(November 1, 2026) – For 26 years, the American Legion Auxiliary has partnered with the annual veterans’ Creative Arts Festival. We are proud to support this 46-year-old program, which promotes veterans’ physical, mental, and emotional healing through writing, sculpture, painting, dance, and music.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Legion Auxiliary announced changes that will make the program accessible to more veterans in our communities. You no longer need to host a competition; participants can submit their information online. A link will be posted at https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/national-veterans-creative-arts-festival/ from February 1 – March 15, 2027, directing you to the application and submission page.
Each submission must include one or two sentences describing how creating art and participating in the program have supported personal growth. Consider this as you prepare your art submission.
The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival is open to U.S. military Veterans who are eligible for VA health care and enrolled in the VA health care system prior to submission of their entry/application.
Division
- Art Division
- Creative Writing Division
- Dance Division
- Drama Division
- Music Division
Categories
- 2D and 3D
- Solo, Partner, and Group
- Poetry and Prose
- Existing Content and Original Creation
- Music Solo and Music Group
Winners will be announced June 15th, 2027.
For the competition handbook, visit https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/national-veterans-creative-arts-festival/
Questions contact VAart4vets@Va.org