Following his military service, U.S. Navy veteran Ron Leigh eventually ended up at Silver Star Apartments, a housing facility for homeless veterans located in Battle Creek, Michigan. In 2013, while attending Kellogg Community College, Ron studied art, and he created a recreational-based program for Silver Star. The program focused on helping veterans develop positive friendships through music lessons, chess, and video games.
Ron wanted to encourage other veterans to experience community without the aid of alcohol or drugs. After graduating from Siena Heights University with a notable 4.0 GPA, Ron also volunteered at God’s Kitchen, a soup kitchen for the community. Today, Ron works as an outreach case manager, while he continues to create art, serve other veterans, and help the homeless community.
Marching Behind Heroes
After veteran Ron Leigh enrolled at Kellogg Community College, he became interested in art. Before long, Ron developed his own concepts, incorporating many effective creative strategies. His Marching Behind Heroes project, a time-based, site-specific installation, involves the transition of shadows from sunrise to sunset. Symbolically, this continual movement of light throughout the day causes the shadows to appear to be walking across the sidewalk or grass.
The conceptual work also invites the viewer to reflect on a veteran’s sacrificial journey. Ron earned recognition through this very ambitious project, and he continues to explore artistic expression and community engagement. By utilizing art to develop positive outreach, Ron offers the viewer an opportunity to experience empathy—Marching Behind Heroes.
Our new type of ArtPrize venue gives veterans a voice as they share their stories of struggle and healing through art.
Marching Behind Heroes 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.
