Events

All workshops are listed in Eastern Time.

Unless specifically noted, our programs are free, virtual and suited for participants ages 16+. For further details about what to expect from our workshops, including accessibility options, and registration & Zoom instructions, click here.

Event Series Online Creative Writing Workshops for Everyone

Creative Writing Workshop with Seema Reza

Zoom Virtual Event

No experience required! If you can think, you can write. In this creative writing workshop, we'll consider writing as a tool for communication, expression, and relief from holding it all together. Join us. Seema Reza is the author of the books A Constellation of Half-Lives and When the World Breaks Open. She is the CEO of Community Building Art Works, a non-profit organization that brings workshops led by professional artists to service members, veterans, and clinicians. An alumnus of Goddard College and VONA, Reza has taught poetry in classrooms, jails, hospitals, and universities. She was a 2019 Stand-to Veteran Leadership Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute and the 2023 Pauli Murray Art for Racial Justice Fellow at the Antiracism Research and Policy Center at American University. Reza’s writing has been widely anthologized and has appeared in the Washington Post, McSweeney’s, The LA Review, LitHub, and Electric Literature among others. REGISTER HERE MissionBelonging is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Event Series Online Visual Art Workshops for Everyone

Painting Candles — An Online Visual Art Workshop with Veteran Artist Shaun Smith (Special Registration)

Zoom Virtual Event

This week, Shaun Smith's visual art workshop will be held in connection with our annual our annual winter solstice reading! Sign up for Glowing in The Dark and stay for Candle Painting with Shaun! Glowing in The Dark is hosted by Hari Alluri and Seema Reza, featuring readings from writers whose work sustains us, helps us to balance the light and darkness in both bright and difficult times. Featuring readings by Jay Anderson Anne Barlieb Aaron Caycedo-Kimura Diana Colón Teri Ellen Cross Davis LaQuantae Maya Marshall Diana Osborn Rick Writes and more! Please bring a candle to light with us and stay after the reading for our Visual Art Program with Veteran and Artist, Shaun Smith. Bring your medium of choice to learn how to paint a flame. About the hosts: Hari Alluri (he/him/siya) is author of The Flayed City (Kaya Press) and chapbooks The Promise of Rust (Mouthfeel Press) and Our Echo of Sudden Mercy (Next Page Press). He is co-editor of We Were Not Alone (Community Building Art Works) and co-founding editor at Locked Horn Press. Recipient of the Vera Manuel Prize for Poetry, siya has received grants, fellowships, and residencies from the BC Arts Council, Canada Council […]

Event Series Online Creative Writing Workshops for Everyone

Your Writing Out Loud: An Online Creative Writing Workshop with author Rosamond S. King in Partnership with Strathmore

Zoom Virtual Event

Creative writing is a tool for knowing yourself, understanding the world, and connecting with other people. Led by author Seema Reza and accomplished guest writers—including poets, memoirists, novelists, and storytellers—these generative community workshops follow the model developed by Community Building Art Works (CBAW) over the course of a decade of bringing people together in military and hospital settings. Each workshop is designed to help participants put their personal stories on paper in a supportive environment. Whether you’re just starting out or have been writing for years, you are welcome; no experience is required. Bring a pen, a notebook, and an open mind! Your Writing Out Loud with author Rosamond S. King (in partnership with Strathmore) About This Workshop Mary Oliver stunned with a calm, clear voice; Gwendolyn Brooks emphasized rhythm; Jayne Cortez didn’t always read a poem the same way. This relaxed workshop for people new to or nervous about reading out loud will guide writers through recognizing and developing their own reading style. We’ll learn vocal exercises and explore modulation, breath, and pacing. There will be some writing, but please bring a poem of 10-20 lines or 200-400 words of prose to work with – and be ready to […]

