VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Military life as seen through the eyes of children is now on display in Virginia Beach in the form of artwork. It’s part of the annual Art of Being a Military Child contest. At Lynnhaven Mall on Wednesday, leaders with the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach City Public Schools, and local military leaders joined to celebrate the children who participated in the contest. The contest is designed to highlight the resiliency, creativity, and experiences of military children through artwork. The exhibit will be on display through April 23 in the center court of Lynnhaven Mall near the food court. Also on stage to honor the students were Tom Crabbs, Military Liaison Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, Captain David Gray, Installation Commander, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Captain Josh Appezzato, Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station Oceana, Colonel Thomas Kisch, Commander, Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Atlantic, Colonel Dan Heely, Program Director, Digital Transformation Team, Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO, Commander, Matt Markos, Executive Officer, Maritime Intelligence Fusion Center, and Captain Richard Viglucci, Company Commander, U.S. Army School of Music. The Art of Being a Military Child contest began in 2012 with nearly 200 art entries and has grown to include nearly 600 pieces in the 2025 exhibit.
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