DePaul University will honor veterans and military personnel with an evening of celebration, fellowship, food and fun Nov. 11 at the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., 11th floor, Chicago. The events are free and open to the public.

Artists and veterans from DePaul and the Chicago area will tell their stories through visual art, performance, music and poetry in a program titled “The Journey Home: A Veterans Day Event on War, Service and Homecoming” by the Vet Art Project. The exhibit will be open for viewing from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Vet Art Project helps artists and veterans collaborate to create new art about war and service. It creates stronger voices among veterans, provides new opportunities for artists, offers a venue to hear the voices of veterans and artists, and fosters discussion about how war affects everyone.

“For those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, it’s important to make them feel welcome and provide them with resources, information, camaraderie and creative outlets here in their homeland,” said DePaul student veteran Derrick Winding, president of the DePaul Veterans Advocacy Group, which helped organize the day’s events along with the DePaul Veterans Affairs Office and the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office of Special Events.  

DePaul’s Veterans Day events are as follows:

● University Support Services Fair, 4 to 7 p.m. DePaul representatives will be on hand to explain the various services and resources available to veterans who are current or prospective DePaul students. Among the offices that will be represented are the DePaul Veterans Affairs Office, the Veterans Advocacy Group of DePaul, the School for New Learning and its Chronic Illness Initiative, Adult Student Affairs, Counseling Services, the Career Center, Admission, University Ministry and Students with Disabilities, and agencies that serve students with learning disabilities, from disadvantaged backgrounds and first-generation college students.

● Vet Art Project exhibit viewing, 5 to 7 p.m., featuring work by art student and veteran Matt Ping, veteran and artist Leisa Corbette, as well as Jeanine Hill-Soldner, Clark Bending and more.

● “Witnessing Veterans’ Stories: An Essential Step on the Journey Home,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. This workshop will educate the community on the power of storytelling in the welcome-home and healing process. Veterans are welcome to attend and share their stories.

● Performance, 7 p.m. Veterans and artists will perform music, poetry and theatre.

To RSVP, e-mail veteransadvocacy@depaul.edu or call Shannon Stone Winding at (312) 362-6367. For more information about DePaul Veterans Affairs Office, visit http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/va/.

Earlier in the day, DePaul Adult Bridge program student and U.S. Army veteran Katherine West will share her story about serving in Iraq as part of the city of Chicago’s Veterans Day Ceremony at Soldier Field at 11 a.m.