Event Series Online Creative Writing Workshops for Everyone

Creative Writing Workshop with Seema Reza

Zoom Virtual Event

No experience required! If you can think, you can write. In this creative writing workshop, we'll consider writing as a tool for communication, expression, and relief from holding it all together. Join us. Seema Reza is the author of the books A Constellation of Half-Lives and When the World Breaks Open. She is the CEO of Community Building Art Works, a non-profit organization that brings workshops led by professional artists to service members, veterans, and clinicians. An alumnus of Goddard College and VONA, Reza has taught poetry in classrooms, jails, hospitals, and universities. She was a 2019 Stand-to Veteran Leadership Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute and the 2023 Pauli Murray Art for Racial Justice Fellow at the Antiracism Research and Policy Center at American University. Reza’s writing has been widely anthologized and has appeared in the Washington Post, McSweeney’s, The LA Review, LitHub, and Electric Literature among others. REGISTER HERE MissionBelonging is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Event Series Online Creative Writing Workshops for Everyone

Creative Writing Workshop with Kevin Basl in Partnership with Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Easterseals & The Up Center

Zoom Virtual Event

Join us for a generative creative writing workshop where we use the written and spoken word to find healing and self-discovery together in a welcoming, safe community. Open to all voices. No experience necessary. Kevin Basl is a writer and musician living near Ithaca, New York. He was a mobile radar operator in the U.S. Army. Over the past decade, he has taught many writing and art-marking workshops for service members, veterans, and their communities. He’s author of Midnight Cargo: Stories and Poems (Illuminated Press), and he’s co-author of a chapbook of poems: Corn, Coal & Yellow Ribbons (Out of Step Press). REGISTER HERE MissionBelonging is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Event Series Online Visual Art Workshops for Everyone

Open Art Studio – An Online Visual Art Workshop with Veteran Artist Joe Merritt

Zoom Virtual Event

Come hang out in a collaborative group setting and bring anything you want to work on, in any medium. Often times we view art making as a singular experience, communicating through visual expression often starts at the planning and early stages. In this workshop we will be nurturing this practice. Suggested Supplies: Anything you want to use to make marks, sculpt, build, or create. It is entirely up to you. Joe Merritt was medically retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2016 after 10 years of honorable service. Joe rediscovered art during his medical treatment and has a successful career as a professional artist, exhibiting his work and presenting gallery talks across the country. He is a steward of the veteran art community, leading art programming with active duty and veteran populations in DC, MD and VA. About CBAW Visual Arts Workshops Join Veterans and Artists, Valerie Acosta, Shaun Smith, Joe Merritt, or a special guest to learn new art techniques on Wednesdays at 7pm EST. Come hang out in a collaborative group setting and bring what materials you have. No experience necessary! To register, click the link below. REGISTER HERE MissionBelonging is funded in part by Creative Forces®: […]

Event Series Online Creative Writing Workshops for Everyone

Creative Writing Workshop with Seema Reza

Zoom Virtual Event

No experience required! If you can think, you can write. In this creative writing workshop, we'll consider writing as a tool for communication, expression, and relief from holding it all together. Join us. Seema Reza is the author of the books A Constellation of Half-Lives and When the World Breaks Open. She is the CEO of Community Building Art Works, a non-profit organization that brings workshops led by professional artists to service members, veterans, and clinicians. An alumnus of Goddard College and VONA, Reza has taught poetry in classrooms, jails, hospitals, and universities. She was a 2019 Stand-to Veteran Leadership Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute and the 2023 Pauli Murray Art for Racial Justice Fellow at the Antiracism Research and Policy Center at American University. Reza’s writing has been widely anthologized and has appeared in the Washington Post, McSweeney’s, The LA Review, LitHub, and Electric Literature among others. REGISTER HERE MissionBelonging is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance.

