HERstory | Summer With The Arts

As part of our Summer With The Arts series, this month’s HERstory highlights two women, both featured in the current exhibit created in partnership with UnitingUS. Military Women’s Memorial Collections Manager Amy Poe sits down with Gail Belmont and April Goodwin-Gill. Gail and April discuss how their military service played a central role in shaping who they are and how it has influenced their work as artists. Gail and April have found healing and comfort in their art and use it to inspire other veterans, service members, and their communities. Listen to the powerful stories of these veteran artists and learn about the meaning and creative process behind their art.

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April Goodwin-Gill is an Army veteran who worked as an Ammunition Weapons Specialist in the 1980s. April served in Colorado, Italy, Texas and Alabama. She has turned to art as a therapeutic way to express herself.

Gail Belmont is a former WAC (Women’s Army Corp) who played trumpet in the WAC band during the Vietnam War. She served both on active duty and in the reserves in the late 60s and 70s, and then spent 25 years working as an Army civilian for the Department of Defense as a data administrator. In her role in the WAC band, she performed Taps at military funerals which was an emotionally taxing responsibility. In turn, she turned to quilting as a form of art therapy to help her manager her PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).

Summer With The Arts was created in partnership with:

The presenting sponsor of Summer With The Arts is OptumServe.

Presenting Sponsor for The Color of Freedom: Honoring the Diversity of America’s Servicewomen is Comcast NBCUniversal, with additional support from GEICO Military, Northrop Grumman, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Cerner Corporation.