At Piece by Piece, we believe art is a powerful path to healing, connection, and renewed purpose. Through our veterans program, we are honored to partner with men and women who have served our country, creating opportunities to explore creativity while building community with fellow veterans and artists.
Thanks to a generous grant from Creative Forces, Piece by Piece offers free mosaic art classes for veterans, held weekly at the West Los Angeles VA Heroes Golf Course. These classes provide a welcoming, low-pressure environment where veterans can learn mosaic techniques, express their stories through art, and experience the therapeutic benefits of a consistent creative practice.
For many participants, the classes become much more than an opportunity to make art. They offer camaraderie, routine, and a supportive community where veterans can reconnect with others who share similar experiences. Many arrive unsure of their artistic abilities; over time, they develop confidence, skill, and pride in their work. As one veteran shared, the program helped them rebuild their self-esteem and begin to rediscover themselves.
Veterans are also invited into Piece by Piece’s weekly mosaic classes in South Los Angeles, where they work alongside a diverse group of community artists. In this shared studio, veterans connect not only with fellow service members but also with artists from many different backgrounds who share a commitment to creative expression and mutual support.
The impact of these classes extends beyond the studio walls. Veterans in the program recently contributed to a major public artwork commissioned by Metro Art for the new VA Metro station. Working alongside Piece by Piece instructors and partners such as Village for Vets, veterans helped fabricate a legacy mosaic mural that honors military service and ensures veterans are visibly represented in their own community’s built environment.
Participant artists and veterans contributed to both the design and fabrication of the mural, bringing personal insight, symbolism, and pride to the project. For many, being part of such a significant public artwork was deeply meaningful. One veteran described the honor of working on the largest project they had ever participated in; another reflected on how seeing symbols representing military service within the mosaic made the experience especially powerful.
The pride veterans felt in contributing to a permanent artwork that will be seen by thousands of visitors and commuters each day was unmistakable. The mural stands as a lasting tribute to their service, their creativity, and the voices of veterans who helped bring it to life, piece by piece.
Together, the weekly classes and collaborative public art projects represent a holistic, community-centered approach to supporting veterans through creativity. By offering dedicated classes at the West LA VA, welcoming veterans into the broader South Los Angeles studio community, and providing opportunities to contribute to meaningful public art, Piece by Piece creates pathways for healing, expression, income-generating skills, and lasting impact.
At the heart of the program is a simple but powerful idea: when veterans are given space to create, connect, and share their stories, art becomes more than a creative outlet. It becomes a bridge to community, confidence, and new opportunities, both personal and professional.
Piece by Piece is proud to honor and support veterans through this work, building community and creating beauty, one mosaic at a time.
