July Artist Spotlight
Kathleen Ellertson
Founder & President - Veteran Art Institute
Top Row: Off Duty by Oscar Romero (left) & USS Arizona Legacy by Aaron Burks (right)
Middle Row: Veterans Day by Michael Nelson
Bottom Row: Artwork by Leon Phillips (left & center) & Reflections of Freedom by Laura Taylor (right)
Middle Row: Veterans Day by Michael Nelson
Bottom Row: Artwork by Leon Phillips (left & center) & Reflections of Freedom by Laura Taylor (right)
Kathleen is the founder and president of the Veteran Art Institute (VAI), a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit born from a deeply personal story. Her father — a Chicago native, World War II veteran, Bronze Star recipient, and PTSD survivor — came home from war without community, without recognition, and without a place to put what he had carried. That silence became her mission. VAI exists so that no veteran artist has to come home to the same.
What began as one daughter's tribute to her father has grown into a national movement. Today, VAI is home to more than 1,200 verified veteran and active-duty artists, 6,000 works of art, and a community spanning all 50 states — all on a free platform built entirely in service of those who served. The artwork you see here represents just a glimpse of the extraordinary creativity living within our military community — paintings, photography, sculpture, and more created by men and women whose service shaped not only their lives, but their art.
Kathleen believes that art is one of the most powerful pathways to healing, belonging, and purpose for veterans navigating life after service. The Veteran Art Institute is proof that when veterans find community — when they are seen, celebrated, and connected — something remarkable happens. They don't just make art. They reclaim their voice.
What began as one daughter's tribute to her father has grown into a national movement. Today, VAI is home to more than 1,200 verified veteran and active-duty artists, 6,000 works of art, and a community spanning all 50 states — all on a free platform built entirely in service of those who served. The artwork you see here represents just a glimpse of the extraordinary creativity living within our military community — paintings, photography, sculpture, and more created by men and women whose service shaped not only their lives, but their art.
Kathleen believes that art is one of the most powerful pathways to healing, belonging, and purpose for veterans navigating life after service. The Veteran Art Institute is proof that when veterans find community — when they are seen, celebrated, and connected — something remarkable happens. They don't just make art. They reclaim their voice.
The El Dorado Hills Arts Association is proud to have Kathleen Ellertson as one of our members. To learn more about the Veteran Art Institute, view more of the amazing art created by service members, or share its resources with a veteran you know, visit veteranartinstitute.org.