The Invictus Games is all about providing unwell soldiers with a pathway to healing through sport, but there are other ways to rebound from trauma as well. Creativity fits the bill, and that's why the Maury Young Arts Centre is hosting a Veterans Art Show and Exhibition.
On display until Feb. 15, the new exhibit is described as "illustrating the transformative and therapeutic role of art in fostering resilience and recovery" on Arts Whistler's website.
People don't always envision fine art and military service as things that go hand-in-hand with one another, but both have been integral parts of Chief Warrant Officer Chris Hennebery's life. Hennebery, who created the Veterans Art Show, joined the Canadian Forces at 16 years of age and is still part of the Royal Westminster Regiment (an infantry reserve unit) some four decades later.
Hennebery was educated at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. He works for multinational software giant SAP by day and spends much of his free time painting, sculpting or dealing with ceramics. The 100 Mile House native even founded the Veteran Artists Collective (VAC): a non-profit organization that facilitates art workshops for active-duty Forces members and veterans alike.
"From my point of view, the military and serving in Canada has always been about creating time and opportunity to better myself and help my community—and from the art side, it's not that much different," Hennebery says. "Both are kind of scary in their own ways. Both are not well-suited for people who want to be in a purely safe space. Both require you to put yourself out there: to commit, be passionate and look to create specific outcomes."
One positive outcome creative expression can bring is improved mental health. When an individual is doing an exercise like painting or carving, the parts of his or her brain that tend to focus on trauma can quieten—not unlike the endorphin release associated with physical activity.
Hennebery has lost more friends to suicide than to the War in Afghanistan, driving him to give back to his fellow soldiers. The VAC runs programs all over Canada introducing service members to art, but also granting opportunities for them to showcase the fruits of their labour.
'An effort of love'
Last November, the first VAC art show took place around Remembrance Day at the Gallery George in Vancouver. It was hugely successful, not just in terms of art pieces sold but also in terms of letting veterans see their work presented professionally.
Before long, a chance for service members to display their art in conjunction with the Invictus Games materialized.
Hennebery played a role in bringing the Games to Vancouver and 40 artists answered his call for submissions. The result: more than 150 pieces of content to be shown in parallel at the Gallery George and the Maury Young.
"It all came together pretty seamlessly," comments the longtime reservist. "We were like: 'hold my beer, let's do [another show] times two.' A lot of work went in from the artists, gallery owners and volunteers. They concentrated on creating some beautiful pieces of work, and the quality is amazing. The galleries have been awesome to work with."
Hennebery also wishes to thank key VAC partners like Honour House, the Royal Canadian Legion and the True Patriot Love Foundation. Even Boeing, known for manufacturing military aircraft in addition to commercial jetliners, emerged "out of nowhere" to sponsor the art show in Vancouver and Whistler.
"This has been an effort of love," says Hennebery. "Invictus is about overcoming challenges, using sport and physicality and really working hard to improve yourself … applying those parts of your brain where a lot of trauma resides. Art [yields] the same outcome. You're getting healthier, you feel like you're achieving something. There's a competitiveness to it, and there's a self-improvement to it."
For more information about the Veterans Art Show in Whistler, visit artswhistler.com/calendar-upcoming/veterans-art-show-exhibition.
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