The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center’s Suicide Prevention Program is pleased to announce a series of workshops on September 11 and 12 featuring artist Drew Cameron, of Combat Paper, who will help participants convert donated military uniforms into handmade paper.
Individual workshops will be held 9 to 11 a.m. CDT on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 11 and 12, in the medical center’s outpatient waiting area. A third session will be held from noon to 2 p.m. CDT on Wednesday in the outdoor pavilion behind the facility.
Veterans do not need to bring a uniform to participate in the workshops.
September is Suicide Prevention Month and the VA medical center’s Suicide Prevention Program encourages Veterans and all those who support Veterans to seek out opportunities to make connections with one another. One of those opportunities can be found in participating in the meaningful experience of transforming something worn in military service into a piece of art.
Combat Paper is a workshop process that transforms military uniforms into handmade paper and is led by veteran Drew Cameron. The handmade paper can be created into prints, books and artwork that carries with it the experiences of military service in the transformed woven threads, repurposed into paper. Combat Paper is based in Iowa and has been facilitating workshops across the country for over a decade. Their work is archived in numerous public collections and libraries throughout the United States including the Library of Congress. www.combatpaper.org
Workshops are reserved for Veterans, Hospital guests, and staff. Uniform donations are also being accepted. For more information or to donate uniforms, please contact Sharon Anastas at (906)774-3300 extension 32541 or Sharon.Anastas@va.gov.
