Serving Those Who Served: Clay Classes for Veterans

Thanks to a Creative Forces Grant, Clay Art Center has been able to provide free clay classes to veterans. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants are part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces® initiative, in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance.

This past summer, Clay Art Center was one of 48 organizations across the U.S. to be awarded a Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant, part of the Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network. This grant supports community-based arts projects that aim to address the experiences, challenges, and strengths of our military communities. With the support of this grant, and in partnership with Westchester Community College, Clay Art Center began offering free one-time classes to veterans and their families and caregivers in early November. In the new year, we are planning on expanding our offerings and forming even more new partnerships with the goal of getting clay into the hands of as many veterans as possible.

Building on the success of the one-time classes at Westchester Community College, a multi-week, ongoing course for veterans will be starting up sometime in the spring, also hosted at WCC. Clay Art Center will be organizing more one-time classes for veterans and their families and caregivers in our classrooms, with the next date set for Saturday, February 7th from 2-4pm. Keep an eye out for more dates, coming soon in the new year.

We are also excited to be partnering with the James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to deliver one-time classes specifically for women veterans. The first two classes will be hosted on Thursday, January 8th and Friday, February 6th at the Bronx VA office, and they are open to any local women veterans. If you are a woman veteran in the area interested in participating, please reach out to Jade Williams at jade.williams@va.gov. 

It is our hope here at Clay Art Center that by providing access to clay, as well as creating a network for veterans and their families in the area, that we can help improve the lives of those who have served in our armed forces. 

Are you or is someone you know a veteran looking to explore ceramics? Fill out our Google form to stay updated about opportunities.