Heather McMahan

BREAKING NEWS!

OCTOBER 20, 2007, 6:00 pm.
Please Honor Us with Your Participation in a Fundraising Dinner hosted by The Art For Soldiers Foundation At The McMahan Residence

Ticket proceeds will support the following projects:

• The Fisher Houses at the San Antonio Brooke Army Medical Center
  www.fisherhouse.org/aboutUs/aboutUs.shtml
  www.fallenheroesfund.org/common/page.php?ref=fund_statistics
• The Delivery Cost of Laptops to Disabled Veterans Donated by the National Cristina Foundation
  www.cristina.org
• And the Delivery of Art Created by American Children Expressing Appreciation to our Service Members

Expect a Fun Filled Evening in Austin's Elegant Hill Country and the Opportunity to Make a Difference!

JULY 3-8, 2007
Heather will appear at the DuPont Circle Palomar Hotel in Washington, DC July 3-8 2007, to make a presentation before an International Panel unveiling her most recent Foundation, The Art For Peace Exchange ©. The Art For Peace Exchange is a Pen Pal program linking American and Muslim children. Instead of exchanging letters they exchange art . Heather McMahan's belief is that the power of crayon on paper is indeed mightier than that of the RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade, the most disabling form of enemy fire in this current war.)

She believes as adults we tend to be set in our ways, whereas children can shape their beliefs and therefore the future. Her hope is that the remembrance of the Art For Peace Exchanges' art pal a child had and the bonding that was formed will contribute to the dissipation of hate for the next, and upcoming, generations.

Heather McMahan is a visual artist. She speaks five languages fluently and is a single mother of four.

She was 68 credits (with a Summa Cum Laude average) into her degree from Columbia University in New York when 9-11 led her to re-locate to Austin, Texas. When she went to Austin after 9-11 she noticed how it seemed very much like going from a combat to a non-combat zone. She empathized with the troops who pass through the Austin Bergstrom International Airport on leave from Iraq or Afghanistan, who must experience similar feelings. Inspired by this, and, with no formal artistic training, she hand-fashioned an exact clay replica of Desert Issue Boots, Helmet and Goggles, and arranged them as if hastily removed by a Soldier who has just been given leave, however short-lived. When this sculpture was first exhibited at ABIA, hundreds of heartfelt e-mails from soldiers and their families ensued:

www.artforsoldiers.org/slides-soldierletters/soldiers.html

The airport required monthly payments for the display, which constituted a formidable expense over time so she removed the sculpture and placed it in her living room. Shortly thereafter, at a Thanksgiving family reunion in her home, her father David McMahan noticed it and insisted it be permanently on display at gate 15. The McMahan Family has decided to leave the piece on display until all the troops come home.

She named it Welcome Home, and soon fulfilled the request for a similar sculpture from The Pentagon:

www.heathermcmahansculpture.com/wh-pentagon.htm

The powerful effect of one piece of Art to express gratitude and recognition for wartorn Soldiers and their families led her to create The Art For Soldiers Foundation (to read Mission Statement go to: www.artforsoldiers.org/found-mission.html) a 501(c)3 corporation.

AFS distributes Art by American Children expressing encouragement and gratitude for the troops' difficult job and sends it directly to the front lines via various venues:

www.heathermcmahansculpture.com/howafs.htm

In order to collect the Art, Heather McMahan travels the Country to speak before large groups of children, empowering them as young Patriots and Citizens as she reads them letters from Soldiers who received and were very moved by AFS Art while they draw.

www.heathermcmahansculpture.com/piece.htm

She also stages large events on significant holidays in order to display the Art and recognize the Children for their efforts:

www.artforsoldiers.org/events.html

further empowering them as young Citizens.

AFS has recently expanded to include the incoming wounded and all Veterans as candidates for this magnificent Art by our children by forming a partnership with 14 American Legion Posts and the VFW. AFS is also forming a partnership with the National Cristina Foundation where Art is included in the boxes of donated laptops and computers to disabled Veterans as a "Thank You" note to accompany the gift.

Heather McMahan is one of the few civilians with military clearance to bid farewell to deploying troops out of Fort Hood and to help medics receive the incoming wounded.

A mobile unit turned into a home away from home for the troops called Mom's Place (read an article from Irving Rambler, November 16,2006) based at Fort Hood has been the latest focus of McMahan Family Philanthropy. On behalf of the Art For Soldiers Foundation David B. McMahan donated $12,000 for an additional mobile unit to expand the operation; Esteban and Dana McMahan donated $1000 for gardening tools and Heather McMahan bought a pickup truck to help distribute needed supplies from Mom's Place and The Fisher House to the Darnell Army Medical Center.

Heather McMahan has, as a result of her efforts, received many personal letters of recognition from Government officials including: The Office Of Assistant Secretary Of Defense at The Pentagon; Governor Perry; Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson; Mayor Nyle Maxwell of Round Rock; The Department of State Air Wing; and The American Legion. The letters can be read at: www.artforsoldiers.org/slides-letters/letters-official.html.

She has received awards such as: The Award Of Excellence From The 208th Regional Support Group, Fort Hood, TX; from The Fisher Houses for Providing Comfort, Care and Compassion Beyond the Call of Duty; and was voted Woman Of The Year by The American Biographical Institute at the Library Of Congress.

The press has recognized her efforts as well; to view newspaper articles and Department of Defense clips go to: www.artforsoldiers.org/media.html. She has appeared on live News Broadcasts for ABC, CBS, Univision, Keye News and various radio Talk shows, some of which can be viewed at: www.artforsoldiers.org/media-television.html. She is currently working on a book entitled Thank You, The Power Of Appreciation To Unify A Nation It will be published by Bristol Publishing in 2008, each chapter will feature Sculptures and other Art and the letters from soldiers and their families that were changed by the same.