Free Veterans Photography Exhibition Opens at USF Tampa This Week — Breaking Barriers: Gathering Light

USF Contemporary Art Museum Honors Military Veterans With Powerful Photography Show — Opening Reception Is This Friday

Tampa — A photography exhibition created by U.S. military veterans and their family members opens this Friday at the University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, with admission free to the public. The show is the latest product of a quiet but meaningful program that has given veterans access to creative instruction, professional mentorship, and a genuine public platform.

Breaking Barriers: Gathering Light opens May 22 and runs through July 25, 2026. The photographs were made during USF's 2025 Breaking Barriers workshop series — a program delivered at no cost to participants through a partnership between the USF Contemporary Art Museum and the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital.

An opening reception will be held Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the museum, located at 3821 USF Holly Drive. A live Artists Panel, during which participating veterans will discuss the work on display, runs from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. — giving visitors a rare opportunity to hear directly from the photographers about the images they made.

The work behind the exhibition

The 2025 workshop series centered on light — both as a technical photographic element and as a framework for visual storytelling. Participants worked through composition, lighting techniques, and narrative sequencing. Instructors also exposed them to the work of contemporary photographers throughout the process, grounding the technical instruction in a broader artistic conversation.

The Breaking Barriers program requires no prior photographic experience. It is supported by USF's Office of Veterans Success and the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners, in addition to the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital partnership.

What to expect at the opening

The exhibition brings together photographs from multiple veteran artists, installed in the museum's West Gallery. Works span a range of styles, subjects, and personal perspectives developed over the course of the workshops. Friday's reception gives visitors the chance to view the show alongside the artists who created it — an uncommon kind of access in a gallery setting.

The Artists Panel at 7:30 p.m. offers a more structured conversation about the creative process, the workshop experience, and the stories behind individual photographs.

Visiting the museum

The USF Contemporary Art Museum is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours Thursdays until 8 p.m. Saturday hours are 1 to 4 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays and on university holidays.

Parking is available in Lot 3B adjacent to the museum. Permits can be purchased through the ParkMobile app using Zone 9302 or by credit card at the on-site pay station. The exhibition remains on view through July 25 for those unable to attend Friday's opening.

For information, contact the USF Contemporary Art Museum at (813) 974-4133 or caminfo@usf.edu.