VETART Mission

The Veterans Art Project (VETART) is a community based arts organization serving Veterans, Active Duty, Spouses, dependents, their caregivers, and the community through process-driven, Deep Arts Engagement, D.A.E.(c) and Art Therapy.  Providing a process-intensive arts encounter proven to help Veterans and Active Duty (some with post-traumatic stress, TBI, and MST) find their voice and work through the life-changing process of transitioning from military to civilian life.

 VETART offers free classes in the process-heavy art disciplines of Ceramics, Glass, Woodworking, and Bronze Casting. We work tirelessly to connect military families and civilians through sharing, art-making in a safe, welcoming, relaxed, and fun environment. This engagement is also equitable: we offer open enrollment access to free art classes that take place in state of the art facilities, taught by artists of all cultural/social backgrounds with and without MFAs. We offer artistic support, development, and dignified display of completed artworks. These dignified displays help include the greater civilian community through artist/participant presentation.

Through on-site community arts classes, demonstrations, and exhibitions across San Diego county and the country, VETART provides space for Veterans to connect with others and discover an outlet for expressing their experiences through the art-making process. By identifying, encouraging, and promoting all artists, VETART has a proven record of being an inclusive organization dedicated to promoting a spectrum of voices. By amplifying these voices through promotion to instructor level while working with Veterans, leadership is demonstrated and becomes a model for new participants.
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VETART continues to engage the larger community through the promotion, development, display, and amplification of many voices, lived experiences and backgrounds. For people and experiences not readily visible in the contemporary Art milieu.  This VETART model has always been and is the basis of our ecosystem as a See One, Do One, Teach One Organization. Through participation VETART students have a clearly identified path that is easily followed for increasing arts engagement and discovery. Our force impact is to create leadership opportunities to lead the arts, wellness, and community development, at the local, regional, state and national level. At VETART we listen to images, so we may lead by actions.

VETART Team

Steve Dilley, MFA
​Executive Director

I believe as an Artist is it my responsibility to help people in our community. The Veterans Art Project is an outgrowth of my personal sense of Artistic responsibility. From my time teaching Art at the college level, I have observed how powerful Artmaking in community can be for individuals. VETART started as a passion to share skills and my love of Ceramics. from this humble beginning I have seen
The Veterans Art Project to grow into a nationally recognized program supporting Veterans, Spouses, dependents, caregivers and active duty personnel. We currently live in a 5,000 sq ft industrial building in Vista Ca. This space is laid out specifically for the Ceramic or Glass Artist in mind. From this space we continue to share our passion of Art making in community for mental health and wellness. Our community collaborations have grown to include MHSOAC, The Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission, a California state agency, NEA Creative forces, Intrepid Center of Excellence MCBCP, San Diego Veterans Coalition, PEH, Physical and Emotional Health subcommittee among many others. 
Our proudest collaborations have been with the many Men and Women of the United States Armed Forces who are a joy to work with.

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Reginald Green
VETART Instructor 

He is a 15 -year, medically retired Navy Veteran.  Reggie is a VETART participant and after volunteering for a year and a half with the organization, showing his dedication, willingness , passion for art and helping Veterans, he was hired as an VETART instructor and taught classes at the ASPIRE Center and The V.A. in La Jolla.



 

Tonya Savice
Director of Advocacy, & Peer Support Specialist 

 Tonya is an Air Force Veteran who served 1981-1992. Throughout her career, she struggled with anxiety, chronic pain, MST, PTSD and survived multiple suicide attempts. After her discharge, she became an advocate for herself and got involved with art as a way to heal. Finding success through art, she sought to make it a more realistic therapeutic outlet for others. As a participant and director of advocacy, she is dedicated to making art a mental wellness tool for other Veterans.

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Stephanie Padilla 
Social Media Manager  ​

 While juggling her studies in cybersecurity, Stephanie brings a unique perspective to our team—not just as a professional but as a daughter, granddaughter, and dedicated supporter of our armed forces, from the Army to the Marines. She's a firm believer in the power of storytelling, especially when it comes to honoring our veterans. Her mission? To ensure that every veteran's story is heard, seen, and valued through the engaging power of social media.
Stephanie has always loved art. She would spend her time in art class drawing life-like drawings of hands, or crafting picnic tables, deer pens and wooden cups in Woodshop. Stephanie's journey has been anything but ordinary. From being a caregiver to working in hospital settings and organizing events that bridge our military and civilian communities, she's done it all. Her experiences have not only made her a compassionate ally but also a fierce advocate for veterans' welfare.
So, when you scroll through our social media feeds and feel that surge of inspiration, know that Stephanie is behind the scenes, blending her playful spirit with a deep commitment to our military families. Ensuring she continues to empower and uplift our veteran community, one post at a time.

