St. Petersburg, FL – The Veteran’s Art Center Tampa Bay will be honoring retired Navy SEAL Kristin Beck as well as hosting the film screening of the 2014 documentary “Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story” on Friday, June 23 at the FreeFall Theatre followed by an Artist Reception and book signing on Saturday, June 24. Both events are free and open to the public.
Beck gained national attention when she came out as a transgender woman in 2013. Previously, she was a highly decorated Navy SEAL and served 20 years as a member of the elite Special Forces Navy SEAL Team 1. Beck’s military service includes 13 combat deployments, 29 medals and being a member of the special counter-terrorism unit popularly call SEAL Team 6. She retired with the rank of Senior Chief and received the Bronze Star with a “V” for Valor and a Purple Heart during combat operations.
Beck studied art in college and in retirement, returned to art as therapy for her PTSD. Art has been a key element for her transition to civilian life and living as a transgender woman.
“Being able to share my art and participate in this event is important for me to help raise awareness about the great work being done by the Veteran’s Art Center Tampa Bay. I hope they are able to raise funds to expand their education programs to serve more veterans and help them heal from PTSD,” said Beck. “I’m also excited to come back to the Tampa Bay area after being stationed at MacDill for some time when I was an active military member.”
“The Veteran’s Art Center Tampa Bay is honored to host Kristin Beck and showcase her artwork as part of St. Pete Pride,” said “Mack” Macksam, founder of the Veterans Art Center Tampa Bay. “We want to recognize the diversity of our veterans’ community and how art is a therapeutic outlet and fosters healing through storytelling.”
Two-Day Event Details
June 23, 2017
6:00 – 7:00 PM Reception
7:00 – 9:00 PM Screening & Q&A with Kristen
FreeFall Theatre, 6099 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33710
June 24, 2017
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Reception and Book Signing
Veterans Art Center Tampa Bay Gallery
Gaslight Square, 6798 Crosswinds Drive N., St Petersburg, FL 33710
About Veterans Art Center Tampa Bay (VACTB): Founded in 2015, VACTB is a non-profit 501C3 serving military veterans and first responders by providing opportunities for learning and teaching the arts. With wellness and recovery as a focus, the organization has a mission to support veterans and their families as they adjust to civilian life and heal from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The VACTB gallery serves as an outlet to share the artwork created by veterans in their programs. Art on display includes veteran and military themes along with a wide variety of other subjects. For further information or donations, contact us at http://www.vactb.org or call 813-504-3092