The Copyright Alliance publishes Creator Spotlight featuring USVAA founder and Executive Director Keith Jeffreys
The Copyright Alliance featured USVAA founder and Executive Director Keith Jeffreys for the “Creator Spotlight” regular feature on their blog for the week of November 10th, 2020.
The Copyright Alliance represents the interests of authors, photographers, performers, artists, software developers, musicians, journalists, directors, songwriters, game designers and many other individual creators. The Copyright Alliance also represents the interests of book publishers, motion picture studios, software companies, music publishers, sound recording companies, sports leagues, broadcasters, guilds, unions, newspaper and magazine publishers, and many more organizations.
CLICK HERE to read the article.
USVAA IS PLEASED TO SUPPORT THE NEWFILMMAKERS LA LOS ANGELES VIDEO PROJECT: ON LOCATION
As an official NewFilmmakers LA Community Partner, USVAA is excited to announce NFMLA’s On Location Short Film Call for Submissions.
Please visit NFMLA for more information about On Location.
THE ROAD TO MOTHER – A Film Release Benefiting USVAA
In keeping with our mission and vision as veterans regarding the ability of art to shape our understanding of the world around us, USVAA is excited to announce the May 24th, Memorial Day weekend release of the award-winning feature film THE ROAD TO MOTHER.
The movie’s release by the film’s North American distributor World Wide Motion Picture Corporation is a collaboration based in part on our shared understanding of cinema’s powerful ability to convey the sweep of extraordinary historical events.
THE ROAD TO MOTHER does this exceptionally well and a portion of the box office proceeds will benefit USVAA and other veteran organizations throughout the US. Please check your local listings and be sure to go see the film opening weekend.
For more information about THE ROAD TO MOTHER and WWMPC please go here:
V*E*T*S @ SONY PICTURES 6TH ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY REMEMBRANCE
Sunday, May 26th, 9am.
The Los Angeles National Cemetery
950 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024
VETS @ Sony Pictures along with USVAA invites you to honor our on a day of remembrance and support. Along with members of the community, we will be walking through the cemetery placing carnations on the graves and remembering what these men and women have sacrificed.
Representatives from U.S. Vets, LA Army Recruit Battalion, 369th Air Force Recruiting Squadron, Disney, ABC, CBS, NBC, Lionsgate, Warner Bros., and Fox will be joining as well.
USVAA welcomes our 2019 colleagues
One of the most enjoyable parts of our mission is meeting artists who served in the military and we are extraordinarily honored when they choose to join our growing circle of colleagues.
For our 2019 update, we are excited to welcome 27 veterans and arts professionals currently working in the creative economy around the country. Each of them joins us as we continue our mission to support and highlight the quality of their work in the arts and humanities and the history of those who have done so since the Revolutionary War.
Amylynn Burns
David Carpenter
Jason Deckman
Izzy Ezagui
Christian Gabriel
James W. Hawke
Cynthia Hernandez
Cinthia Hines
Sydney Hoffner
David Joyner
Satinder Kaur
Monty Little
David Lee McGee
Elliott McKenzie
Steve Miska
Fabian Ospina
Kadyn Michaels
Robert Morgalo
Fabian Ospina
Ryan Roa
Ken Scar
Michael Shusko
Jesse Schwartz
Matthew Streeter
Sidney Tuggerston, Jr.
Image Credit: Going Sailing, oil on canvas by Fabian Ospina (USMC)
USVAA is honored to provide support for the California Center for the Book Community Conversations with Veterans Program
Community Conversations with Veterans Toolkit & Book List: Input Welcome
Current & Future Programming / Partnership Opportunities
More Information and Contact
Email: jrobbins@calbook.org
In keeping with our unique mission to highlight the talent level of our colleagues working in all artistic disciplines across the country, USVAA partnered colleagues Jamie Peterson and Trevor Denham with Victorinox Swiss Army Knife North American and the Wounded Warrior Project to translate the experiences of Warriors, Donna Pratt and Jeffrey Adams on a pioneering artistic endeavor called the 2018 Wounded Warrior Project Special Edition Swiss Army Knives.
Both Donna and Jeffrey worked with Jamie and Trevor to articulate themes of perseverance into their knife designs utilizing the mottoes of “Keep Moving Forward,” and “Make Life Adapt To You.”
USVAA is honored to have this opportunity to work with Victorinox and the Wounded Warrior Project to bring these stories to life on iconic Swiss Army Knives, and humbled by the opportunity to support the Donna, Jeffrey and the Wounded Warrior Project.
For more information about the project, please follow the following links.
