Diana Mihalakis was pursuing a sculpture degree at San Jose State University when she learned that her 18-year-old son, Mike, had died in Baghdad in 2003, the day after Christmas.

The loss was so traumatic, she put a hold on her educational plans. Three years later, too sad to make art, she enrolled in a poetry class on campus. The pieces she composed and recited for class helped her explore her pain and loss, eventually transitioning her back into sculpture. As a testament to the power of the poetry, she created accompanying sculptures of metal and glass that grew out of individual poems.

The Art Ark Gallery in San Jose will exhibit her artwork on five separate days with limited viewing hours. Mihalakis plans to read her poetry at each of the showings. The opening reception is scheduled for June 3 at 7 p.m.

Mihalakis, who with her husband raised their three children in Milpitas, said she has found power in having a voice.

"Being able to connect and to speak when I can about it—and the more time that goes on, the more I am able to—is why I've come out into the public."

The process has been therapeutic, and she said she hopes others will be able to identify with the art through a broader theme of personal loss.

"In bringing people into the gallery, I am reaching out not just to military families," she said. "It's not just about war, about the military. It's about any loss, grief and trauma."