VETART Mission:
VetArt's mission is to provide free bronze casting and ceramics classes to Veterans, their families, and Veteran's advocates. These classes are intended to not only teach art-making skills, but to utilize the process as a medium to connect Veteran's with each other and the communities they call home. In addition to being strong pieces of art, completed bronze pieces also provide a tool for public outreach and education that reaches far beyond the classroom. Check out work samples.
What to Expect from Your VetArt Experience:
Welcome to VetArt. We help Veterans learn the ancient art of bronze casting. Why? Because it’s one of the most bad-ass traditions in art history, and it’s a tradition that is inextricably intertwined with warriors. Bronze casting not only helped shape the ancient world through technological advancement, but bronze art has been used to memorialize and make meaning out of human conflict since ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, and China. By learning this skill you are part of a tradition that transcends time.
By joining us our hope is that first and foremost you feel welcome and part of a community of people that like to connect through art. We are a down-to-earth, open-minded, actions-speak-louder-than-words kind of people.
Our most basic mission is to teach, make, and share art. The rest takes care of itself.
We welcome you.
VetArt Team
Welcome to VetArt. We help Veterans learn the ancient art of bronze casting. Why? Because it’s one of the most bad-ass traditions in art history, and it’s a tradition that is inextricably intertwined with warriors. Bronze casting not only helped shape the ancient world through technological advancement, but bronze art has been used to memorialize and make meaning out of human conflict since ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, and China. By learning this skill you are part of a tradition that transcends time.
By joining us our hope is that first and foremost you feel welcome and part of a community of people that like to connect through art. We are a down-to-earth, open-minded, actions-speak-louder-than-words kind of people.
Our most basic mission is to teach, make, and share art. The rest takes care of itself.
We welcome you.
VetArt Team
The Team:
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Steve Dilley, MFA- Director and Instructor
Greetings my name is Steve Dilley M.F.A. I am the director of the Veterans Art Project. I was moved after 9/11 to help Veterans, active duty and spouses through Art making. I have a profound weight of responsibility to reach out and help other people through Art and the process of Art making. I believe it is urgent to help our contemporary military population to share all the benefits that a life of Art making gives. In addition to running the day to day with VETART, Steve is an Associate Professor of Art/Sculpture at Grossmont College in El Cajon, CA. |
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Scott Hickey- Instructor- Foundry Boss/Pour Captain My name is Scott Hickey. I am an Army Veteran who discovered the VetArt program in 2015. This program helped me to realize that I have much to offer other Veterans who find themselves in challenging situations. I use the creative process as a form of therapy to work through what I would consider daily obstacles and struggles. This process helps me to not only acknowledge and deal with these obstacles, but to make them a part of the subject matter of my work. I find the result cleansing to the soul. Reginald Green- Instructor
Reginald Green was born and raised in Texas. He is a 14-year, recently retired Navy Veteran. “Reggie” got into art to “heal” and “stay busy” due to highly debilitating migraine headaches he acquired as a result of his service. Prior to finding VetArt, Reggie took it upon himself to learn the basics of molding, painting, and expressing himself through clay. He says, “when I work with clay it allows me to get lost in the process and I don’t feel the pain so much.” Reggie is a dedicated VetArt participant and due to this dedication he is currently training to become an instructor. Reggie currently lives in North Park, San Diego. Brian Benfer, M.F.A.- Instructor
Brian received his Bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University and a Master of Fine Arts from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He has worked in a variety of media including site-specific installations, sculpture, video, ceramics, painting and performance art. He has exhibited his work across the U.S. and abroad including the Bill Maynes Gallery (New York, NY), the Seto Museum (Seto, Japan), the Latvijas Makslinieku Savienibas Galerija (Riga, Latvia), the Rotermann Art Center (Tallinn, Estonia) and the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche (Faenza, Italy). Over the last two decades, his work has been included in numerous academic, museum and private collections and he has served at an array of institutional appointments. He currently lives and works in Southern California. |
VetArt HistoryBy Steve Dilley, M.F.A., VetArt Founder:
My own sense of wonder was created through early Art experiences provided by family and the scholastic experience. Having decided to study Art at an early age (14) I was afforded the space and time to develop on my own terms as an artist. This allowed me as an artist to always search out new mediums for continued investigation and experimentation. From ceramics I was introduced to glass blowing and casting leading to the study of hot pour bronze casting. As an undergraduate, and being enamored of the glazes and forms of Glen Lukens, I wrote a research paper on him. During the research of that paper I was introduced to the idea that Lukens allowed "shell shocked" Veterans from WW2 to work with clay in his studio at USC. Lukens also stated that he observed these Veterans became better socialized and eventually left the studio and went on to earn degrees and lead healthy and productive lives. This was a fascinating and powerful insight. A nugget of research that I did not fully understand at the time but one that I stored away in my brain like an acorn that would eventually sprout into a seedling that is now known as the Veterans Art Project or VETART for short. Living in San Diego CA, with its prevalent military bases and cultures it is hard not to hear or connect with of the stories of combat Veterans. Being a "Freeway Flyer" slang for people who teach at many different colleges, I saw firsthand how many returning Veterans who were using their G.I. bill benefits to return to school were many times lost in the shuffle of passive classes and no direction in school. College studio Art courses in general, offer more in-depth interactions that promotes a strong student and teacher connection. This ability to create lasting and influential relationships is at the crux of why I believe this type of classroom setting is ideal for returning service members. It facilitates not only art-making skills but fosters vital human connections and even a sense of community. All of this has gone into my decision to use my super powers as an artist and educator for good and not evil. I have been fortunate to have taught the first VETART class at Grossmont College in Fall of 2009. Since then the Veterans Art Project has offered Art activities/classes at 3 different colleges: Grossmont College, El Cajon CA; Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA; Arizona Western College, Yuma AZ. In the past year VETART has promoted and produced 7 different Art shows. This promotion of Artwork produced by Veterans involved with the classes is and continues to be a high priority of the Veterans Art Project. Ultimately I believe in the power of ART as a visual language. One that allows intense personal insight to be gained by the participant. We as a society gain a vastly deepened network of visual/psychological power and cohesion by cultivating an artistic language that can be shared by all people to all people. |
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