Charting New Territory: Supporting the Arts in the Military/Veteran Space

Monday, October 13, 3:15pm – 4:45pm

Organized and moderated by Marete Wester, Senior Director of Arts Policy, Americans for the Arts.

Presented by Megan Bunce, Charitable Investment Program Manager, Bob Woodruff Foundation; Heather Dwyer, Program Manager, 4Culture; and BR McDonald, Founder, President, and Executive Producer, Veteran Artist Program (VAP).

Often artistic projects focusing on the military and veteran communities fall through the cracks of traditional arts funding; conversely veterans returning to or launching careers in the creative sector are finding military/veterans funders unresponsive. With demand on both sides of the equation growing, how we collectively address the needs is an increasing imperative. Performances by artists in the Veteran Artist Program/The San Antonio Telling Project will trigger dialogue with a traditional arts funder and military/veterans funder on the challenges each faces in supporting projects that seem to fall outside their agency guidelines. We will discuss strategies for arts funders seeking to support the needs of military service members, veterans, and their families at various stages of the military lifecycle.