Art by veterans, for veterans

Bold swaths of red, white and blue and glimpses of Americana, including the Statue of Liberty, the Capitol, the Liberty Bell and the beginnings of flight and the space race.

All that and more can be found on a bold mural that has been painted by veterans from throughout the area.

The mural, in fact, is an outgrowth of the Veterans Art Festival, which provides art programs for veterans from throughout southeastern Wisconsin and their families.

The festival — and the mural — are about more than just art, Diane Burkhalter, president of the Legion Auxiliary, said. It’s about helping vets open up to one another and their families about their experiences.

“By the time they really got into the painting, the vets were sharing things, experiences,” she said. “It gave them an outlet in a relaxing, positive place that they could share with their families.

“It was a real emotional relief for many of them, and that’s what we’re trying to provide.”

She noted that the rate of veteran suicide has been steadily increasing since 2011, and said she hopes the festival can help stem that increase, noting there are art therapists at each of the art sessions in the festival.

Burkhalter said she got the idea for the mural as she pondered ways to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday.

“I wanted to do something to make it special,” she said. “I wanted to involve the families. And I thought that as long as we were doing it, we should auction it off to help the veterans.”

So back in April, the project began in earnest. Burkhalter said she selected a series of images that reflected how far the country has progressed and “what we’ve given for our freedom. You can see the beginning of a factory, cars, iconic things that represent our history.”

She found images on the internet, then Port artist Rodrigo Santamaria refined them and transferred them onto a “wood canvas.”

Then she gathered veterans to paint the images. They met on alternate weeks, primarily at Tello’s Grille and Catering, to paint.

The sheer size of the mural limited how many people could work on it at once, Burkhalter said.

“And we wanted to make sure, no matter the person’s age or artistic experience, everyone who participated would feel positive about it,” she said. “We had things that experienced painters could do and things less experienced painters could do.”

People ages 20 to 81 who hailed from Sheboygan, Washington, Manitowoc,  Milwaukee and, of course, Ozaukee counties helped paint the mural, with the finishing touches added last week.

The mural has already made an impact on those who created it, Burkhalter said.

“I got emotional when we were working on it. The veterans who worked on it said the images give a good sense of the sacrifices made,” she said. “And they were very excited to see the finished artwork.”

The group, she said, plans to get together in the future to celebrate the mural.

And they’re hoping to have a little more than just their artwork to celebrate. The mural is being auctioned on the website 32Auctions with a goal of raising $5,000.

Half of the proceeds will go to Project Bravo, which has provided 12 service dogs to veterans so far.

“There’s a huge need, and I think the need is going to increase in the future,” Burkhalter said.

The other half of the proceeds will go to the art festival. Burkhalter said.

Bids on the mural will be taken through 5 p.m. July 29. To place a bid, visit  32auctions.com/VeteranMural2026.