Each year, America honors the men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces by celebrating Veteran’s Day. Parades, memorial events and even free meals at restaurants are all ways veterans are shown appreciation for their service. As for the other 364 days of the year, though, veterans are often overlooked in society. According to Oklahoma Watch, veterans die by suicide at nearly double the national average in Oklahoma.
At SPARK! Creative Lab, honoring veterans and nurturing their artistic side is the primary focus. The organization’s mission statement reads, “We partner with Oklahoma veterans to strengthen connection, expand understanding and deepen community well-being through creative expression.” Founder and Creative Director Nicole Poole is the daughter of an Army vet, and noted that her father did not tend to talk about his time in the military. “He became an artist, and that’s how he expressed things he wasn’t able to say,” she said.
Poole’s work with veterans began with an interview with Dr. Neil Chapman in 2022. Chapman is a Vietnam-era veteran who was stationed in Thailand, working as a Morse code interceptor. This role was commonly known as a “ditty bopper.” During their discussion, Poole posed the question: If there were one thing you could say in Morse code, what would it be?
Chapman’s answer became the first installment of Ditty Bops: The Art of Listening, which tells his story. His words were transformed into Morse code and accompanied by music by composer and percussionist James Metcalfe. The performances included movement, film, a DJ performance, visual art and spoken word by both civilian and veteran artists. A documentary by filmmaker Zachary Burns followed the creation of this incredible performance, and premiered at deadCenter Film Festival last year. The Ditty Bops documentary is being released for the public to stream online this month. “It is an opportunity to see a bunch of artists from every background, discipline and style come together to wrap their arms around one person and try to do justice to his incredible life and story,” Poole said.
Since then, SPARK! has been hosting regular workshops for veterans called “Connecting the Dots,” which explore Morse code through rhythm, visual patterns and collaborative creative prompts. All veterans are encouraged to attend and are also welcome to bring their spouse or other support person. SPARK! recently received the Creative Forces Engagement Community Grant administered by the Mid-America Arts Alliance. This grant, as well as donations through fundraising, allows the workshops to remain entirely free for veterans to attend.
“Veterans are the ones creating and designing and leading and facilitating these workshops,” Poole said. “I think veterans have been marginalized in the arts. People say to me, ‘Oh, you’re doing veterans’ work?’ For me, this is everybody’s work. This is American work. We are standing on the shoulders of people who have served. In my mind, those people need to have the microphone.”
In January of 2027, SPARK! will host the next Ditty Bops at Oklahoma Contemporary. “It will be a concert evening of Oklahoma veteran voices. We use the arts to amplify what they want to express in a creative way, through original music or choreography, short films, music videos or testimonials. The community of veterans from our workshops will lead this performance,” Poole explained.
Poole encourages civilians who would like to get involved help fund a workshop. “We have more requests than we can accommodate at this time,” she said. “For veterans who want to be involved, just show up. There’s space for you.”
For more information on SPARK! Creative Lab, visit sparklahoma.org.
Author’s Note: Since the time of writing this article, Dr. Neil Chapman has passed away from service-related Parkinson’s Disease. “Thank you, Neil, for your service, your art, your teaching and your friendship” Poole said. “For opening a door we will keep holding open for others.”
