{"id":83888,"date":"2026-02-25T10:33:54","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T18:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/?p=83888"},"modified":"2026-02-25T10:41:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T18:41:35","slug":"cruise-cultural-programming-navy-art-alliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/activities\/cruise-cultural-programming-navy-art-alliance\/","title":{"rendered":"Holland America & Crane Stationery Partner With the United States Veterans\u2019 Artists Alliance"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe are all the authors of our own story in this lifetime, and it\u2019s up to us to decide how our story goes.\u201d<\/em> – Lindsay Cordero, United States Air Force veteran and artist<\/p>\n<\/div>

As part of Holland America\u2019s partnership with Crane Stationery<\/strong> to celebrate America\u2019s 250th anniversary<\/a>, we\u2019re proud to showcase an exclusive collection of handcrafted stationery designed by artists from the United States Veterans\u2019 Artists Alliance (USVAA). Available on board, we\u2019re offering guests beautifully crafted cards inspired by our ships and signature tulip, inviting them to share their stories in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Celebrating History With USVAA Artists<\/h2><\/div>

With its story beginning before the nation was founded, Crane has been the paper of presidents, pioneers, and iconic American moments; in fact, Paul Revere chose Crane paper for America\u2019s first currency. We\u2019re bringing their renowned paper craftsmanship on board, featuring exclusive stationery commissioned by veteran artists from the USVAA \u2014 a nonprofit supporting veteran creatives whose work will turn guest messages into meaningful keepsakes.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Meet The Artists<\/h2><\/div>

This collectible card collection is handcrafted and designed to celebrate the beauty of our ships and the creative journeys of those who have served. Printed on Crane\u2019s iconic American-made stationery, you will have the opportunity to purchase these cards during a voyage to share personal stories or messages with loved ones.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re thrilled to feature three talented artists from the USVAA. Get to know each of them and what inspired their work.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Lindsay Cordero<\/h3><\/div>

A picture book author-illustrator and artist based in Washington D.C., Lindsay served as an officer in the United States Air Force before pivoting her career. Her mission is to bring more joy, belonging, and possibility to life through art and literacy. Here is an excerpt of our conversation with the artist:<\/p>\n<\/div>

\n

Walk us through your creative process for this project.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI started by reading about all the ships and the history of Holland America and Crane Stationery. I wanted all my artistic decisions to be informed not only by the relevant branding criteria, but also by the existing legacy of the brands. I wanted each ship to face its own direction, as each voyage you take is unique in where you go. I decided early on that I wanted to leverage collage in my approach: Just as Holland America and Crane Stationery connect and bring people together, I wanted to mirror this and bring different types of paper together in my overall painting.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>

\n

If someone could take away one message from your work, what would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope they are able to walk away with a greater sense of possibility in their own lives. What if you booked that voyage? What if you sent that letter? What if you invested in that dream? What if that opportunity is just waiting for you to finally say yes? We are all the authors of our own story in this lifetime, and it\u2019s up to us to decide how our story goes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>

Amy Roberts<\/h3><\/div>

Growing up in Connecticut, Amy spent most of her time outside surrounded by nature which paved the way for her artistic style. Most of her body of work comes from her own travels and experiences, taking references from her own photographs. Amy joined USVAA during the middle of the pandemic and has loved getting to build a community of artists.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\n

How did you approach creating artwork inspired by the Holland America ships?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy inspiration was a very logical continuation of the nautical paintings that I have created over the years. I\u2019ve been studying wind-powered boats, schooners, and sailboats, starting with my first ticket to attend the Gloucester Schooner Festival. I was excited to study these modern floating explorers.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>

\n

How do you hope guests will connect with your designs when they use these cards onboard?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIn this age of digital communication, I hope we see some return to handwritten correspondence worth saving and cherishing. I am an unabashed collector of mementos sent to me. These are small things that we can save, they take up little space and yet hold our memories.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Ready for your next vacation? Find a cruise now<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Jen LaVita<\/h3><\/div>

After joining the Army ROTC during college, Jen served in the U.S. Army as an Air Defense Artillery Officer for four years before finding herself on the West Coast. She creates out of her studio, participates in live painting competitions, and serves as an Executive Board member of the USVAA. Jen used watercolor for her design with various color palettes to celebrate how each ship and cruise experience is unique.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\n

How do you hope guests will connect with your designs when they use these cards onboard?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope guests remember the magic of their trip and the feeling of being at sea, exploring the world, with windswept hair and salty skin. I hope they reflect, celebrate, and connect over how travel \u2014 and time at sea, leaves a lasting impression.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>

\n

What does being part of USVAA mean to you personally and professionally?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the military, I set out to pursue my artistic dreams and felt like I was starting over in life. I never imagined I would be able to keep my Army experience so close to me. Being a colleague of USVAA has made my military experience an asset, a celebration, and a belonging that I would not have had otherwise.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>

We\u2019re looking forward to sharing a piece of America\u2019s history. It\u2019s more than just stationery \u2014 it\u2019s a celebration of American craftsmanship, creativity, and heritage.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Access Exclusive Deals & More<\/h3>\n<\/div>
Sign Up for Special Offers<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1992,"featured_media":83890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,39,4534],"tags":[4584,4583,4581,4582],"class_list":["post-83888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activities","category-life-on-board","category-toc","tag-cruise-culture","tag-onboard-experience","tag-us-navy-art-alliance","tag-veteran-artists"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1992"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83888"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83894,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83888\/revisions\/83894"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}