2025 Vision Boards — An Online Visual Art Workshop with Veteran Artist Valerie Acosta

Zoom Virtual Event

This week Valerie will be working on personal Vision Boards for the New Year. This will be a good way to set some intentions for the year and to have a visual reminder along with some inspiration to accomplish our goals. It can be as detailed or as general as you’d like. You can also use any materials available to you. Suggested Supplies: Markers/Colored Pencils/Paint/Pens Surface for Vision board (Poster board, card-stock, canvas, cardboard, wood, journals) Collage Materials (scrapbooking paper, magazine clippings, photos, inspirational words, stamps, stickers, etc) Adhesive (glue, tape, washi tape) Rulers 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. About CBAW Visual Arts Workshops Join Veterans and Artists, Valerie Acosta, Shaun Smith, Joe Merritt, or a special guest to learn new art techniques on Wednesdays at 7pm EST. Come […]

Creative Writing Workshop with Seema Reza

Zoom Virtual Event

No experience required! If you can think, you can write. In this creative writing workshop, we'll consider writing as a tool for communication, expression, and relief from holding it all together. Join us. Seema Reza is the author of the books A Constellation of Half-Lives and When the World Breaks Open. She is the CEO of Community Building Art Works, a non-profit organization that brings workshops led by professional artists to service members, veterans, and clinicians. An alumnus of Goddard College and VONA, Reza has taught poetry in classrooms, jails, hospitals, and universities. She was a 2019 Stand-to Veteran Leadership Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute and the 2023 Pauli Murray Art for Racial Justice Fellow at the Antiracism Research and Policy Center at American University. Reza’s writing has been widely anthologized and has appeared in the Washington Post, McSweeney’s, The LA Review, LitHub, and Electric Literature among others. REGISTER HERE MissionBelonging is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Event Series Online Music Workshops for Everyone

Intro to Music – An Online Music Workshop with Wytold

Zoom Virtual Event

Now a monthly MissionBelonging Program! Used to play an instrument but it's been a long time? Always wanted to try to learn an instrument or write a song, but not sure where to start? Join cellist and composer Wytold on the first Monday of each month and get started! Instruments are welcome but not required. Wytold (aka William Wytold Lebing) is a six-string cellist and composer from Washington DC whose original music is featured in film, theater and dance productions. Learn more at wytoldmusic.com and listen to "Wytold" on Spotify and Apple Music. @wytold | @wytoldmusic REGISTER HERE MissionBelonging is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Online Visual Art Workshop with Special Guest Facilitator TBA

Zoom Virtual Event

Details of this workshop are forthcoming. Please check back soon. Suggested Supplies: TBA Special Guest to be announced. About CBAW Visual Arts Workshops Join Veterans and Artists, Valerie Acosta, Shaun Smith, Joe Merritt, or a special guest to learn new art techniques on Wednesdays at 7pm EST. Come hang out in a collaborative group setting and bring what materials you have. No experience necessary! To register, click the link below. REGISTER HERE MissionBelonging is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Sketching Faces — An Online Visual Art Workshop with National Museum of Health and Medicine’s Elizabeth Lockett

Zoom Virtual Event

Explore the anatomy and features of the face using pencil and paper. We will use some basic drawing techniques and some basic anatomy to learn how the muscle and bone under the skin inform what we see on the surface. Paper and any drawing tool you are comfortable with are all that is required. Pencils, ink pens, or things like charcoal or graphite sticks. Suggested Supplies: Paper Pencils Ink Pens Charcoal Graphite Sticks Anything you enjoy drawing with will work! Elizabeth Lockett is a scientific illustrator and Collection Manager for the National Museum of Health and Medicine. The National Museum of Health and Medicine was established during the Civil War as the Army Medical Museum, a center for the collection of specimens and artifacts for research related to trauma and pathology. The museum's mission to preserve and explore the impact of military medicine spans more than 150 years and includes each major U.S. armed conflict. However, military medicine does not exist in a vacuum, and it is the museum's vision to preserve, inspire, and inform the history, research, and advancement of military as well as civilian medicine through world-class collections, digital technology, and public engagement. Visit the museum to learn […]