We are so proud to shine a light on CBAW’s very own Valerie Acosta in our continuing Veteran Artist Spotlight series.
Valerie Acosta served in the United States Air Force for 20 years before retiring in 2022. She is a self-taught visual artist and published photographer. Her mediums include acrylic, gouache, watercolors, pencils, pens, clay and wood. Her art has been exhibited at the Arches Gallery in the Workhouse Arts Center in Virginia. She is also a DoD-certified Master Resilience Trainer and loves to teach resiliency skills that can support mental health and replace misery with happiness. You can join Valerie each month for her CBAW Virtual Visual Arts Workshop, taking place on the first Wednesday of each month, 7 PM Eastern Time. Click here to register and view our calendar for details on upcoming sessions. She is also the Program Coordinator for our More Than One Story program exclusively for women and non-binary Veterans and Service Members.
Valerie Acosta served in the United States Air Force for 20 years before retiring in 2022. She is a self-taught visual artist and published photographer. Her mediums include acrylic, gouache, watercolors, pencils, pens, clay and wood. Her art has been exhibited at the Arches Gallery in the Workhouse Arts Center in Virginia. She is also a DoD-certified Master Resilience Trainer and loves to teach resiliency skills that can support mental health and replace misery with happiness. You can join Valerie each month for her CBAW Virtual Visual Arts Workshop, taking place on the first Wednesday of each month, 7 PM Eastern Time. Click here to register and view our calendar for details on upcoming sessions. She is also the Program Coordinator for our More Than One Story program exclusively for women and non-binary Veterans and Service Members.
We are so excited to bring you this special spotlight on our friend Valerie Acosta! Val sat down with us and answered some questions about her work, which you can read below along with a sampling of her amazing pieces!
CBAW: “What is your choice of medium, and why?”
Valerie Acosta: “I constantly switch mediums. I go through periods of using only clay and throwing pottery, to periods where all I can think about is black and white photography. I believe that art (especially being a self-taught artist) manifests itself as a physical reflection of what’s happening in my life. If I’m going through something very difficult and I don’t want to write it down, then I just might need to cut some wood and make a mess; other times, I may be feeling calm and grateful and it comes out in my photography or poetry.”
CBAW: “How has art-making or creative writing impacted you as a person?”
Val: “Art in all its forms, has given me an outlet. It lets me move through what I’m feeling and guide it. It is easier to channel difficult emotions when I know I can paint, cut, build, photograph, or play an instrument to help me feel and sit in the fire.
Art has given me a community of people that understand without questions, and it has given me opportunities to step out of my comfort zone. More specifically, writing has given me a way to accept myself and to start loving myself because what is inside of me can be difficult, but it can also be beautiful.”
CBAW: “What do you hope someone gets from viewing or reading your work?”
Val: “I hope that my work makes people feel. I hope that it helps someone find beauty in a dark place. I hope that it gives someone a moment to be grateful for; most of all, I hope that it inspires someone to say: “I can do that”, and I hope that they do it.”
Thanks so much Val, both for taking the time to answer our questions, and for being so awesome! Make sure to find Val on Instagram @artmayhappen, where she posts different types of experimental works, and @craft_and_market (also on Facebook and Etsy), her small business feauring wood items and other decor.
Valerie’s work is currently showing at extendYoga’s special ReppedYoga fall gallery! See her work on display there while you still can!
AND of course, you can find Val teaching art for CBAW on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 PM ET on zoom! (Register here.)
CBAW Marketing & Communications Manager
Rob Haney is an artist, writer, and graphic designer with a passion for making slick-looking and fun images that catch the eye and draw viewers in. Rob worked for over 10 years in retail banking and management in their previous life, before returning to school and earning an Associates of Arts with Honors from Rock Valley College in 2012. An early addict to Twitter, Rob enjoys liking and resharing cool stuff and interacting with people who hold similar interests on the internet. They currently are working on their degree in Graphic Design while creating social media content for clients. When not online, Rob writes and reads poetry, creates both physical and digital artwork, and watches British mystery shows.
You have a GREAT SPIRIT ! It shows so much in your ART Thank You for sharing your SPIRIT and Your ART . Especially making each day Count . Your Smile will fill the Universe.GOD BLESS You and GOD BLESS 🗽🗽😇🙏
GOD BLESS AMERICA