YOUR AD HERE »

Veteran’s Art Center in Grand Junction offers art, music & more

Brittany Markert
bmarkert@gjfreepress.com

GO&DO

WHAT: Veteran’s Art Center

WHEN: Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: 307 S. 12th St., Grand Junction

COST: Free

INFO: http://www.operationrevamp.org, 970-462-3126

BY THE NUMBERS

The Veteran’s Art Center has served veterans from Grand Valley and beyond since 2013.

827 registered veteran and military families participants

$7,000 grant funds for the wood shop

6,400 volunteer hours logged

123 volunteers

4,200 studio, computer and classroom hours logged

$91,334 in-kind donations

$16,410 collected in direct cash donations

$3,269 has come from sales income (mostly from sold veteran’s art)

87 exhibiting artists

1994-2014: Veteran’s service years

Wendy Hoffman, a Grand Junction resident, started Veteran’s Art Center in June 2013. She hoped to help veterans create art and display their pieces at a structure located at 307 S. 12th St., in Grand Junction.

According to Hoffman, she saw a need for the creation of a coping mechanisms for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) instead of just sports, which is most often offered to veterans.

“What about art?” Hoffman asked herself.



“I’ve had veterans make comments saying the art center has saved their lives. Some have even had PTSD symptoms minimized.”

Since opening, Hoffman said the response to her service has been overwhelming. More than 70 artists, ranging from local to out-of-state, have exhibited their artwork at the center — all veterans ranging from 1944 to current active duty and their family members. And some have even sold their creations.



The center currently serves over 800 registered participants, Hoffman added, which are either veterans (70 percent) or families of veterans.

Plus, with the help of dozens of volunteers and veterans joining forces over the last year, the art center expanded to have a wood-working shop, print shop, art studio, music room, and more.

In the music room and recording studio, for example, weekly guitar, bass, mandolin and drum classes are offered. And in the wood-working shop, veterans are able to use saws, miter tools and more to create wood art pieces and furniture, depending on supplies available. If a veteran has supplies, they are also free to use the tools to help complete a project. Computers are available as well for veterans to use, along with a reference library.

“It wasn’t me that came up with the ideas,” Hoffman said. “It’s all been veterans saying ‘I want to do this.’ Instead of asking me, they take matter into their own hands and do it.”

All of the equipment is donated by members of the community or other veterans who are willing to offer classes. Since opening, the art center has provided more than 4,200 studio and computer hours.

Hoffman invites the public to see art on display, with some pieces available for purchase.

For more information, visit http://www.operationrevamp.org or call 970-462-3126.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.