Arts Access

Kairos will identify emotional and physical barriers to participation in the arts for veterans and their spouses. Our first veteran group continues to inspire us to bring in deeply integrated story and dance themes. They have become artistic partners- willing to play with the unknown and support the many different kinds of artistic expression that come from people with many different abilities and challenges, without judgment. The second veteran group has begun to take more artistic risks, showing up with poems and stories that we can create with. Our new Minnesota Veteran Home Arts Learners, have begun to allow us to move through some of the perceived roles of guys don’t do this. We‘ve created many poems inspired by the beauty of the seasons since our building (1875) is perched above the bluffs of the river. This group has begun to span the bridge between what they think they can do to a willingness to become involved in the collaborative art-making process and see what happens as it unfolds. 2: Kairos will provide access to additional groups of veterans and their spouses, based on the success of and enthusiasm for the program at the VA adult day program. Our pilot Caregiver Creativity Café, developed with staff from both the VA Adult Day and Minnesota Veterans Home Adult Day and social workers, was a wonderful culmination of a year of slowing bridging the two groups to create a supportive an artistic environment that fostered creativity, community building and emotional support through the celebration of dance, music, props, social interaction and good food for the caregivers (mainly wives) of the Veterans that we serve, creating a way to invite new participants to expand their idea of how the arts can nourish their lives. Our Café, with dancing, songs, support groups that encouraged creative problem solving and yummy food, elicited responses like: I haven’t felt supported like this in so long…this was so much fun, when can we do it again?...I feel hopeful and appreciated.