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‘Her Valor’ Group Project Advances to Nationwide Competition

The Joel Fund’s ‘Her Valor’ Fiber Arts Group Project Advances to Nationwide Competition

Wake Forest, NC — In June, women veterans participating in The Joel Fund’s Operation ART program completed a collaborative fiber arts project titled “Her Valor.” The tapestry was entered into the Durham VA Local Creative Arts Competition, where it earned first place in the group entry category. This marked The Joel Fund’s debut in this competition.

The top three artworks from each category in the local competitions will advance to the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and in partnership with the American Legion Auxiliary. After the national level judging process, first place winning Veterans are invited to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, taking place the week of May 11-18, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The tapestry was on display at the Durham VA in August, offering visitors the chance to appreciate its artistry. Created over three weeks under the guidance of Operation ART instructor, Grace McFetters, the piece features vibrant colors and imagery achieved through dyeing techniques, alongside words and phrases that reflect the participants’ experiences as women in the military.

“‘Her Valor’ was a statement by Female Veterans for Female Veterans. Symbolically, while we each had our own time in the service in different branches, we were also sewn together into the collective experience as being a female. I was in the Army. As a female, we have two enemies: the known enemy on the other side of the wire and the unknown enemy wearing the same uniform. We not only dealt with being at war, we also dealt with military sexual trauma; we dealt with sexual harassment; we dealt with being ignored and looked over for awards and promotions standing next to a man who had achieved less but because he was a man, was awarded more. Today, as a female veteran, the statistics are staggering. Female veterans are more likely to experience homelessness than their male counterparts and more likely to face mental health challenges and PTSD. And yet female veterans are the fastest growing veteran population. We wanted to shed light on these issues, through color, light, and drawings of our own experiences. From the cadences we used to sing and the places now seared into our memories, the lady veterans who participated in this project demonstrated just how amazing and brave they have been and continue to be in the face of tremendous pressure. It just goes to show each and every one of us that while our experiences may be different, we have forged an unbreakable bond. And something as simple as an artistic tapestry can place a light on the issues at hand and help us talk to each other, help us heal each other, and emerge better and stronger. When we work together, female veterans alongside female veterans, we will be stronger together so we can continue the fight and help the next generation of female servicemembers and female veterans have a better time of it than we did.” – Grace McFetters, SGT (USA Retired)

This collaborative project came to fruition by feedback from women that had previously participated in fiber arts classes with The Joel Fund’s Operation ART program. Operation ART (Artistry, Reconnection, Transformation) is a community arts program dedicated to providing expressive outlets for emotional well-being in the lives of veterans and their families. The program aims to connect veterans and their families with peers in their community through the transformative power of art. For the participants, this project offered a creative outlet and fostered a supportive environment for sharing their stories and experiences through art.

For more information about the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, including its partnership with the American Legion Auxiliary, please visit https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/national-veterans-creative-arts-festival/.