Swissarmy.com activities:
https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en
https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en/Wounded-Warrior-Collection/cms/wounded-warrior
Victorinox Wounded Warrior promotional video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmMNA_stvJI
Jamie and Donna speak about their experience with this project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UKSySSBPDI
Trevor and Jeffrey speak about participating in this project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIzPOiuUwkA&t=1s
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqZqjZCBS4B/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/victorinoxswissarmy/
Thank you as always for your continued support.
We are extraordinarily proud to announce that the City of Los Angeles has officially recognized November 1st 2018 as Veterans In The Arts and Humanities Day.
USVAA would like to thank the Los Angeles City Council for the honor and Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin and his staff for spearheading the effort on behalf of our colleagues and all veterans.
The initiative to recognize November 1st as Veterans in the Arts and Humanities Day is part of USVAA’s overall effort to raise awareness of the contributions of all veterans to building America and to highlight the contributions veterans engaged in the arts and humanities have made to our shared culture in the United States and throughout the world since the Revolutionary War.
The recognition in 2018 is especially meaningful as it coincides with the centennial observance of Veterans Day and the end of WWI on November 11th, 1918.
Thank you to everyone for your support of this important USVAA initiative, our programs and our mission to serve veterans each and every day of the year.
We would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to our New Works Presentation 2018 at The Actors’ Gang, Monday, November 12th in honor of the centennial observance of Veterans Day. Please see all of the information for the event below.
In keeping with our unique mission to highlight the talent level of our colleagues working in all artistic disciplines across the country, USVAA partnered colleagues Jamie Peterson and Trevor Denham with Victorinox Swiss Army Knife North American and the Wounded Warrior Project to translate the experiences of Warriors, Donna Pratt and Jeffrey Adams on a pioneering artistic endeavor called the 2018 Wounded Warrior Project Special Edition Swiss Army Knives.
Both Donna and Jeffrey worked with Jamie and Trevor to articulate themes of perseverance into their knife designs utilizing the mottoes of “Keep Moving Forward,” and “Make Life Adapt To You.”
USVAA is honored to have this opportunity to work with Victorinox and the Wounded Warrior Project to bring these stories to life on iconic Swiss Army Knives, and humbled by the opportunity to support the Donna, Jeffrey and the Wounded Warrior Project.
For more information about the project, please follow the following links.
Swissarmy.com activities:
https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en
https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en/Wounded-Warrior-Collection/cms/wounded-warrior
Victorinox Wounded Warrior promotional video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmMNA_stvJI
Jamie and Donna speak about their experience with this project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UKSySSBPDI
Trevor and Jeffrey speak about participating in this project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIzPOiuUwkA&t=1s
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqZqjZCBS4B/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/victorinoxswissarmy/
Thank you as always for your continued support.
Billboard Magazine featured Outlaw Country Music star and USVAA Colleague Gethen Jenkins in an article last week about his career and his latest single as he continues to move forward with his amazing career. The single, “Bottle In My Hand” is signature Gethen Jenkins — a masterful combination of adroitly humorous lyrics, his amazing voice, perfectly honed guitar riffs and expert musicianship from each member of his band.
“Gethen Jenkins began writing songs as a teenager but put his passion for music aside when he joined the Marine Corps at 18. After serving eight years in Iraq and Afghanistan, he returned to the States and decided to pursue music full-time,” writes Billboard’s Annie Reuter.”
“I made a promise to myself when I went overseas with a bunch of people from my platoon,” the 6’5″ singer tells Billboard, settling into a leather couch at Sputnik Studios in Nashville where he’s putting the finishing touches on his debut album. “We were over there, and we promised that we were gonna give music a shot when we got back, me and my buddy Jesse. So we did. We came back, and we started the band.”
You can watch the video and download and stream the music here: https://red.lnk.to/BIMH
For more information, read the BILLBOARD ARTICLE.
The USVAA Veterans Writing Program New Works Presentation 2018 at The Actors’ Gang in Culver City — held this year in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Veterans Day and Armistice Day.
This year’s exciting New Works Presentation 2018 line-up included seven extraordinary scenes selected by our Writers Guild mentors from novels, screenplays, pilots and plays written by our workshop participants.
The presentation featured scenes from new works by the following military veterans:
Katie Robinson
Sati Kaur
Cynthia Hines
Rick McGovern
Kadyn Michaels
Izzy Ezagui
Steve Miska
Individual scenes were directed by the writers and mentors including Sati Kaur, Kadyn Michaels, Sam Wolfson and David Fofi with Melissa Ritz directing the show.
