The Road Through "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" Exhibition at Pullen Arts Center

Main Gallery Exhibition

Documentary artist and photographer Theresa Scott draws from her lived experiences as a Marine veteran and police officer to create work that bridges the distance between personal truth and public understanding. Her practice is rooted in listening, witnessing, and revealing the often unspoken struggles individuals face across many realms of service and identity. Through her lens and her interviews, she seeks not only to document but to connect—offering viewers an honest encounter with realities that are frequently overlooked or misunderstood.

The Road Through “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a deeply personal undertaking for Scott. After more than twenty years of reflecting on her own service and using art as a means to process and make sense of that period in her life, she now steps forward to share her story alongside the stories of her brothers and sisters. By gathering oral histories and portraits from LGBTQIA+ veterans, she bears witness to the realities they navigated—both in service and within themselves while serving under a policy that demanded their silence while expecting their loyalty and sacrifice.

Through this project, Scott aims to preserve a collective memory—one shaped by resilience, conflict, and courage—and to offer the public a clearer understanding of what it meant to navigate military life while denying essential parts of one’s identity. Her work stands as both testimony and invitation: to see, to listen, and to honor those whose service has too often been erased or overlooked.

Theresa Scott is a documentary photographer and visual artist based in North Carolina. Originally from Michigan, she draws on a wide range of lived experiences—including five years as an aircraft electrical technician in the Marine Corps and six years as a police officer—to shape her creative vision. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design & Photography and an MFA in Experimental & Documentary Arts from Duke University.

An artist talk and reception is planned for Thursday, March 26, 2026.

Exhibition & Reception Details

• Location: Pullen Arts Center, 105 Pullen Rd., Raleigh, NC 27607
• Parking: Visitors must have a parking permit between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Check-in at Pullen Arts Center’s front desk for a license plate-based parking permit. View our parking map
• Cost: Free and open to the public
• Hours:
  • Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
  • Friday, Closed
  • Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• To purchase artwork, contact Pullen Arts Center for details.

Artist Talk & Reception

Join us at Pullen Arts Center on Thursday, March 26, 2026, from 5:30 - 7 p.m. for a free artist talk and reception. Check out the artwork, hear from the artist, and enjoy an evening of community at Pullen Arts Center.