Veterans in the Arts

Highpoint has been honored to be part of a brand new partnership with Veterans in the Arts, a young organization that serves veterans through hands-on art experiences. Their mission: to facilitate the ability of veterans to express themselves in a variety of art forms through a progressive program of supportive instruction and collaboration. Participating art centers are Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts, Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Northern Clay Center, and the Playwrights’ Center. Suzanne Asher, founder and Executive Director, invited Highpoint to be part of this project.

One of the teachers who worked with a group of Vets happens to also be an HP Co-
op member — Pamela Carberry. We asked Pam to give us her impressions about the program and her experiences as a teacher:

“I wanted to teach for the Veterans in the Arts program because I felt that it would be interesting to work with students who had a rich background of life experiences and were looking to express their thoughts and feelings through art. The wide variety of skill levels offered me a challenge that I welcomed and ultimately found was a beneficial factor in creating a cohesive group dynamic. It was very touching to see how the veterans looked out for each other and encouraged each other throughout the class sessions. From this teaching experience I witnessed the joy of creating, the ability to overcome challenges and the virtue of patience-it was a lesson that cannot be overstated.

At the end of each class I could feel the students energy and enthusiasm towards their work. I was told that the secure and accepting nature of the environments that we visited was a big factor in their success. I think for some of the students just participating in the program was a milestone. This is a program that validates their service to the country and embraces their creative souls.”