Delaware veterans heal, connect and build community at new artistic pilot program

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For many veterans, transitioning from military service to civilian life can be isolating. The loss of routine, camaraderie, and purpose that defined their service years often leaves them seeking ways to reconnect and rebuild.

For veterans in Delaware, art has become a powerful tool to aid in this transition. By fostering creativity and expression, it helps veterans process emotions, forge meaningful connections, and enhance their overall well-being — a mission at the heart of the CreatiVeterans program.

“The arts have an extraordinary ability to heal, connect and inspire,” said Jessica Ball, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “CreatiVeterans offers our veteran community an outlet to explore creativity while fostering camaraderie and personal growth. We are thrilled to make these opportunities accessible statewide.”

Launched in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts, Mariposa Arts and the Office of Veterans Services, CreatiVeterans is an eight-week program offering free art classes tailored exclusively for Delaware veterans. The initiative addresses a critical need for non-clinical spaces where veterans can connect, heal and thrive through artistic exploration.

“Our goal is for this to be an outlet for them to have a chance to express themselves in a creative way, and to connect with other veterans, since this is going to be an intimate space,” said Briana Henry, community engagement program officer at the Delaware Division of the Arts. “It’s not a huge class where you’ll get lost and not be able to connect — whether that’s with the artist or other veterans or anyone else in the space.”

While CreatiVeterans is not a clinical program, the benefits of art as a healing tool are well-documented. Research underscores how creative expression can significantly improve mental health and emotional well-being among veterans.

A study published in 2016 in the “Journal of the American Art Therapy Association” found art therapy improved “trauma processing” for veterans, who also “considered it to be an important part of their treatment as it provided healthy distancing, enhanced trauma recall and increased access to emotions.”

CreatieVeterans focuses on small, supportive classes capped at 12 participants, allowing veterans to explore a variety of artistic techniques that vary across all three counties.

“In New Castle County, we have ‘Working with Clay.’ In this, specifically, participants will use hand-building techniques with clay, including pinching, quilling slab and texture technique,” Henry said. In quilling slab, artists shape designs out of tiny strips of clay.

“We have in Kent County, ‘Gelli Plate Printing with ‘Es,’’” Henry said. Gelli plate is a gelatin-like plate made of solidified mineral oil that’s used to transfer images onto a canvas.

“Veterans can “explore by transforming magazines and images in nature and different textures you can put on the plate,” Henry said. “Then, in Sussex County, we have ‘Mixed-Media Collage Making.’ This is exploring craft embellishments, paper and found art materials and they’ll be making these collages on wood.”

Ensuring accessibility across all three counties was a central focus of the program’s design.

“I feel like it is known that New Castle [County] in general gets more of a focus. It’s kind of known as an art hub,” she said. “It’s really important that we reach Kent County and Sussex County, you know, the more rural areas. So, no one has to drive up to New Castle County or north. It’s important that they have access right near them.”

“This is all for all genders, all ages for veterans. This is a mix of a lot of different generations together and I feel like that impact can allow so much value and insight,” Henry added. “Depending on where those veterans served, what branch. I just think it allows a lot of opportunity for veterans to create a bigger community than they already have.”

Some of the eight-week sessions are already underway, participants are preparing to share their creations in community exhibitions held in each county. These exhibitions will allow veterans to celebrate their accomplishments with family, friends, and local supporters.

While New Castle County’s class is fully booked, veterans are still encouraged to register for classes in Kent and Sussex Counties.