During the summer months, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities hold local Veterans Creative Arts Festival competitions. Categories include visual arts, writing, dance, drama, and music. Most VA facilities conduct the local competitions between May and August — right now, veterans are anxiously waiting for results at the end of the year to find out if they will be invited to the 2025 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in Indianapolis. 
 
The VA uses the creative arts as a form of rehabilitative treatment to help veterans cope with PTSD, military sexual trauma, and more. 
 
Winning entries at the local level advance to the national judging process. First place winners are invited to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, an annual event co-presented by the VA and the national American Legion Auxiliary. 
 
U.S. Navy veteran Robert Nause from the Wilkes-Barre, Pa., VA facility, won first place last year as an artist in scrollsaw/fretwork for Never Wilt Flowers.
 
Nause served during the Cuban Missile Crisis and left the military in 1967.  
 
Do you want to share anything about your time in the military?
I was fortunate enough to be able to be ashore in Barcelona, Spain, Naples, Italy, and we were in Malta. I was in a submarine during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and we followed Russian submarines. 
 
Is this your first time entering the Festival? 
I’ve entered this contest for 15 years and I had won a second place and a third place and finally won a first place. It was 15 years in a row submitting. 
 
How did you feel when you finally won a first place at the national level?
I was really surprised because I had two different styles of vases and the one — I had only made three of — and I submitted one of those three and won. 
 
Describe what scrollsawing is. 
Scrollsawing is done with a machine these days; it used to be done with a jigsaw. It’s powered with electricity and the blade just goes up and down. It’s a 6-inch-long blade and you can control the speed of the blade for the type of wood you are cutting. You can do very intricate work as you can see with my submission. It’s very satisfying for me to do. 
 
When did you get your first scrollsaw?
My dad bought me a scrollsaw when I was 11 years old. When I got out of the Navy, I ended up with a scrollsaw again. 
 
What was it like being at the national Festival for the first time? 
It was very exciting. Everyone is friendly and nice. Some of the experiences of what you hear other people say — I’ve gone through that, been in that position too before. It’s a very gratifying experience to be here. 
 
Any advice for someone who has submitted an entry several times and hasn’t won? 
Don’t give up. The possibility is always there.