An art exhibit was unveiled in Bridgewater in honor of Women Veteran’s Day on Saturday.

Claymore Vets is hosting an art exhibit, called “Making the Invisible Visible,” to raise awareness of local women veterans and their experiences while showcasing their talents outside of the military.

“In active duty, we're very visible, but once we fall back into the civilian side, we get forgotten, we get back into being a mom, being a wife, and so I wanted to highlight our service and then how eclectic we all are,” says Maria Salazar, the founder of Claymore Vets.

Salazar is an Iraq war vet, with roots in Peru. She enlisted with the US Marine Corps after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Since leaving the service, she says she founded Claymore Vets to change the perception she feels civilians have of veterans as being reactive and explosive.

“We were trained to be mission capable but at our core, we're creators,” Salazar says.

All the artwork in the exhibit was done by female veterans. It will be on display at Bridgewater Commons until June 19.

In 2019, Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver signed a resolution into law that June 12 would be Women Veterans Appreciation Day in New Jersey.