{"id":390101,"date":"2026-09-04T08:08:32","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T08:08:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/390101\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T08:08:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T08:08:32","slug":"air-force-veteran-reconnects-with-herself-community-through-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/390101\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force veteran reconnects with herself, community through art"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Air \"Air <\/p>\n

SEFFNER, Fla. – For the past 16 years, Air Force veteran Bernadette Dunn has used art as a canvas to express her internal battles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Struggle beyond the uniform <\/p>\n

The backstory:<\/p>\n

Like many members of the armed forces, Bernadette Dunn struggled with the transition to civilian life when her service ended in 1995.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I couldn’t find the language to explain to you what was going on with me,” the U.S. Air Force veteran said. “I need something to help me process some of the emotions I was feeling.”<\/p>\n

Creative path to healing <\/p>\n

Dig deeper:<\/p>\n

Sixteen years ago, Dunn discovered an outlet in the unlikeliest places: a small piece of blank tile. Color became her language when traditional words failed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

“Color helped me. Color helped me put emotions that I did not want to spread out to the world on paper and tile,” Dunn explained.<\/p>\n

The tiles eventually expanded to canvases. Dunn has painted a variety of abstract pieces.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“It helps me to connect with myself,” Dunn said. “When I wasn’t connected with myself, the world was fearful and it was a scary place. As I connected more with myself and found myself to be more peaceful and safe, then I started reaching out a little more to others just looking for connection.”<\/p>\n

In 2021, Dunn added poetry and dance to her creative toolkit, ultimately joining the Veteran Civilians Arts Ensemble. She wrote and shared a poem, “Rushing,” that resonated with her fellow veterans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Empowering others <\/p>\n

What they’re saying:<\/p>\n

Today, Dunn helps other veterans navigate their own post-service transitions through mindful art classes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

When veterans are hesitant due to a lack of experience, she offers a reassuring perspective.<\/p>\n

“It’s not about the art. It’s about reconnecting with you,” Dunn said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Through teaching and ensemble work, Dunn hopes to build a wider network of support for the veteran community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“If I can reach out to somebody that then reaches out to one of two people, then we become a less lonely place,” said Dunn.<\/p>\n

How to get involved <\/p>\n

What’s next:<\/p>\n

The Veteran Civilians Arts Ensemble is hosting a free open house this Saturday at 2 p.m. While attendance is free of charge, registration is required in advance on the Straz Center website.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Bernadette Dunn, who shared details about her military transition and art journey, as well as the Straz Center website.<\/p>\n

What’s Right with Tampa Bay<\/a>Veterans<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SEFFNER, Fla. – For the past 16 years, Air Force veteran Bernadette Dunn has used art as a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":390102,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[2583,115,405,135,137,136,3393,3970],"class_list":["post-390101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-military","tag-news","tag-series","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news","tag-veterans","tag-whats-right-with-tampa-bay"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=390101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390101\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/390102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=390101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=390101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=390101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}