you she is your everyday home girl, but make no mistake about it, this R&B Singer/Rapper Nubia Emmon is the total package. From the “Capital of Live Music” – Austin, Texas she comes from a family of artists including a distant cousin, none other than The Queen of Gospel, Mahalia Jackson. Realizing what it takes: sacrifice and hard work, whether she is working in the studio, at shows, in the community or with other artists, Nubia’s dream is to become a world class performer. Her fans seem to believe this too as she has been voted #1 by Austin listeners (Best Radio R&B Artist, Best Female Radio Song and Best Female R&B Live).
You can RSVP, invite friends, and follow our Facebook event page for updates.
For more information email Eric Clow or call 512-454-9912.

Scriveners' Circle and Workshop
2020-03-03 19:00 - 20:00
Writing Workshop for Veterans
Location: San Marcos, TX 78666 (contact us for new location information)
Workshop 7-8pm, Circle 8-9pm
Tuesdays, March 3-April 7, 2020
Each session of the six-week rotation will be divided into two sections— a writing class and a writers’ circle.
Anyone may attend both or only one of the sections each week.

The first hour will be a class that consists of reading to be completed before class (or in class if time allows), discussion over the reading, lessons on key concepts or ideas within creative writing, writing prompts, and writing prompts.
The second hour will consist of sharing and discussing each other’s’ work.

Course Description
Every person has a story to tell. Each life experience brings its own truth about existence in the world. Sometimes that truth is personal and can be seen through perseverance in the face of trauma or hardship. Other times, that story exists in the world that we observe, in the way people interact at a bowling alley or in the buzzing of bees as they pollinate a garden. This course is designed to help people find a way to tell their stories while learning the tools established by other writers. Whether a person wants to write about the time the cook spilled diesel fuel into the green beans on deployment or about the sharp pain that pierces their heart when visiting the gravesite of a close friend or relative, their story matters. This course will give veterans the tools to evaluate literature, write about their experiences, and express the truths they have learned in lives built on service. It will focus on teaching fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in order to give veterans a number of tools in writing their truths.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will be able to identify key concepts within fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. They will be able to apply these concepts in creating their own stories, poems, and essays. Through creative writing, they will explore their own personal truths and find catharsis through expression.
Instructor
Clayton Bradshaw writes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that recognizes hard truths and holds the world accountable. He graduated from Sam Houston State University with a BA in English and currently participates in the MFA-Creative Writing program at Texas State University where he also teaches Freshman English. His work can be found in Barren Magazine, The Deadly Writers Patrol; r.kv.r.y; Collateral; and War, Literature, and the Arts. His novel-in-progress, Quietus, looks to change the veteran narrative while exploring the inherited consequences of war far beyond personal trauma.

Call for Entries: 2020 Distinguished Artist Veterans
2020-07-14
Art Spark Texas Distinguished Artist Veterans 11th Annual Exhibition
Deadline: July 14, 2020
Art Spark Texas invites all Veterans and current service members living in Texas to submit artwork to the eleventh annual Distinguished Artist Veterans exhibit. There is no fee to submit artwork to this call for entries and artwork in all 2-D and 3-D media are eligible.
Download Call for Entries Form
For more information, contact April Sullivan at 512.454.9912 or april@artsparktx.org

Meet the Masters: Virtual Art Class for Veterans
2020-09-13 15:00 - 16:00, 2020-09-20 15:00 - 16:00, 2020-09-27 15:00 - 16:00, 2020-10-04 15:00 - 16:00, 2020-10-11 15:00 - 16:00, 2020-10-18 15:00 - 16:00
This Veteran class is open to beginners and anyone wanting to play with art supplies. Learn about famous artists and create your own art based on master works by artists such as Diego Rivera, Andy Warhol and Joseph Cornell.
Art Supplies Provided! We mail the art supplies to you. You watch a video and create the art on your own time. Then join other Veterans on a weekly video chat to share what you learned and created.
Register by contacting April Sullivan at 512-454-9912 or april@artsparktx.org or register using this online form.
“Four Trees” by Egon Schiele

Character Writing: Virtual Class for Veterans
2020-09-14 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-09-21 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-09-28 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-10-05 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-10-12 18:30 - 20:00
This class is open to Veterans or current service members. Beginners or experienced writers interested in learning how to write character driven stories by creating your own characters and building out their environment, interactions, and responses.
Taught by Veteran writer Clayton Bradshaw. Weekly writing lessons will be given, and you will join other Veterans on a weekly video chat to write and share. You can also join by phone only.
Character Writing Virtual Class for Veterans
Mondays, September 14 through October 12
Time: 6:30-8:00 pm
Register by contacting April Sullivan at 512-454-9912 or april@artsparktx.org or register using this online form.

Create Your Story!: Virtual Class for Veterans
2020-09-16 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-09-23 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-09-30 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-10-07 18:30 - 20:00, 2020-10-14 18:30 - 20:00
This class is open Veterans or current service members. Express your story with powerful words and bold colors! Reflect, create and connect to your personal story through freestyle, stream of consciousness style writing exercises. Then, transform your words into images by using a variety of art supplies. Supplies will be mailed to you.
Taught by artist and writer Elizabeth Decker. Join other Veterans by video chat or phone each week for writing and art prompts. This is your chance to play with color and words!
Register by contacting April Sullivan at 512-454-9912 or april@artsparktx.org or register using this online form.

DE-CRUIT: Virtual Writing Class for Veterans
2020-10-06 19:00 - 20:00, 2020-10-08 19:00 - 20:00, 2020-10-13 19:00 - 20:00, 2020-10-15 19:00 - 20:00
A Virtual class for veterans. At its core DE-CRUIT, developed by Stephan Wolfert, US Army veteran, is the process of interweaving personal writings with veteran-related Shakespeare texts, applying stage skills for life-skills and completing the communalization of trauma within the veteran community. No Shakespeare or theatre experience necessary.
Register here.
Instructor: Mitchell Stephens
When: Tuesday and Thursday | 7-8pm CST | Starting October 6th
Cost: Free | Space limited
In partnership with Amphibian Stage Productions
Questions? Please contact April, april@artsparktx.org.
If you are interested in supporting our Veterans Programming, please consider making a donation here.
