The need for veteran services in San Antonio is great. More than 2.6 million veterans have served in the Middle East since 9/11. Each year 7,000 service members, 15% of them women, transition out of the military at Joint Base San Antonio.  More than half decide to stay in Bexar County. Overall, an estimated three in ten have PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury and/or major depression. During the past two years, more active service men and women have lost their lives from suicide than from combat. Each day, 22 American vets end their own lives. BHA’s new Forward, Arts! program aims to help ease veterans’ emotional and physical pains through arts immersion

The potential for healing that comes through hands-on, creative engagement with art—in this case, painting and drawing—is proven. While BHA’s pilot class is a pioneering endeavor in San Antonio, it emerged from national military initiatives in the arts and BHA’s nationally recognized arts program.

Almost ten years ago, recognition of the healing potential of the arts across the military continuum drove the creation of two initiatives—the National Initiative for Arts & Health in the Military led by Americans for the Arts (AFTA), and the Creative Forces network initiated by the National Endowment for the Arts. The latter has reached out to state art agencies, including the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA).

The need for veteran services in San Antonio is great. More than 2.6 million veterans have served in the Middle East since 9/11. Each year 7,000 service members, 15% of them women, transition out of the military at Joint Base San Antonio.  More than half decide to stay in Bexar County. Overall, an estimated three in ten have PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury and/or major depression. During the past two years, more active service men and women have lost their lives from suicide than from combat. Each day, 22 American vets end their own lives. BHA’s new Forward, Arts! program aims to help ease veterans’ emotional and physical pains through arts immersion

The potential for healing that comes through hands-on, creative engagement with art—in this case, painting and drawing—is proven. While BHA’s pilot class is a pioneering endeavor in San Antonio, it emerged from national military initiatives in the arts and BHA’s nationally recognized arts program.

Almost ten years ago, recognition of the healing potential of the arts across the military continuum drove the creation of two initiatives—the National Initiative for Arts & Health in the Military led by Americans for the Arts (AFTA), and the Creative Forces network initiated by the National Endowment for the Arts. The latter has reached out to state art agencies, including the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA).

Our Mission is to create community through the arts, founded on the belief that each person, when given a chance, will achieve significant personal, social, and cultural growth through the arts.

To support our mission, Bihl Haus Arts:
• Nurtures and promotes the work of diverse visual and cultural artists in San Antonio;
• Fosters artistic excellence and intergenerational and multicultural understanding and awareness;
• Creates community between seniors enrolled in the GO! Arts program, area established and emerging artists, members of surrounding neighborhoods, and the global art culture; and
• Builds collaborations with other cultural and social service organizations to maximize access to collective resources.