Brushwood Center At Ryerson Woods Announces Veteran Art Exhibit

Deerfield IL

10 November, 2021

12:04 PM

Description

Press release from Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods: Nov. 10, 2021 Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods announces an exhibition featuring the art and nature photography of participants from our At Ease Program for Veterans. "Nature Platoon: Veteran Art and Photography" Opening Reception and Gallery Talk: Sunday, November 14, 1-3pm Exhibition runs November 14 through December 22 Experience nature through the lens of these Veteran photographers and artists who participated in Brushwood Center's At Ease program. Enjoy live music, explore the artwork, and join the Gallery Talk with featured artists during the opening reception. This program is free of charge, but registration is required. Registration is available online at www.brushwoodcenter.org. Spending time in nature is a powerful practice for mental and physical well-being. This art and photography exhibition documents the beauty of Chicagoland, including Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Waukegan Dunes, the Cook County Forest Preserves, Montrose Bird Sanctuary in the Chicago Park District and Lake County Forest Preserves as experienced and captured by U.S. Military Veterans and their families during the Summer and Fall of 2021. Veterans and their families participated in this photography challenge, which included a virtual photography class and either an independent trip or an in-person group tour at one of our natural partner areas. The goal was to encourage new ways for U.S. Veterans to experience the great outdoors and for others to be able to see nature through the lens of their cameras. "As a Veteran, my experience with nature is a little different than other people. I spent a lot of time in nature. Art gives you permission to express yourself in different ways. The class at Brushwood focuses on meditation, and it actually encourages you to look at nature in a new way. You can explore how you feel about what you're seeing in nature." – Tracy Ladner, Army and Navy Veteran, At Ease Photography Participant At Ease: Art and Nature for Veterans, a program of Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, empowers Veteran wellbeing through nature-based art, music and photography workshops. Can you think back to a time when nature helped you heal an emotional wound or lightened your mental fatigue? Can you recall a hike in the woods that made you feel whole again? If you are fortunate, you have contact with nature—and its healing effects—every day. Brushwood Center launched this initiative in 2015 to help veterans in the greater Chicago and Lake County communities connect with nature by offering resources and programming that promotes the importance of nature for nurturing personal and community wellbeing, cultivating creativity, and inspiring learning. This program is offered at no charge to Military Veterans thanks to our supporters and partners. Brushwood Center collaborates with the James A. Lovell Federal Healthcare Center and local partners to connect Veterans to the arts and the opportunity to explore and restore in nature. Participants immerse themselves in the peaceful sanctuary provided by Brushwood Center at the pristine Ryerson Woods, and discover a new side of themselves and the natural world through the creative arts. All Veterans and their families are welcomed! This press release was produced by Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods. The views expressed here are the author's own.