Veterans Art Exhibit

Virtual Exhibition – November 1 – 30, 2021

In partnership with Navy Federal Credit Union, ShenArts is proud to present this juried virtual exhibition showcasing work from regional Veteran artists as a way to celebrate and honor their service. The exhibition represents former members of all branches of the United States military, working across many mediums, and features artwork ranging from therapeutic to professional. Join us in celebrating these artists and honoring their sacrifices as we recognize Veterans Day.

Meet our 2021 Veterans

Kasse Andrews-Weller, Colonel (retired), U.S. Air Force
After completing bachelor and master degrees in fine arts, I pursued a military career in the Air Force, after which I reverted to my passion for making art. I have been fortunate to exhibit and sell my art in solo and group exhibitions. My work is in private collections, the National Institutes of Health, and DC Commission on the Arts, https://kasseart.com/.

Tim Blankenship, MSGT (retired), Air National Guard
I am retired from the West Virginia Air National Guard. I started painting in 2010 and primarily like working with oil paint and painting landscapes. I would like to expand into other subjects and mediums.

Michael Chapman, Petty Officer 3^rd Class, U.S. Navy
I served four years in the U.S. Navy, 1995-99. I was stationed on the USS Nimitz and worked as an ABH, Crash and Salvage, Nimitz Diver, Nimitz Security Officer and a Brig Chaser. I’m now married to the greatest woman and we have a beautiful little big girl. I always loved the arts and studied art history while at college. I enjoy oil painting and drawing with pencil. As a big fan of comic books and pop culture, I often incorporate elements from both into my work. For the last several years, I have been creating pieces in the unusual medium of Perler beads.

Timothy Crisman, A1C, U.S. Air Force
I’m a self-taught artist who enjoys all mediums and genres. I’m having fun playing in the oil. https://crisman-art.com/

Paul Coulis, E-4, U.S. Navy
I have decades of experience as a photographer and photojournalist. My work includes military spot news, wedding, art and portraiture photography.

Daniel Dunmire, E3, U.S. Navy
I desire to skillfully express the world in a single instant, showing both the beauty and hardship of the world.

Wayne David Hubbard, Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps
I am an artist, author and educator, residing in the Shenandoah Valley since 2008. During the Iraq War, my Marine unit built forward operating bases for aviation. My creative works explore experience, history and culture.

Steve Kost, 3^rd Class Petty Officer, U.S. Navy
I have been creating art as a way to find my center and calm myself and to cope with depression and PTSD. I started working with scrap metal sculpture in 2015 and had my first public show in 2018. I like to share my artwork for others to enjoy.

Al Latorre, E-5, U.S. Navy
I paint in oils on canvas. My art represents my past, present and merely subjects that I am drawn to such as landscapes and seascapes of Virginia and other places I have resided or visited.

Mark Lawson, A1C, U.S. Air Force
I have recently retired due to the pandemic and now focus all my energy on my art. A transmutation of the passions, if you will, https://www.mworksart.com/

Ronald Light, Colonel, U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers
After graduating from Penn State University in 1981, I was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers. I served as a combat engineer in Germany and throughout the United States. I earned master degrees from the University of Virginia and the United States Naval War College. I commanded the Honolulu, Sacramento, Middle East, and Baghdad, Iraq, US Army Corps of Engineers districts, and the Transatlantic Programs Center, located in Winchester, Virginia. I retired in 2011 and now make custom furniture and cabinetry near Boyce, Virginia, using wood I mill and dry from the Northern Shenandoah Valley. I also repair, restore and refinish furniture.

Charles McCaffrey, LCDR, U.S. Navy
I had the good fortune to see the world during my time in the military, and my art reflects images and impressions of the places I visited, the people I met and the many experiences I had during my travels.

Carole Miernik, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Air Force
I started painting when I was four. My mother started me out on paint by number pictures. We would paint together on Saturday afternoon. I progressed into doing simple acrylic painting and then started with oil paints. I enjoy using both mediums.

Leamon Ryan, SH2, U.S. Navy
I am a Korean Veteran and entered the service on December 27, 1950, discharged October 9, 1954, an early discharge because the Armistice was being signed. I was born in Pine Knot, Kentucky and raised in Virginia on a farm in Frederick County.

Ron Salmon, Captain, U.S. Army
Veteran of the Vietnam War, 1969-70, helicopter pilot (Bell UH-1H Huey), combat medical evacuation, flying the DUSTOFF Mission, 25^th Medical Detachment (helicopter ambulance), helicopter pilot NJ Army National Guard, 1975-85. I enjoy photographing nature, the beauty and history of the Shenandoah Valley and the Appalachians, small farms, historical reenactments, outdoor recreation and unique Americana images.

Lisa Shaffer, HM2, U.S. Navy
I served in the U.S. Navy from 1974-79. I am now retired and have more time for artwork. I enjoy all media but I am most challenged by scratchboard.

Sam Teague, LCDR, U.S. Coast Guard/U.S. Army
I enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1988 and in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1993. In 2000, I was commissioned as an Ensign in the Coast Guard and retired in 2015 from the National Maritime Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Heather Williams, 03-Lieutenant, U.S. Navy
I am a nine year veteran who served as a Surface Warfare Officer on board the USS Mason and the USS Doyle. Painting has always been a passion of mine. I love bold, bright colors on large scale canvases.

Walter Wilowatyj, Captain, U.S. Marine Corps
I spent most of my early years on Wall Street and in the computer business. I had the opportunity to work for the artist-in-residence as his assistant at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. I migrated to Virginia to enjoy the mountains, rivers and people.

The Shenandoah Arts Council (ShenArts) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the arts and expanding arts awareness in the Northern Shenandoah Valley region.