CHARLESTON, SC (JUNE 30, 2022) - The Charleston International airport (CHS) in partnership with CreatiVets will unveil their temporary premiere exhibit “From War to Words – A visual Voices Portrait Series by Jason Myers” on June 30th at 11 a.m. in the airport’s Central Hall. This exhibit, by award-winning photographer Jason Myers, will be located in the terminals Baggage Claim area through Labor Day and encompass both audio and visual elements.
The 22-piece collection consists of 11 portraits of wounded veterans accompanied by 11 graphic representations of the songs written by the featured veterans. “I’m hoping this portrait project captures the enormous gratitude I have for these patriots and countless others who have served our country,” said Jason Myers, portrait series photographer. CHS will display a condensed version of the exhibit. CreatiVets’ mission is to empower wounded veterans to heal through the arts and music. They have worked with more than 850- veterans from 48 different states who are recovering from visible and non-visible wounds through their art and music programs.
“This is a very special way to express our gratitude and support for our military veterans. The Lowcountry area of Charleston has a very strong military presence and this exhibit reflects our community, our pride, and our history,” said Elliott Summey, Executive Director, and CEO of Charleston International Airport. Singer & Songwriter Tommy Karlas, who co-wrote songs with veterans that are featured in the exhibit, will perform some of the exhibit’s featured songs during the unveiling. The series photographer Jason Meyers will also take part in the ceremony in the airport’s Central Hall.
“I am so excited to have CreatiVets represented in the Charleston International Airport. Whether it’s the veteran that wrote the song through our program or the veteran/military personnel reading these lyrics or listening to the song, music is monumental to their healing and to the way they can communicate their experience to others,” said Richard Casper, CEO, and Co-Founder of CreatiVets. “Individuals that have no military experience will also enjoy hearing these songs as it will help them better understand the veteran/military community. With the strong active duty and veteran population in and around Charleston, it makes so much sense for this photo and lyric series to be here.” Upon the completion of the exhibit at CHS, the display will be donated to Joint Base Charleston to continue to raise awareness and support veterans.
About Charleston International Airport Charleston International Airport (CHS) provides first-class facilities and amenities that embrace the history, culture and beauty of Charleston and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The airport is centrally located in the Charleston, S.C., metropolitan area and provides an exceptional first impression of the Lowcountry for more than 4 million passengers traveling for business and leisure activities. Chartered in 1970 by the State of South Carolina as a special purpose district, the governing body, the Charleston County Aviation Authority, is responsible for managing, operating and developing all public airports in the Charleston County Airport District. That includes CHS as well as general aviation facilities the Charleston Executive Airport (JZI) on Johns Island and the Mount Pleasant Regional Airport (LRO). The runways at CHS are owned by the U.S. Air Force and Joint Base Charleston and are shared by CHS through what is the longest running civilian/military joint-use agreement of its kind with the Department of Defense. Boeing South Carolina, the final assembly for the 787 Dreamliner, sits on approximately 730 acres of land adjacent to CHS. About CreatiVetsCreatiVets’ goal is to offer opportunities for relief and healing for the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country. The purpose is to use various forms of art, including songwriting, visual arts, music, and creative writing, to help disabled veterans cope with service-related trauma (i.e., post-traumatic stress, or PTS) by fostering self-expression in a way that allows them to transform their stories of trauma and struggle into an art form that can inspire and motivate continued healing. Through compassion, CreatiVets is helping veterans live again. Creative art forms like those offered by the CreatiVets’ programs have shown tremendous effectiveness in reducing PTS symptoms, reducing the severity of depression that often accompanies PTS, and improving the quality of life for veterans and their family members. Over the last two decades, researchers and clinicians have found the relief and healing provided by expressive writing, music and art is possible because these forms of expression do not necessitate exposure to the facts of the trauma, and also allow the individual to avoid the stigma of receiving mental health treatment.
About Jason MeyersJason Myers is an award-winning commercial photographer based in Nashville, TN. Although his extensive resume includes his photographs being featured in magazines such as Sports Illustrated and Forbes, Myers describes his work with CreatiVets as “the most important and impactful.” Throughout his storied career, he has photographed cultural icons including Muhammad Ali, President Barrack Obama, and baseball legend Mariano Riviera and worked with prominent brands like Nike and BOSE, but despite these successes, Myers says, “collaborating with patriots who are finding new paths to heal through art and music is the most rewarding work of my career.”
About Tommy KarlasTommy Karlas is a Multi-week No. 1 Hit Professional Singer/Songwriter, ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Nominee, with songs recorded by Blake Shelton, Randy Travis, Montgomery Gentry, and many more. Certified Gold Record with Blake Shelton, “What I Wouldn’t Give,” fastest rising, most downloaded song of Montgomery Gentry’s career, “Roll With Me,” and top 5 Most Played Song of the Year. Since 2001, Tommy has had songs recorded by and co-written with some of country music’s biggest artists such as Blake Shelton, Montgomery Gentry, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Old Dominion, Darius Rucker, and many more... He’s had 6 publishing deals with 9 publishing companies such as Sony/ATV, Big Yellow Dog Music, HoriPro Music, among others. Tommy currently writes for Given Music Publishing.