In collaborating with local communities across the state of California to produce the Pop-Up Cafés, VETART and a series of local partners will introduce both professional artists and the mental health resources available to our Veteran community. Event attendees will hear directly from the artists about the process of art-making and the ways the arts have directly improved their health, sense of community and belonging, restored a connection to having hope and purpose, and to find a means of expression as part of their healing journey. 

The Pop-Up Cafés are designed to engage dialogue, foster networking and to speak directly to the unique experiences and mental health challenges of the extended Veteran community in these challenging times. 

VETART’s Pop-Up Cafés are part of a statewide campaign, sponsored by and in collaboration with California’s Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC), with the overarching arts advocacy goal of generating awareness of the critical role the arts play in benefitting the mental wellness of Veterans, family members, caregivers & community members, and Active Duty personnel. The results of the Pop-Up Cafés will be delivered to the Behavioral Health Services of the county where the event takes place as well as to Boards of Supervisors, State and Federal Representatives and Senators, the Governor, Art Boards, the Press, and others including post secondary educational entities, Veteran service agencies, Veteran service officers, and Certifying officials.
    
The 2021 partnerships include the California Counties of San Diego, Yuba-Sutter, Butte, Tulare, Los Angeles, Alameda, and Sacramento. The 2022 and 2023 partnerships will be announced. 

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Past Pop-Up Cafés

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