Van Gogh for Veterans: Lighthouse ArtSpace Nashville Partners with CreatiVets
CreatiVets Richard Casper addresses the veterans, celebrities, and patrons at Immersive Van Gogh on site for the partnership announcement on June 14. Credit: Risa T Photography
Attendees are surrounded by Van Gogh's famous Sunflower painting.
Audience member attending the exhibit.
“As a veteran myself, it is an honor to work with an organization placing our veterans’ needs at the forefront,” stated Steven Tropia, General Manager at Lighthouse ArtSpace Nashville. “We are grateful to be able to do our part in supporting our veterans as they discover the comfort and healing power of art.”
Since its inception, CreatiVets has assisted veterans in 49 states. They continue to provide an abundance of resources to veterans and their families focusing on stress and trauma therapies to prevent depression, substance abuse and suicide.
“I feel honored to have a partnership with Lighthouse ArtSpace Nashville and their global growing brand name. Our goal is to reach veterans who have never considered art as a healing option and teach them that it is not only ok to do art, but that it could be lifesaving. Lighthouse is making art cool again and attracting non artist veterans to art spaces,” says Richard Casper, Co-Founder & Executive Director of CreatiVets.
For more information on CreatiVets initiatives, visit creativets.org.
About CreatiVets:
CreatiVets offers opportunities for relief and healing to service people who have sacrificed so much for our country. Our purpose is to use various forms of art, including songwriting, visual arts, music, and creative writing. Disabled veterans are aided with service-related trauma (i.e., post-traumatic stress, or PTS) by fostering self-expression transforming their stories of trauma and struggle into an inspiring art form that can motivate continued healing. Through compassion, we are helping veterans live again.
According to the Department of Defense, one in five veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are diagnosed with PTS (over 300,000 veterans since the end of 2012). The social and economic costs of PTS are immense. Military Times reported in 2015 that the veteran suicide rate in the United States is 20 suicides per day and only 6 in 20 seek help from the VA. Veterans now account for 20% of total U.S. suicides.
In modeling the CreatiVets programming, sessions are structured for participating veterans to express their thoughts and feelings without having to verbalize or directly confront the trauma. Our artistic outlets focus on creating a safe, non-threatening environment providing an expressive medium.
Featuring animations of 40 of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, Immersive Van Gogh was designed by creative director and Italian film producer Massimiliano Siccardi, with original, mood-setting music by Italian multimedia composer Luca Longobardi, who provided a score combining experimental electronic music with pure, ethereal and sparse piano. Vittorio Guidotti is the Art Director. With 67 projectors illuminating over 15,000 square-feet, visitors to Immersive Van Gogh are encircled from head-to-toe in Van Gogh’s brushstrokes and colors, including animated details from works: Self Portrait with Felt Hat (1888), The Bedroom in Arles (1889), Irises (1889) and The Starry Night (1889).
Nashville Rave Reviews:
“The perfect addition to your summer to-do list.” – Nashville Lifestyles
“Vibrant, emotional” – WZTV-TV (FOX)
“This has been the buzz around the country, and we are so excited to have it here in Nashville.” – Carole Sullivan, Today in Nashville, WSMV-TV (NBC)
“Become inspired as the art forms and gets created all around you.” – Mix 92.9 WJXA-FM
“Visitors are immersed in Van Gogh’s works --- from his sunny landscapes and night scenes to his portraits and still life paintings.” – Main Street Nashville
“A new spin on taking in Vincent Van Gogh’s artwork.” – Tosin Fakile, WSMV-TV (NBC)
“Finally, see the world as Vincent Van Gogh painted it. It is worth it! It’s worth the wait. It’s worth the cost!” - Tracy Kornet, WSMV-TV (NBC)
“Art like you’ve never seen it before.” – Talk of the Town, WTVF-TV (CBS)
“You’ll want to ‘Gogh’ to this exhibit.” – Nashville Parent
“A visually spectacular digital art exhibition.” – Nashville Music Guide
“Have your mind blown at the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit.” - Thrillist
Ticket prices for Immersive Van Gogh start at $39.99 ($24.99 for children 16 or younger), with timed and flexible ticket options available, through October 10. The venue is easily accessible by public transportation and has ample parking in the nearby parking garage. For more information about Immersive Van Gogh, visit www.nashvillevangogh.com. Follow the exhibition on social media at @vangoghnvl on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Lighthouse Immersive
Lighthouse Immersive creates, produces and distributes innovative digital immersive art experiences through its experiential entertainment multiplex digital art galleries. The company cultivates community and creativity through large-scale events and exhibitions of all art forms. Lighthouse Immersive offers versatile spaces for creators to present their work, engaging audiences in unique art experiences which encourage dialogue and inspire new artistic creations. Lighthouse Immersive has produced the world premiere of Immersive Van Gogh, Immersive Frida Kahlo and Immersive Klimt: Revolution to more than 21 North American cities. Recognized as the leader in immersive art experiences, Lighthouse Immersive custom-designs each of their venues, named Lighthouse ArtSpace, to distinctly envelop the various architectural settings they inhabit, operating galleries in a range of historic venues including refurbished industrial and retail spaces.
Since 2021, the company has opened or is opening 21 new galleries in North American cities including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Boston and Denver, and is currently expanding into additional markets. To date, Lighthouse Immersive has sold over 5 million tickets to Immersive Van Gogh across North America, with Artnet calling it “one of the largest coordinated art phenomena of all time.”
Mark Logsdon
PLA Media
+1 615-327-0100
Mark.Logsdon@plamedia.com
