The Hylton Center’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative offers exciting opportunities for the military-connected community to engage with the visual and performing arts. Join us this fall for new Veterans and the Arts Initiative workshops and events and explore your creative side!
Our highly popular Veterans Virtual Guitar Workshops (Level I, Level II), taught by Glen McCarthy, are open to novice and experienced musicians alike, and offer participants the chance to hone their strings skills. Register soon to secure your spot before the workshop fills up! If visual art is more your jam, consider joining one or more of these workshops: Acrylic Painting Workshop: Still Life (9/4), Techniques (9/11), and Landscape (9/18) with award-winning local artist Kelly Haneklau. No previous experience in art or painting is required for these beginner-friendly workshops.
Patrick Sargent, USAF Veteran, artist, and adjunct faculty in George Mason University’s School of Art, leads two beginner-friendly Graphic Arts workshops this fall: Drypoint Printmaking Workshop (10/11), which incorporates upcycled materials and results in unique and beautiful prints; and the Mini Collagraph Prints Workshop (10/25), where participants create bold, layered images full of depth and character using easy-to-find materials.
New to our roster of workshops: Slow Stitch Collage Workshop (10/30). Guided by program assistant for the Veterans and the Arts Initiative and arts instructor, Emily Fasick, participants take part in mindful needlework and enjoy the tactile feeling of making art with slow stitch techniques. Or, join our Collage with Gel Plate Prints Workshop (11/15) and incorporate writing, stamping, stickers and other ephemera to create unique collages under the instruction of Valerie Acosta-Gonzalez, retired Air Force Veteran and artist. We’re taking this next workshop on the road to Potomac Library in Woodbridge for the Ultimate Beginners Painting Workshop (11/17), where participants can explore the basic concepts of acrylic painting and the color wheel.
Also be sure to mark your fall calendars for these two special concerts celebrating Veterans and the Arts:
- The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (11/8): an American Roots Series performance featuring the Grammy Award-nominated ensemble that has brought its music from rural bluegrass festival stages to the rock clubs of Europe. Limited free tickets will be available in-person-only at the Hylton Center Ticket office in August for Veterans and Servicemembers with ID (up to two tickets each).
- The U.S. Army Band: A Salute to Veterans! (11/9): an afternoon of memorable music and heartfelt stories that honor the brave Veterans who have served our nation. Tickets are free and available through the Hylton Center Ticket Office and online.
Don’t forget that Veterans and the Arts Initiative workshops and concerts are FREE to Veterans, Servicemembers, military family members, and military caregivers (pending registration space and/or concert ticket availability). Learn more about the Veterans and the Arts Initiative and join in the fun!