Commission hears veterans-serving arts groups ask for outreach, simple metrics and a small pilot

The Surprise Arts & Culture Advisory Commission on Feb. 4 convened a roundtable with local veterans-serving arts organizations to map existing programs, surface barriers to participation and consider modest city support to expand veteran engagement.

The meeting, opened by the commission chair, brought representatives from WHAM, the West Valley Arts Council, and a Surprise-based veterans theater nonprofit to describe year-round classes, exhibits and productions aimed at veterans. Connie, representing WHAM, described an 11–12 year program that offers three classes a month, a dedicated wall for veteran artwork and regional outreach across Surprise, Peoria, Goodyear and Avondale. "We started out with a very small group...we bring them together under the roof, and through art to give them a place to connect," Connie said.

Michael (last name not specified), founder of a veterans-focused theater nonprofit and an Arizona State University instructor, said theater helped him and others cope with military-related trauma. "We're fighting the stigma of mental health," Michael said, outlining plans for an August season opener at Arts HQ and a plan to run monthly productions to sustain engagement and fundraising.

Marty, an instructor affiliated with WHAM, described hands-on classes — painting, wood-burning, clay and glasswork — and how sustained practice over months produced measurable artistic improvement and social connection for participants.

Speakers described the biggest barriers as timing conflicts with active-duty schedules, transportation limits, illness and limited trust among the hardest-to-reach veterans. The group identified practical outreach channels: word-of-mouth, flyers at senior centers and commissaries, VA social workers and partner referrals from veterans' commissions and service organizations.

Commission staff asked whether organizations track outcomes. Responses varied: some groups collect attendance, branch of service and basic demographic information; others do not track veteran status at all. Commissioners urged simple shared metrics — attendance, exhibit participation and short qualitative feedback — that local groups could reasonably collect and share with the city.

Staff framed the commission's potential role as advocacy and modest logistical support. The group discussed launching a small, time-limited pilot to increase veteran participation in the arts within six to nine months; Chair (S2) repeatedly referred to the proposal as a "worm pilot" while discussing the concept. No formal funding vote was taken at the meeting; staff said they would follow up with participants about next steps and potential collaboration on the July 3 event.

The meeting also surfaced concrete local figures and capacities cited by presenters: WHAM runs three veteran classes monthly and has run a veterans program for more than a decade; commission materials referenced about 600 attendees at the Roots of Creation festival and participants cited regional veteran populations when planning outreach.

Next steps noted at the close included staff follow-up on the July 3 event, adding "veterans/military" filters to the city's digital events platform, and exploring ways to share referral contacts and marketing resources across local arts organizations. The commission did not adopt new policy or appropriate funds during the session.