Boots on the Fence Honor Women Veterans
A Kentwood exhibit at Shero's Corner displays more than 20 decorated boots created by women veterans to share their personal stories.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Women’s Issues
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The community art exhibit, titled "Boots On the Fence," is on display in front of Shero's Corner in Kentwood. Each boot was decorated by a woman veteran with streamers, flags, pictures, patches, and personal history.
Why it matters
Women veterans have often hesitated to share experiences of discrimination and trauma, and several report feeling disconnected from the veteran community because of separation between men and women. The exhibit gives them a visible way to tell their stories in a space designed for them.
More than 20 pairs of boots are on display, each decorated by a woman veteran, based on the exhibit's current count. The exhibit's full run length and final participant total have not been specified.
The players
Shero's Corner
A safe space for women veterans navigating life after the military, founded and directed by Joan Wallace.
Healing In Arts
An organization led by founder and executive director Pamela Alderman that partnered on the exhibit.
West Michigan Veterans Coalition
A regional coalition of veterans' organizations that co-created the exhibit with Healing In Arts.
The details
Participating veterans decorated their own boots to share their stories, and the exhibit was created through a partnership between Healing in Arts and the West Michigan Veterans Coalition. Shero's Corner, which Joan Wallace founded and directs, serves as a safe space for women veterans navigating life after the military, and the hosts are seeking more participants.
Timeline
One participating veteran served in the Air Force during Operation Desert Storm.
Culture Shift
The exhibit reflects a broader movement to give women veterans, long underrepresented in military memorial traditions, their own visible public voice. Women's service stories have historically been overshadowed by those of men, and projects like this one carry that recognition into community spaces.
Women veterans in the Kentwood area who want to participate can contact the hosts, who are actively seeking more participants. The exhibit offers a direct opportunity to share personal military history in a supportive public setting.
The takeaway
Community art can give women veterans a tangible way to be seen and heard after years of underrecognition. Readers interested in participating or supporting similar efforts can reach out to Shero's Corner directly.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in Women's Issues for related stories on women's experiences and advocacy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WOODTV.
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