ArtPrize 2021: Introducing Michael X

Re-entry by Michael X

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

Re-entry by Michael X (close-up)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.

ArtPrize 2021: Introducing Kiri Salazar

Autism in the Trenches by Kiri Salazar

For seventeen years, I have done my best to explain the world to my son, and my son to the world. For the longest time, I would simply shout, “Welcome to Autismland!” as a shorthand to explain his startling behaviors in public. Then, as he got bigger, it just became easier not to go out in public. It wasn’t worth the heartache, the judgment, and the feelings of failure.

As long as he has his crayons and room to scribble on his precious calendars, all is right with my son. And though I am grateful that my son is content in his world, this too is problematic, because he has to share the planet with everybody else. And sometimes, this causes conflict. When a child on the spectrum grows big enough to say “No” to the things he does not want to do, negotiating for peace becomes a daily battle.

When my son gets mad, he throws things. Sometimes those things are iPads. Sometimes they are sharp and pointy scissors aimed at a classmate, and he gets suspended. My child has no idea that he’s in trouble at all—he’s just happy that he gets to go home! My son is isolated from the normal world. He does not speak its language, nor is he interested in learning it.

The schedule in our home is filled with promises of future car rides, calendars, and crayons—repeated week after week, month after month, year after year. So, when you look at my art, I hope you see a deep-seated love, and a mom who wants to give her child his best possible future—even if it means living a life in Autismland, instead of The Land of Normal.

I identify as a humorist, a veteran of the Army, and above all else, a single mom to a child on the autism spectrum. I am also a person who struggles with mental health. As a result, I can have a particularly dark view on the world. When times get really bad, I write poetry. Scratch that. At times, I cope by writing really bad poetry. Which, as a humorist, I will point out is probably the saddest confession I can make.

Autism in the Trenches

Autism in the Trenches is a journal entry on the challenges of parenting a child on the autism spectrum and the difficulties he has navigating a world not built for him. The artwork required a lot of letting go—letting go of expectation and perfection. In art, as in parenting, I learned to allow mistakes to co-exist with intention.

The torn and layered paper is an homage to my son, who tears strips of paper as a self-soothing activity. This piece contains fragments of the truth from the perspective of a mom who is fighting to navigate the minefields of autism. This is my version of ugly crying in art form. As the poem says, “There are no victors. There will be no survivors. Unless I surrender completely to the pain of what is and make peace with what will never be.”

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

Autism in the Trenches 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.

ArtPrize 2021: Introducing Brian Bartman

Tormented Souls by Brian Bartman

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.

ArtPrize 2021: Introducing Tiffany Horan

Darkness to Light painting by Tiffany HoranAs a female marine, I learned that the battle within the mind determines one’s overall health. Although I experienced combat duty, the internal battle started years before Iraq. The emotional conflict began in my early childhood.

At age 4, my life changed forever when my parents divorced. I struggled growing up, and my brother and I often felt alone. My mother, a loving, caring soul, struggled with depression and anxiety; however, she did her best to raise us the best she could. My father died at the young age of 47, after a long battle with alcoholism. I was 25 at the time.

As a teenager, I joined the Marine Corps. I wanted to make a difference in our country after 9/11. Before leaving for the Middle East, I married a fellow marine. Within two years, our marriage ended in divorce, because of the strain of military life.

While getting ready to return home, two deployments later, one marine shouted, “If you need a chaplain or medical help, go through these doors.” Except no one wanted to seek help in front of the whole company—the harassment would have been unbearable.

We received a Veteran Affairs pamphlet to deal with insomnia, anxiety, depression, and thoughts of ending it all. No wonder we sought comfort in alcohol and prescription drugs—we needed help.

I met my husband, Kevin, in 2008. We now have 3 kids: Ashlyn, Madisen, and Jackson. We also have a rescue dog named Cooper. My family is my world and a huge reason for my joy and motivation in life.