The presentation was followed by a talkback led by Melissa Ritz with the writers and mentors Writers Guild mentors Timothy Wurtz and Sam Wolfson.
Special Thanks to The Writers Guild of America, The Culver Studios and New Filmmakers LA for their ongoing support.
Last year’s program was featured in this excellent KPCC Southern California Public Radio ARTICLE.
Norman Lear Promotes ‘Veterans Make Movies’ Program at LACMA
This is Hollywood Reporter coverage of ‘Veterans Make Movies’, an eight-week workshop program that LACMA created in the spring of 2016 in conjunction with the Los Angeles Public Library and Institute for Museum and Library Services, and participation by the USVAA.
Please follow this link to read the article HERE
Interview: John DiFusco and Keith Jeffreys of USVAA
This is a 2013 interview with USVAA’s Keith Jeffreys and John DiFusco by the Los Angeles Post, covering a number of USVAA’s programs, projects and initiatives happening at the time.
Please follow this link to read the article HERE
Enhancing tradition, celebrating Hispanic veterans
This is RADIO.COM coverage of the Los Angeles County Military and Veterans Affairs Hispanic Heritage Month Veterans Recognition on September 14th, 2018 that USVAA participated in, featuring the artwork of Roberto Carlos Zea and remarks by our Executive Director Keith Jeffreys.
Please follow this link to read the article HERE
Rosendahl: ‘There Shouldn’t be a Single Homeless Veteran’
This is the Venice-Mar Vista Patch coverage of our Veterans Vox 365 event on November 3rd 2011 at City Hall. At the time, Councilman Rosendahl remarked: “If you’re a vet and homeless come to me and we’ll get you set up [with permanent housing],” he said. ” There shouldn’t be a single homeless veteran… Anybody who wore [a U.S. service] uniform should be given support.”
Please follow this link to read the article HERE
VoyageLA : Meet Christopher Sweeney
VoyageLA has published an interview with our colleague Christopher Sweeney as part of their Inspiring Stories West LA collection. In their words, their goal it to help hard-working, inspiring people tell their stories authentically and in their own words.
Please follow this link to read the article HERE
USVAA article in VoyageLA
VoyageLA has published an article about USVAA as part of their Inspiring Stories West LA collection.
Please follow this link to read the article HERE
Dear USVAA friends and supporters and everyone who appreciates a quality t-shirt,
This Field & Stream tee shirt sold by Dick’s Sporting Goods features a design by one of our colleagues, artist and U.S. Marine, Trevor Denham. A portion of the proceeds benefits the USVAA. Please consider purchasing one (or many!). Thank you. Please click on the image to visit the Dick’s Sporting Goods online store.
My First Episode: A Conversation with Jalysa Conway and Kevin McKidd
Wednesday, February 7th
For a TV writer, there’s nothing more exciting than writing your first episode and seeing it air on television. Or, in the case of this special event, in front of a live audience of fellow writers.
Co-hosted by the Writers Guild Foundation and United States Veterans’ Artists Alliance, Grey’s Anatomy staff writer and WGF Veterans Writing Project alumnus Jalysa Conway screened her Season 14 episode and shared her process for crafting it with one of the show’s stars and a central character in the episode, Kevin McKidd. With part of the episode set in 2007 Baghdad during the Iraq War, Jalysa’s own military experience informed the story, and McKidd related how he brought the words to life.
Thank you Kevin McKidd and The Writers Guild Foundation for making this great event such a success.
USVAA Colleague Featured in Department of Defense annual FUTURES magazine
Congratulations to USVAA Colleague Corban Cold Lundborg for being selected to represent the Air Force Reserve in this years Department Of Defense annual Futures Magazine! He shared his story on how his military experiences led into a life in art.
To visit his website please follow THIS LINK
You can also visit his page on our website HERE
Christopher Sweeney (right) as Langford in Sky Pig at the U.S. Veterans’ Artists Alliance’s New Works Presentation. STEPHEN R. FISCH/USVAA
Helping veterans pursue their Hollywood dreams
A big thank you to Libby Denkmann @libdenk and @kpcc for putting this great article and segment together about the USVAA New Works in honor of Veterans Day 2017. It’s a great piece about an extraordinary show that featured writers Sylvia Ankenman Bowersox, Sydney Hoffner and Andy Wellens, along with USVAA/WGF mentor Timothy Wurtz. Congratulations are in order to each of them for an amazing show, along with everyone who participated including Sam Wolfson who famously thought up the show, writers Sam Ameen, Missy Lee/Melissa Ritz and Brian Hanson.
