Art show puts focus on domestic violence
Art and real life cross paths in the new exhibit at The Art Center.
The Victim Outreach Intervention Center, VOICe, and the Associated Artists of Butler County are hosting a display of artwork representing the hardship and healing of individuals affected by domestic violence.
An artists reception and candlelight vigil is planned for 7 to 9 p.m. Friday for “A Season of Change to End Domestic Violence” at The Art Center, 344 S. Main St.
Some artists who have written music will perform it Friday.
The exhibit is about domestic violence awareness, but the vigil also represents something else, said Gloria Armstrong, community outreach advocate for VOICe.
“It’s a night of celebration for those who have survived. For some it’s a time to grieve relationships lost and the harm that’s been done. We do this ceremony in one form or another every October, but we’ve not done it at an art show.”
About 125 pieces of art by both adults and children as well as some professional artwork are part of the display. The artwork includes mixed media, photography, paintings and sculpture, some particularly powerful.
One emotionally charged sculpture is a conglomeration of baseball bats with phrases painted on them such as “He didn’t mean it” and “I was asking for it.”
At VOICe, counselors work with adults, and a counselor/art therapist works with children “because we know a child can sometimes put down on paper what they can’t even talk about,” said Armstrong.
Aubrie Reedy works with young people and sometimes families at VOICe.
“The reason why art therapy is good for anyone who has undergone trauma is that when a person experiences trauma, the part of the brain that deals with communication shuts down,” Reedy said. “So a lot of times people can’t even find the words to express what they’re feeling.
“Kids can’t communicate what they were worried about or even what they were thinking about, but they can draw it, almost unconsciously,” she said.
“To heal from the trauma, the brain has to create new neurological pathways, and kids can do that when talking about it in a safe way, in a safe place.”
At the reception Friday, there will be an art project featuring two cardboard playhouses, one for “What Does a Safe Home Look Like” and one for “What Does an Unsafe Home Look Like.” Markers, stickers and words printed on cards will be available for children to use to describe each house.
The domestic violence awareness exhibit is open through Nov. 1 during regular gallery hours of noon to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free.
To contact VOICe, call 800-400-8551, a hot line that is available 24 hours a day.
VOICe provides free and confidential services for victims of crime in the county.
