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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Matt Valverde Matt Valverde

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…

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Artist Interview MilspoFAN Artist Interview MilspoFAN

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.

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Guest Post Kimberly Ratliff Guest Post Kimberly Ratliff

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.

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Guest Post Heather K Purdy Guest Post Heather K Purdy

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!...

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Guest Post Valerie Frey Guest Post Valerie Frey

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…

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Guest Post MJ Willis Guest Post MJ Willis

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. 

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Artist Interview MilspoFAN Artist Interview MilspoFAN

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.

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Guest Post Brittany Montour Guest Post Brittany Montour

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.

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Guest Post Amy Jolley Guest Post Amy Jolley

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.

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Guest Post Stacy Denny Guest Post Stacy Denny

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.

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