art competition

After sixteen years of military service, veteran and artist Ron Kelsey discovered that combat doesn’t end on the battlefield. His art piece, War and Peace, depicts his personal journey towards recovery, as he continues to fight war’s scars through PTSD and other disabilities. Over ten years ago, Kelsey founded Reflections of Generosity (RoG), a traveling art exhibit that raises awareness for PTSD, military trauma, and veteran suicide.

While he traveled to multiple bases, including the Pentagon and West Point, sharing his personal story of being medically retired, other veterans and their family members spontaneously gifted their art to RoG. The collection grew to seventy works, with artists from seven different countries. RoG highlights the soldier’s concerns, both on and off the battlefield, and honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

As RoG expanded, Kelsey started free art workshops for service members and veterans with an emphasis on positive release. He also wrote his first book, Reflections of Generosity, outlining his journey from soldier to artist. Kelsey’s work helps veterans and service members to experience restoration and healing—promoting generosity through art.

War and Peace

War and Peace represents the IR flag that every American soldier wears throughout combat. As soldiers return home from war, the dark flag embodies the disappearance of the America they once knew. The light flag represents the personal cost of war upon every soldier’s life, like the PTSD some endure. After a one-year deployment to Iraq, I found healing by facing my war scars and unifying the dark, broken pieces, like the joining of the black and white flags.

The challenges of war are not only experienced by soldiers; war’s aftermath and sorrow affect all of us. At this juncture in our nation’s history, War and Peace serves as a facilitator of healing and restoration. When we reclaim peace among life’s ruins—by forgiving others—we generously share hope and strengthen our culture.

Our new type of ArtPrize venue gives veterans a voice as they share their stories of struggle and healing through art.

War and Peace is showcasing at Veterans Memorial Park

A special thanks to Kent County Veterans Services, Zero Day, Finish the Mission, West Michigan Veterans Coalition, and Healing in Arts for making this collaboration of veteran stories possible.

I feel honored to have served 15 years, 1 month, and 18 days in the United States military as an airborne Ranger, part of the Special Forces. While fighting in Iraq, and other undisclosed places, I received three purple hearts. But each time, I got patched up and returned to fight the next battle.

In 2013, after serving 27 months in the most hellish place on earth, the government offered me a desk job. But I opted to go home, because Rangers don’t sit on the sidelines. After re-entering the civilian world, I thought my life would be normal. I still see images, though, as if the things I witnessed only happened fifteen seconds ago. Something as simple as an unattended bag on the sidewalk will set me on edge.

Everyone expected me to come back as the same person who left fifteen years ago. But war changes a person. Although I’m a former Ranger, I don’t have a job or a house. My new reality: No one is going to hire a highly specialized veteran. Though I executed my military job very well, working with billion-dollar military equipment, I struggle not to default into automatic-combat-mode. It’s a daily battle not to “rope off” (any military guy knows what that means).

Recently, as I watched a middle-school kid kick a Vietnam War Memorial and say, “Who cares about a bunch of dead people?” I had all I could do to keep my cool. To me, it seems like Americans have zero respect for their country. People think freedom is just a word. But freedom is very expensive; it costs lives. Someone’s son or daughter comes back in a body bag. After serving 15 years, 1 month, and 18 days, I’m just not geared for the civilian world.

Re-Entry

Eight years after leaving the Special Forces, I struggle with re-entry, navigating the gap between military life and the civilian world. Civilians don’t understand the kinds of shit soldiers experience. For ArtPrize, I sacrificed my favorite t-shirt to help society comprehend the vets’ ongoing battles. The lower half of the shirt represents the structure and discipline of military life. The top half portrays chaos, my civilian life.

This project gave me a chance to go deep, to process and unpack some stuff. It’s not easy to talk about a failed marriage and all the missed birthdays and Christmases—part of the personal cost of freedom. But I want my art to shine a light on veteran needs. For years, I risked my life to serve our country and help others—but I still struggle with re-entry.

Our new type of ArtPrize venue gives veterans a voice as they share their stories of struggle and healing through art.

Re-Entry is showcasing at Veterans Memorial Park

A special thanks to Kent County Veterans Services, Zero Day, Finish the Mission, West Michigan Veterans Coalition, Heartside Ministry, and Healing in Arts for making this collaboration of veteran stories possible.

I enlisted in the Army in 2003. In 2004, I left for a 12+ month deployment to Iraq. Typically, we worked seven days a week in a country, where the painted landscape displayed various shades of brown. Triple-digit temperatures made daily life hard. With ordnance exploding all around us, the biggest take away was all about trusting the guy next to you. We discovered the importance of working as a team to survive. We needed each other to cope with stress and to manage our fears.

After leaving the army, I rejoined the civilian world in construction. My wife and I enjoy our three dogs: Gus, Jaq (like the mice from Cinderella), and Roe—as in “Rules of Engagement.” As an artistic person, I constantly bounce between the left brain, in construction, and the right brain, in my love for art. But after combat duty, I struggled to express myself. My feelings about the world got locked up, making it difficult to deal with the anxiety. By turning to art, the dark emotions churning inside me—the residual effects of war—finally found an outlet.

Tormented Souls

This series of pen and ink drawings came from raw emotions. After my tour in Iraq, drawing became a therapy, because I usually draw from my dark spots. Art helped me to funnel my negative energy into a positive outlet, to keep my problem from escalating. It takes about two to three days to finish each pen and ink drawing. The work starts with sketching on archival paper. Next, I develop the line work. The third drawing, with the couple embracing, pictures me with my first wife. While struggling to escape a dark place, I cried out, “Don’t let me lose myself.” As I reached out, she embraced me in this gigantic hug. Art provided a way for me to communicate without words, to release my concerns, and to experience healing and restoration.

Our new type of ArtPrize venue gives veterans a voice as they share their stories of struggle and healing through art.

Tormented Souls is showcasing at Veterans Memorial Park

A special thanks to Kent County Veterans Services, Zero Day, Finish the Mission, West Michigan Veterans Coalition, Frames Unlimited, and Healing in Arts for making this collaboration of veteran stories possible.

Early in life, I never envisioned myself as an accomplished artist. During Desert Storm, I served aboard the L. Y. Spear AS-36. My mode of service was precision calibration of the 7th fleet’s fast-attack nuclear-powered submarines. This opened the door to a lifetime of learning. I am honored to have been a part of such a challenging mission.

By utilizing the skills passed down from three generations of metalworkers, in combination with my Naval experience, I began to express myself creatively through art. I am learning that art invites freedom of expression. It takes a lot of courage to bring my visions to reality and display my work publicly. But I’m very honored to have this opportunity to inspire others.

Freedom Eagle

Unlike other eagles, the bald eagle is indigenous only to North America. This particular piece of art is created from extruded aluminum. Using various techniques, I was able to produce a variety of finishes and details to enhance the work. It took most of the summer to create this sculpture. The processes I employed will ensure that this piece stands the test of time for a century or more. The magnificent bald eagle is an important symbol for our country, as well as others around the world—it represents freedom for all.

Our new type of ArtPrize venue gives veterans a voice as they share their stories of struggle and healing through art.

Freedom Eagle is showcasing at Veterans Memorial Park

A special thanks to Kent County Veterans Services, Zero Day, Finish the Mission, West Michigan Veterans Coalition, and Healing in Arts for making this collaboration of veteran stories possible.