In 2018, I discovered 92for22, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and veteran suicides, which are at a national rate of 22 per day. I joined their leadership team. Through this organization, I met other combat vets who shared common mental health injuries, like PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Together, we heal by taking the first step to acknowledge our mental health issues. But overall, I began to win the internal battle when I started a relationship with Jesus, my Savior. God bless and Semper Fidelis.

Darkness to Light – A Woman Veteran’s Life

While deployed in Iraq, I faced an unexpected enemy. The battle came from within our own ranks, and eventually caused me to view men differently. At 19, as one of four women in a “male” corps of around 200 marines, I experienced emotional and sexual abuse during PT, like the gross, degrading comments and unwanted touches—a sly slap on the ass or groping in the front.

During our scheduled “women-only” shower times, some of the male officers would strategically shave in front of the bathroom mirror. My coping mechanism of alcohol and pills just added to the conflict. But years later, after finally acknowledging my mental health struggles and turning to God for help, I started healing. This art piece represents my fight from darkness to light and encourages others to win their battles by not giving up hope.

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

Darkness to Light 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.

ArtPrize 2021: Introducing Michael Sheler, Sr.

Freedom Eagle by Michael Sheler, Sr.

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.

ArtPrize 2021: Introducing Jeremiah Brown

Thebes by Jeremiah Brown

Through my paintings, I want to convey the people and places of African Culture. I was always interested in ancient history as a child, and I loved doodling. At four years old, I was inspired by my two older brothers, who drew cartoon and comic book characters. I started drawing animals from our giant family dictionary at age eight, and I painted watercolors of comic book characters at ten. I started creating pencil portraits at thirteen, and my first acrylic painting at fifteen.

During my middle school years, I began reading about people like W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King, Jr., Fredrick Douglass, and others. But I was not satisfied with contemporary history; I needed answers to the who, what, where, and when about African history, the period before slavery, the information beyond my high school African history classes. I started doing my own research. To my surprise, I discovered a whole new universe of information.

After leaving the military service at 23, I started building my personal library of African literature, in total around a thousand books and counting. In 2004, while also collecting paintings of African people and their historical places, I started painting for enjoyment, giving away my work to friends and relatives, or selling some work. But my goal in life is to continue to paint African art, inspired by my research. My future goal is to display my work in a museum one day, or show the work in a public center for African culture.

Thebes

This painting depicts a scene of the Opet Festival, an annual ancient Egyptian festival celebrated in Thebes (Luxor) during the season of Akhet and the flooding of the Nile. The festival was celebrated to promote the fertility of Amun-Re and the pharaoh, who was believed to be the spiritual offspring of Amun-Re. The Opet began on ll Aket 15 (between June and September) under Thutmose lll, 1458-1426 B.C., and lasted eleven days.

The festival included a ritual procession of the barque (a ceremonial boat used to transport statues of gods and deities) of the cult statue of Amun-Re, supreme god; his wife, Mut; and his son, Khons. This procession carried the statue for two kilometers, from Karnak to Luxor Temple, its final destination.

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

Thebes is showcasing at Veterans Memorial Park

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

Tie a Yellow Ribbon

Yellow ribbons with hand written messages on trees

The Voices collection, featured at Veterans Memorial Park for ArtPrize, also gives the audience a chance to speak. Visitors are invited to write an encouraging note on a yellow ribbon and tie it to a tree, as a way to use their voice to support those who fight for our country. Following ArtPrize, the Blue Star Mothers will include the yellow ribbons in care packages to deployed soldiers and to veterans as a reminder of this community that supports them.

Here’s how it works

Write a thank-you note on a yellow ribbon and tie it to the trees. Let a veteran know that you are thankful for their service. Consider volunteering for a veteran cause, hiring a veteran, or even listening to a vet’s stories. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country; choose one way you can help give back to them to encourage art’s healing power.

Write an inspiring note:

Thank you for your service…
Thank you for your sacrifice…
Thank you for the freedom we enjoy…
Your service will never be forgotten…
I appreciate you for…

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

Yellow Ribbon is showcasing at Veterans Memorial Park

A special thanks to Kent County Veterans Services, Zero Day, Office Max in Grandville, and Healing in Arts for making this collaboration of veteran stories possible.