Also, a huge thank you to the directors, Aimee Morgan, David Fofi, and Carolyn Allport. Congratulations to all of the amazing cast members who made the show possible, including Monique Edwards, Lorna Duyn, Kim Estes, Christopher Sweeney, James James Edward Bane, Gary Cole, Stoney Westmoreland, Stephanie Maura Sanchez, Mark Valley and so many others.
Another round of thank yous to the phenomenal USVAA staff, Anita J. Lee, Parisa Morid, Emil Petrinic and Stephen Fisch. The show wouldn’t have been possible without your professionalism every step of the way. Last but not least a huge thank you to everyone at Sony, including Ruben Carlos Rocha with the EBRG, The Actors’ Gang’s Cihan Sahin, and Christopher Kartje and everyone at The Writers Guild Foundation.
Please click the photo above or follow THIS LINK for the full article.
Phi Beta Kappa Arts & Sciences City of Distinction Award
Phi Beta Kappa recognized the City of Los Angeles as an Arts & Sciences City of Distinction on October 17, 2017. The Society recognized the innovative efforts of the Department of Cultural Affairs, led by Danielle Brazell, which promotes arts and culture as a way to ignite powerful dialogue, engage residents and visitors, and ensure that LA’s varied cultures are recognized, acknowledged, and experienced. The USVAA was one of the four exemplary local organizations the Society recognized. You can find more information HERE.
USVAA and Phi Beta Kappa representatives at the Phi Beta Kappa Arts & Sciences City of Distinction awards, October 17, 2017. Photo by Kyle Espeleta.
Moderated by our Colleague Christopher Sweeney and our Executive Director, Keith Jeffreys.
Christopher Sweeney was our Featured Colleague for June 2017 – read our interview with him HERE.
Field & Stream® Introduces Trevor Denham-Designed T-Shirt, The First of a Series in Support of USVAA
USVAA is extraordinarily proud to announce that Field & Stream, a specialty outdoor retailer and product brand owned and operated by DICK’S Sporting Goods, has introduced a series of t-shirts that display artwork designed by talented veterans starting with Trevor Denham (USMC). To further support veterans, and the passion and pride they exemplify for our country, Field & Stream will be donating 5% of the proceeds of the sale of the shirts directly to USVAA in support of our mission.
Above is one of the four designs currently on sale at more than 25 Field & Stream stores across the country and FieldandStreamShop.com
On behalf of everyone at USVAA we would like to thank the entire Field & Stream team for creating this opportunity for our colleagues. We look forward to introducing more veteran designed T-Shirts highlighting the importance of outdoor activities and the talent level of veterans working in the creative economy.
USVAA FEATURED ON PBS’ LAART PROGRAM
From honoring contributions, to supporting artistic endeavors to advocating for the concerns of our veterans and their families the United States Veterans Artists Alliance takes a creative approach to working with those who have given so much.
Dan Lauria Joins Annette Bening in IF ALL THE SKY WERE PAPER at the Douglas
Lexikat Artists, in association with Chapman University, presents Annette Bening, Dan Lauria and Ken Jenkins (replacing the previously announced James Caan) along with a cast including Kate Mansi (2017 Daytime Emmy winner), in a one-night only performance of the play IF ALL THE SKY WERE PAPER, on Wednesday, June 7 at 7:30pm at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, CA.
The play is a moving, dramatic reading of real wartime letters by soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen, as well as their family members at home.
If All the Sky Were Paper is a powerful, humorous and unforgettable play about one man’s search around the world for the “most extraordinary letters ever written,” and is based entirely on real life war letters-letters written by soldiers and their loved ones during wars from the American Revolutionary War to present emails from Afghanistan.
Please click HERE to read more at Broadway World.
Please click HERE to watch the clip.
Performing Arts Live Coverage of Shakespeare & Vets 2010 Production of Othello
The newly formed Shakespeare & Veterans announces its summer outdoor Shakespeare production: Othello, the most intimate of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Othello will premiere on the famous Band shell of West Los Angeles (11338 Santa Monica Blvd.) on July 10th through August 8th. Band shell performances are Saturday and Sunday evenings at 6 p.m. and admission is free. We suggest patrons bring a blanket
Othello is Shakespeare’s masterful work incorporating elements of jealousy, intrigue, betrayal, love, power, and love of power, set against the rivalry of 16th century Islamic and Christian empires.
Sir Richard Eyre says of the play Othello:
“Shakespeare suggests that the threat to Christian civility comes not from an alien power but from the enemy within.”
In the past three years, the company has performed for over one thousand people in the Los Angeles area. Productions of Coriolanus, Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream attracted critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences.
To continue reading CLICK HERE.