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Day holidays observed)
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The USF Contemporary Art Museum is honored to present Breaking Barriers: Gathering Light, a curated selection of photographs created through the 2025 Breaking Barriers workshops.
These intensive online photography workshops—offered free of charge to veterans and
their families in the USF community, Tampa Bay, and beyond—were led by artist and
educator Kristen Roles, with assistance from US Air Force veteran Derek Hopkins.
Gathering Light reflects the many ways participants encountered, shaped, and gathered light, revealing
it as both a physical phenomenon and a metaphor for perception, resilience, and connection.
Through these images, Gathering Light honors the creative labor of all participants and invites visitors to slow down,
look closely, and consider how the simple act of seeing and sharing what we see can
help us better understand ourselves and one another.
Exhibiting artists include: Christopher Algarin, Manfredo Bobadilla, David Bryant,
Luis E. Carrasco Jr., Patricia A. Colbert, Diana Colon, Gail Cross, Bernadette Dunn,
Michael E. Dunson Jr., Sha’na Folks, Evan Fountain, Paul Hall, Editha Perez Heberlein,
Roger C. Heberlein, Valerie Larson, John Leduc, Kevin Guy Lipton, Mikko Maki, Tanya
O’Brien, Kenya Selmon, Chris Smith, Kimberlee Nicole Smith, RJ Smith, Sharon Stentz,
Roger St Julian, Monika Sutton, RaeAnne Swanson, Viana Taveres Fischer, Melisa Vélez,
and Michael D. Webb.
As part of the exhibition programming, Miller hosted a panel discussion with artists
RJ Smith, Mikko Maki, Kevin Guy Lipton, and Tanya O’Brien, who spoke about their military
experiences and their connection to photography through seeing and hearing different
viewpoints, as well as the importance of having a supportive space to express their
feelings with fellow veterans.
The initiative also extended into the broader community. On Friday, May 22, U.S. Air Force veteran Hopkins joined veterans Bernadette Dunn and Valarie Larson for a conversation with ’s Allison Godlove, sharing insights into the military community, acclimation into civilian life, and the role photography has played in their lives. Contemporary Art Museum curator Jenn Miller also spoke about the Breaking Barriers program, offering context on the workshops and highlighting the upcoming exhibition.
A 74pp catalogue documenting Gathering Light is available as a free (13MB) or as a print on demand publication for purchase on for $20 plus tax and shipping.
Breaking Barriers is a program by USF Contemporary Art Museum in collaboration with the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, and supported by the USF Office of Veterans Success, the USF College of Design, Art & Performance, the USF School of Art & Art History, and a Community Arts Impact Grant of the Hillsborough Arts Council, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.
Breaking Barriers workshops will continue in 2027. More information will be shared in the coming months. Visit the USF Contemporary Art Museum for more on the Breaking Barriers programming for military veterans and their families.