Connecting military spouses in the arts with each other and their communities
Military Spouse Fine Artists Network (MilspoFAN) is empowering military spouses in the fine arts - including dance, visual arts, fiction, theater, poetry, multimedia art, and more - to promote their work, tell their stories, and grow their artistic networks. The MilspoFAN blog started in 2016 and is run by a group of dedicated volunteers.
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Catching up with Matt Valverde
England has been a very fun experience so far. There has been plenty of opportunity to travel, eat good food, and meet new people…
An Interview with Ronnie Rodriguez-Klodt
Being a military spouse has also given me the opportunity to see different cultures, and environments that I have been able to derive inspiration from. Whether that is other potters or new landscapes, I find inspiration in all of it. Through pottery, I have formed great friendships throughout the world and these friendships inspire me.
Catching up with Julie Mulvihill
When I find a spot that calls to me, I improvise movement in that found space...
Catching up with Kimberly Ratliff
I'm currently working on my second children's book, which will be about a special weekend with my main character, Seoul and her Halmony. My first book, "Seoul Finds Her Talent," was both written and illustrated by me.
An Interview with Cassie & Patrick Garber
Cassie & Patrick Garber are partners in their life and their creative work. As an active military family, they share their love of reading and their pups in their latest book, The Littlest Hound.
Mistakes, Missteps and Musings: Catching up with Sarah Doran
These last two years have been a giant learning curve, with tons of mistakes made along the way. With my second book being published later this fall and several promising ventures ahead, I’m grateful to have given myself grace in the missteps and for the confidence I’ve gained from the mistakes.
Houses, Homes, and Finding My Proper Ground : Catching up with Kimberlee Bethany Bonura
When you’re not “from” anywhere, how do you ever find a place where you truly “belong”?
An Interview with Bryana Mariko Manzano-Balilio
Army spouse and Polymer Clay Artist Bryana Mariko Manzano-Balilio reminds us that creating should always stay true to what brings us joy, and it is something that moves with us and grows with us through all the PCSes and beyond active-duty family life.
Catching up with Heather K Purdy
It always feels refreshing and brings a renewed sense of excitement to get busy with client work, as I truly believe creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised through different mechanisms. While cooking may seem like a far cry from photography in the sense of creative mediums, I have found that creating in and of itself spawns more ability and desire to create!...
Mushrooms: Catching up with Sarah Thompson
This was just the project I needed to break me out of my post-graduation funk- It had been months since I created anything much more than an imprint on the couch cushions…
Catching up with Kathrine Meuse
Balancing the creative work with our military life doesn’t go away, but hopefully we can give ourselves grace when things slide for a while.
An Interview with Martha Wingfield
With flexibility and talent, Martha Wingfield has pursued a multifaceted career while traveling the globe as a military spouse. By making room for her true passion - singing - Martha joyfully performs and teaches her way through multiple moves.
Catching up with Valerie J. Frey
I ended up dragging all my art supplies up from the basement and sorting them. I wrote a long but deeply satisfying journal entry listing each pursuit—and honestly exploring what was attractive about it as well as what caused me to lose interest. As I wrote, I suddenly saw how I’d been craving something non-messy that involved pleasing color and texture but that didn’t strain my hands, eyes, or budget…
Catching up with MJ Willis
This coming year, may we experience the joy of breathing, may we be authentic enough to find our tribe, surround ourselves with those who value bravery over perfection, and dive deep into our craft to see what is possible.
An Interview with Amy Upgraft
I did theatre all through high school, and when it came time to head to college and pick a major, there was no other choice for me. I graduated armed with that theatre degree, then I headed straight to NYC where I auditioned and worked until I got married. I managed to keep a toe in the theatre world through all the moves - teaching, directing local shows, sometimes having to establish my own classes on post. It wasn’t easy, but I tried to stay involved.
From Alaska to Florida: Catching up with Brittany Montour
Living in Fairbanks, Alaska was such a great experience and I learned a lot about myself and the direction I wanted to take with my art. I was so grateful to be a part of the Tanana Valley Farmers Market, many local events and having my work displayed at a local brewery. One of my favorite accomplishments was creating a new art collection. This body of work expressed my personal struggles with anxiety, living in Alaska during the pandemic and brought awareness to the effects of winter on people in the Far North.
Catching up with Alyssa Ruffin
"The Sacrifice" tells the story of a Military family, from a Military Spouse point of view. It is a direct reflection of my life, and based on real life events as a military spouse.
Catching up with Amy Jolley
My brain has been very preoccupied with raising twins and it’s already overloaded with just being a mom and the continuous responsibilities of running a household. Learning something brand new was just not in the cards for me right now. It was important for me to take a step back. I decided to scratch all the new projects and start over with projects that come easy to me and use up some fabric from my stash. During the Christmas holiday I took up embroidery again and completed this stocking for one of my twins. This was an easy project that took just about a week to complete.
An Interview with Colleen Arnold
This month we are interviewing Army spouse Colleen Arnold. She found a jackpot career as a voice over artist. It’s mobile, creative, and it pays well! Let’s find out how she went from musical theater, to arts management, to booking a national commercial.
Catching up with Stacy Denny
I had lost my favorite person in the world, my Grandma of 95 years young. I owe all of my fiber arts career to her, in fact. She's the one who taught me to crochet, embroidery and sewing techniques. My go to person for everything. We used to enter our county fairs together. This past “Fair Season” was very quiet and sad. In the past we would call multiple times a day for weeks on updates, how we had butterflies of excitement about the items we entered and who won what in each fair category. Such wonderful and loving memories.