VA Employee Wins Veterans Day Poster Award
VA employee, John Magine, designed the 2013 Veterans Day poster which was recently selected by the national Veterans Affairs administration for Veterans Day.
John Magine describes his work at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Riviera Beach as an opportunity to combine two of his loves – art and honoring military Veterans. The port St. Lucie resident’s artistic talents were recently recognized by the national Veterans Administration. Magine, 70, designed a poster for Veterans Day that was selected as the winning entry. It is the third time that his work has been selected. Magine also submitted the winning entry in 2008 and 2011.
“It’s a great sense of pride,” Magine said. “They’re very difficult to do and to be chosen is pretty rare. When you’re chosen, it’s exciting, a great honor. I’m a Veteran, so it means a lot to me too.” Magine is a Vietnam Veteran who served in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group. He has spent the past five years working at the VA Medical Center after a career as an advertising executive.
He is the center’s visual information specialist and designs its poster, brochures and graphic illustrations, among other tasks. Magine said he developed an interest in design and illustration as a child. He went on to study industrial art design at the University of Illinois and he also studied at the American Academy of Art. Magine said he has particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to use his artistic talents to honor Veterans.
“The thing I enjoy the most is working at the VA,” he said. “If I were working in an ad agency, I’m not sure I’d still be doing this. To me there’s a value in serving Veterans and still doing what I love. I don’t think I could ever have a better job and that’s why I’m still working at 70.”
In addition to his work at the VA Medical Center, Magine also started a company, All-American Hero, making barbecue and hot sauces. The products have different labels representing each branch of the military. “A portion of the proceeds are donated to Veterans programs and organizations,” Magine said. “I always made a pretty good barbecue sauce and a hot sauce.”
The winning 2013 Veterans Day Poster
John Magine's Poster will be displayed in more than 100,000 schools, in federal buildings and will be used on the Veterans Day program at Arlington National Cemetery. (Madeline Gray/The Palm Beach Post)For more informative Features and Events check out the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center's official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/VAWestPalmBeach.
