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Fellow Countrymen

Greenville, South Carolina -Fellow Countrymen is a community-based nonprofit that is aiming to end veteran homelessness within the Upstate of South Carolina. Since their inception in late 2016, they have housed, assisted and provided supportive services to more than 1,100 veterans who are attempting to get back to a normal life after experiencing homelessness or transitional issues. 

In 2020, Premier Arts Collective implemented its first art program with Fellow Countrymen, serving homeless veterans and those transitioning to civilian life. The classes were designed to build self-confidence and self-awareness while being a catalyst for healing through the use of art, allowing the process of creating art and free expression to help release the trauma from PTSD, addiction, and homelessness.

Each year since, PAC has provided art and music therapy for veterans at Fellow Countrymen’s annual retreat. At the 2023 retreat, Brad Carraway led the group in creating stones with positive messages to add in a rock garden that is being established as a place of reflection and healing for the participants of the program. Alison Hughey led the group in a time of music therapy, incorporating her bluetooth stethoscope to create songs from the rhythm of the participants’ heartbeats, songwriting, and active music making via drumming.

100,000

Number of veterans living in Upstate South Carolina

FREE

Total art therapy classes given

16

Number of veterans who participated in the first art class

800

Number of homeless veterans served by Fellow Countrymen

16,000

Instagram views of Jared Emerson’s “Face of God” art performance on camouflage

For more information about Fellow Countrymen, visit their FaceBook page here.

Program Partners

Jared Emerson

Performance Artist
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Program Partners

Alison Hughey

Music Therapist

Alison Hughey’s greatest passion is guiding clients in connection, comfort and communication through music. Since studying music therapy at Converse University and earning her board certification in 2010, she has served clients from 18 months of age up to 103 years old and contributed to research in community mental health and dementia care. Alison wears multiple “music hats” as a worship leader, band member, and music & wellness workshop facilitator.

Jared Emerson

Performance Artist

Jared Emerson is world renown for his captivating performance art and studio originals.  His art has raised millions of dollars for charities and ministries around the world.  Jared’s work with Premier Arts Collective allows him to use his gifts by engaging in interactive art classes and performances across the globe; using his art for healing, therapy and restoration for those who have experienced trauma and abuse.

Born in Michigan and now residing in Greenville, South Carolina, Jared’s personal mission has led him to perform and create art, in a vast array of media, for a large number of collectors, corporations, churches and charities, with his performance piece “Face of God” being the most requested.

Jared’s credits include: ReviveUs 2 with Kirk Cameron, Winter Jam concert tour, TEDx, K-LOVE, CBS Sports, Game Plan for Life, The 700 Club, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, NASCAR, Museum of the Bible, Coca-Cola, Michelin, Land Rover, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Pistons, Family Christian Stores and countless others.

Jared’s success has made his artwork sought after by many celebrities and sports figures.  His clients include: Carrie Underwood, Carson Wentz, Jack Nicklaus, Guy Fieri, Joe Gibbs, Willie Mays, Albert Pujols, Jimmy John, Forrest Lucas, Smokey Robinson and Joe Greene, to name a few.

For booking information, contact gene@premierartscollective.com 

Anita Yeh Norrie

Art Therapist

Anita Yeh Norrie (MA-Art Therapy) is passionate about creating change and improving lives through the transformative power of creating art. A life-long believer in the therapeutic and cathartic power of art, she built her career around developing programs and relationships that encourage expression, and self-realization through creativity.

While an art and design business owner, she was the vehicle of expression for her client’s vision. As an art therapist, she has created therapeutic art programs for kids, for mental health programs and non-profits, launched and operated an open art studio for a community arts center, and led hundreds of people to live a better life through their own discovery of creativity and artistic self-expression.

Anita’s current work of art is Art Power!, the non-profit she founded in 2017 where she and her team are working to change the lives of underserved kids in Cozumel, Mexico, through their therapeutic, choice-based art studio.”

When not in the art studio, you can usually find Anita contemplating her next project while exploring tasty food stands and out-of-the-way eateries, wherever she may be.

Courtney Chandler

Art Therapist

Courtney Chandler is a registered art therapist, licensed professional counselor associate, trauma-conscious yoga teacher, and founder of HeARTS for Hope Therapy in Greenville, SC. She has a decade of experience offering expressive art therapy groups in mental health facilities, schools, detention facilities, and substance use treatment centers across the country. She loves supporting adults and teens as they navigate challenges of trauma and grief, using an integrative combination of art therapy, somatic psychotherapy, and EMDR. Motivated by the belief that everyone is innately creative and art is an expression of self-love and divine connection, she uses a holistic mind-body approach in her therapeutic practice, and feels honored to hold space for hope and healing.

Samuel Monterrosa

Vocal Coach and Head of Nu-Day Academy

Samuel Monterrosa is the Director of Nu-Day Academy in San Salvador, El Salvador. He has been mentoring, coaching and advising students in music education for over 15 years. He is often asked how music helps. Samuel believes that for many children, music is opportunity. Music is the way out of a life of poverty and brokenness. Nu-Day Academy provides opportunities for youth to build their self-esteem through music.

Born and raised in San Salvador, Samuel believes all lasting achievement is rooted in developing good character and maturity through the daily exercise of personal responsibility. Samuel’s guidance at Nu-Day Academy has built an environment focusing on character skills.

Under Samuel’s leadership, Nu-Day Community Choir was formed. The choir has become a favorite to the entire country, performing on every national television station, at concerts and for the Salvadorian government. Samuel is also the baritone pillar in the youth band known throughout Latin America as One Love El Salvador.