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When veteran Joe Hopkins couldn’t sleep one night, he decided to take a bike ride to get out of the house and paint for a while — on his jeans. He continued to adorn his pants well into the night until exactly 3:30 a.m., Hopkins recalled, because he etched the time onto the front pocket area.

The painting on the jeans depict a black, white and red abstract pattern, except for a distinct skull on the left pant leg. Hopkins said he originally had intended for the eyes to be red, but as he biked home in the rain, the color bled down the skull’s cheekbones. As a result, he named the final piece “Skull Tears.”

“I’m starting to find myself again through my artwork,” Hopkins said. “It’s constructive for me.”

“Skull Tears” was one of many pieces in the 27th Syracuse Veterans Creative Arts Competition — the first time that Syracuse University collaborated with Veterans Affairs to host the event. Held in the National Veterans Resource Center Gallery, the competition provides an outlet for veterans to express their creativity — through fine arts, creative writing, music and drama — in hopes of facilitating healing.

Rachel Raposas | Culture Editor

“I think I got a little emotional today, because it’s a very emotional event,” said Suzanne Hawes, the lead recreation therapist at the VA. “It’s all about the veterans — to honor them (and) their talents.”

The gallery was filled with all kinds of art. A vibrant green quilt with a crucifix hung in the center of the far wall next to a technicolor oil painting of an elderly man. A triptych of pyramid paintings — one red, one yellow, one blue — hung above busts displaying beaded necklaces.

On the same wall hung a patchwork tote of red and white striped fabric and cloth squares depicting an army battle. Tammy Jackson, an army veteran and the creator, said she came across the army patterned cloth, and with the help of her father, a former Marine, she decided to create something both functional and beautiful.

“I hope it makes (viewers) feel good, knowing that I put time and love into it,” Jackson said. “I hope it puts a smile on their faces.”

Another of Hopkins’s pieces, “Crushed Traditions” consisted of a button up shirt and skinny jeans, both embellished with acrylic designs. Coupling painting and fashion together, Hopkins said the piece represents the trailblazing nature of today’s youth.

“Younger people are no longer walking in the footsteps of their forefathers — young people are changing the world,” he said. “And they’re no longer tied down to a plain drab suit and 40 hours a week. They’re recreating everything. They’re not waiting until they’re old to live their life and do what they want to do. It’s freedom.”

Rachel Raposas | Culture Editor

Dale Fiegl, a veteran who served six years in the Air Force, is an established painter and sculptor with an array of pieces in museums across the country. One of his pieces, entitled “Circles of Time” was an abstract work featuring rings and splatters of black acrylic paint on a fresh white canvas.

Fiegl creates his work with the beauty and uniqueness of color and structure in mind, he said. But there was something about entering a show of creative veterans that added a new layer to his inspiration.

“I just do it because I’m a veteran, and I support the veterans’ cause,” he said. “It’s more than recreation.”

Richard Rodriguez developed PTSD after his 15 years of service and now uses creative pursuits to work through his trauma. His written works, “Closeted (Pride),” “Contrast,” and “My Almost Christmas Miracle,” tackled his personal instances of acceptance, trauma and racism.

“I try to put my demons somewhere,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t need to confront them — I can put them down on paper. I can get inspiration from them.”

Rodriguez recently discovered another creative outlet in fine arts, sculpting. He now couples his writing with sketches and sculptures, including “Surfacing,” his three-part ceramic sculpture, which brings the form of a dragon to life.

All six of his submissions received first place in their categories.

As he stood in the room, surrounded by his own work, Rodriguez already began forming new ideas for future art. He said as he entered the National Veterans Resource Center, a photo of one soldier cradling another in his arms on a battlefield caught his eye.

But the focal point of the photo isn’t what inspired him — instead, the soldier in the background, opening and reading a letter in the midst of a battle, reminded him of the fragility of life itself.

“It’s such a powerful picture. He doesn’t know when he’s going to get the chance to read his mail,” Rodriguez said. “So my inspiration comes from all different places.”

The @SyracuseVA Creative Arts Exhibition in the NVRC Gallery opened today! It features works of art from veterans enrolled at the VA healthcare facility with the purpose of using art to help in their recovery. #bestplaceforveterans @rnovack82 pic.twitter.com/jXn3FRqrXb

— Syracuse University OVMA (@SyracuseOVMA) October 5, 2022

Jen DeLucia, the curator for the gallery, said she hopes the exhibition can bridge the gap between military and civilian communities. Many times, the stories of trauma and post traumatic stress disorder dominate in discussions about military and veterans, and DeLucia wanted to represent some of the positive outcomes of serving the country through the gallery.

“The leadership opportunities, the camaraderie, the opportunity to really develop these different personal and professional experiences through their military service — I think those stories are often told a lot less, so I see the gallery as a place where some of that narrative can be filled out (and) celebrate military experience,” DeLucia said.

DeLucia hopes that the gallery, especially as it is now, filled with veteran artwork, can become a point of connection for veterans, family, friends and people in the community.

For Hopkins, this competition served as a stepping stone to bigger things. He had never promoted his work online or through social media — he said his work “had never seen the light of day” before this exhibition. But after receiving praise and support, even winning first prize for “Crushed Traditions” in the acrylic category, Hopkins is ready to introduce his work to the world.

“It’s about time,” he said. “I’ve worked all my life for others, and (now) it’s my time.”

Published on October 5, 2022 at 11:43 pm