AGENCY TESTIMONY
Curtis Dorval's Testimony on the Importance of Arts and Culture for Veterans
0:25:10
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3 min
Curtis Dorval, Digital Communications Manager for NYC Department of Veterans Services, testifies about the importance of arts and culture in fostering community and healing for veterans. He shares his experience at the Journeys Onward Military Veterans Experiences exhibition and emphasizes the power of artistic expression in creating spaces for veterans to share their narratives and experiences.
- Dorval highlights quotes from artists and thinkers to frame the discussion on the importance of art
- He describes the Journeys Onward exhibition as a platform for veterans to share experiences and relate to the human experience
- Dorval emphasizes the agency's commitment to supporting such initiatives for the veteran community
Curtis Dorval
0:25:10
Hello, everyone, and thank you for having me.
0:25:12
My name is Curtis Dorval.
0:25:15
I am DBS's digital communications manager.
0:25:17
I am an air force veteran, a father, a husband, as well as a filmmaker, artist, and storyteller.
0:25:25
To help frame the conversation, I would like to offer a few quotes for your consideration.
0:25:32
An artist can show things that other people are terrified of expressing.
0:25:37
That's Louis Bourgeois.
0:25:40
It would be possible to describe everything scientifically, but it would make no sense.
0:25:45
It would be without meaning, as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure.
0:25:51
That's Einstein.
0:25:53
And lastly, life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.
0:26:01
That's Stella Adler.
0:26:04
I have a thesis.
0:26:06
Galleries, shows, performances, and artistic expression create and foster culture and community.
0:26:14
Pretty obvious in my opinion.
0:26:16
In July of 2023, I received an invitation to attend the Journeys Onward Military Veterans Experiences exhibition at the Salmagundi Club.
0:26:26
I mean, technically, the commissioner received that invitation and I was there to promote on social media, but I attended.
0:26:34
After an opening ceremony that included a dance troupe, performance, and a series of profound poetry readings, we were invited to peruse the gallery at our leisure.
0:26:42
In line with the theme of the show, artists and admirers were able to intermingle, discuss, and reflect on the different pieces as well as their own experiences.
0:26:51
If you've been to a gallery opening in NYC, the conversations that occur tend to be very cookie cutter.
0:26:57
Comments like, I like the line work here or such an amazing use of color, or I'm not sure I get it.
0:27:07
From there, it may pivot to intentions or the message or even the method of creation.
0:27:12
Essentially, the artist experienced something, whether personally or tangentially, and that experience motivated them to create.
0:27:24
And it called them to put that effort on display for others to encounter.
0:27:30
That is what I found at Journeys Onward.
0:27:33
A mixture of people from all different walks of life coming together to share time together and relate to the human experience, all spurred on by the artist's courage to create and share.
0:27:46
It is for all these reasons that our agency worked to help produce the most recent Journeys Onward exhibition and will continue to do so moving forward.
0:27:56
Because we understand the power of Journeys Onward, a space for the veteran community to exchange ideas surrounding topics and experiences that can be viewed as controversial and in opposition to our own personal belief system, an inclusive space where our community can grow and have agency over their own narrative, a safe space to nurture and develop the voices of those who volunteered to fight and die in the name of this country.
0:28:22
Thank you very much.