Xochitl Ellery Husted

Grant Writer 

Xochitl is currently finishing her Master's in Sociology at Stockholm University in Sweden. In her role as Grant Writer for the VETART team she applies a sociological lens, highlighting the manner in which VETART can support marginalized Veteran demographics, build community, and make an impact. Moreover, her background in research provides an understanding of both qualitative and quantitative measures VETART can implement to measure the organization's achievements. Her passion for writing and social justice culminate in this position, allowing her to work towards garnering the funds VETART needs to continue succeeding. 

Ivan Sam
Cultural Ambassador 

Jill Brenegan, ATR-BC, LCAT  
Art Therapist / Instructor 

Jill has been an Art Therapist for over fifteen years receiving a Master’s in Professional Studies in Art Therapy from Pratt Institute in New York. She is a Registered Art Therapist (ATR), Board Certified (ATR-BC), as well as a Licensed Art Therapist in the state of New York (LCAT). Jill has a B.A. in psychology from C.S.U. Northridge and several years of extensive coursework in ceramics, painting and drawing at institutes such as School of Visual Arts and Art Students League in New York.  Jill has worked with a variety of populations, but over the last ten years has been working with the military active duty and veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI.

Avalon Salvadore
 Executive Assistant 

Avalon Salvadore is a student at California State University San Marcos. She works with VETART as an executive assistant to the Director and founder Steven Dilley. Avalon helps plan our Pop-up café events around the state and also helps with administrative work. She hopes to graduate from Cal State San Marcos with a degree in criminology and justice and pursue a career in Environmental Law. Avalon has a passion for art and helping others fight their battles with mental health through the use of creativity, VETART is the perfect way to promote artist and help the community through art and art therapy. 

Lilia Welsh
Grant Writer 

My name is Lilia and I work as part of the grant writing team at VETART. I graduated from Oberlin College in May of 2023 with a degree in Anthropology and I have a deep interest in community care, connectivity, the Arts, storytelling, and mental health. While my primary role in VETART is grant writing, I also love to help organize and take part in classes, exhibits, and VETART outings. My experience in VETART has been one of great growth in personal perspective and artistic capacity, and I am constantly inspired by the work of VETART's team and participants. I hope you choose to stop by and see what we're all about!

Anthony LoBue

Anthony A. LoBue 
Literary, Performing and Visual Artist
Founder/Director: 
Arts for Veterans Project 
“Empowering YOU through the ARTS!” 
www.TonyTheArtist.org
50% of net sales donation to Veteran Support Groups 

100% Disabled Vietnam War Veteran
U.S. Army Airborne Infantry

SDVC Member: 
San Diego Veterans Coalition:
Physical & Emotional Health (PEH) Action Group 
sdvetscoalition.org

SDVEC Membership Chair:
San Diego Veterans Employment Committee
WWW.SDVEC.ORG
[email protected]​

Darron DeVillez
MC and Event Coordinator 

Cultural Equity Statement

To support a full creative life for all, The Veterans Art Project  aims to create a space that promotes cultural equity, supports all of our members and staff, and provide accessible facility in which Veterans, Active Duty, Family Members and Care-givers from all nationalities can create Dignified Displays of Art.

DEFINITION OF CULTURAL EQUITY
Cultural equity embodies the values, policies, and practices that ensure that all people—including but not limited to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion—are represented in the development of VETART programming; the support of artists; the nurturing of accessible, thriving venues for expression; and the fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & AFFIRMATIONS

• In the United States, there are systems of power that grant privilege and access unequally such that inequity and injustice result, and that must be continuously addressed and changed.
• Cultural equity is critical to the long-term viability of the arts sector. 
• We must all hold ourselves accountable, because acknowledging and challenging our inequities and working in partnership is how we will make change happen.
• Everyone deserves equal access to a full, vibrant creative life, which is essential to a healthy and democratic society. 
• The prominent presence of artists challenges inequities and encourages alternatives.​
  
  

MODELING THROUGH ACTION
To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, we strive to…

• Pursue cultural consciousness throughout our organization through substantive learning and formal, transparent policies.
• Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and report organization progress.
• Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, staff, and advisory bodies.​​​