June 20, 2005

The
Stop Violence Grant Office, a satellite division of the University
Police Department at California Polytechnic University at Pomona,
California (Cal Poly Pomona) recently hosted the third annual art
exhibit "Visual Voices Against Violence." The 2-day exhibit was held
October 26 & 27 in the Kellogg University Art Gallery as part of
domestic Violence Awareness Month activities on campus. AWBW's SAC
Director, Lori Minick was the exhibit co-chair and coordinated the
artists and agencies participating in this year's exhibit.

"The
exhibit had a great impact on many people at the university level. The
goal of the two-day exhibit was to educate and inform the public of the
fact that domestic violence is the number one cause of injury to women
in our community. The exhibit also promotes and supports the campus and
community agencies that are in place to help." Minick stated. "This
year the theme was 'Dating/Domestic Violence Realities Revealed' which
seemed to support the wide variety of art exploring different types of
mask-making by children, teens and adults. The Panty Line Project
interactive exhibit was also back by request."

Minick
said the exhibit also featured the works of several local artists, and
community agencies using art as a form of healing. "In fact, all of the
agencies represented here utilize the AWBW art programs, including
AWBW's SAC members, as well as teens participating in the Haven House
ItsNotOK outreach program led by SAC Member and AWBW Art Leader Rose
Curtis. ( http://www.itsnotok.org)”
Other agencies at resource tables inside the exhibit included YWCA
Wings, House of Ruth, Project Sister. Exhibit sponsors included CalPoly
Pomona Valley NOW, Students T.A.L.K./IRA, ReEntry & WoMen’s
Resource Center, and Cal Poly's Stop Violence Grant Office (http://www.stopviolencegrantoffice.org) and University Police Department.

Here are just a few of the comments received by students viewing Visual Voices:

"Looking
at it, all I could think was how I didn't want anyone else to hurt. I
wanted the pain to stop; I wanted there to be no more reasons for us to
have to put up a gallery. I don't know how to stop it, but I know I
want to make a difference. No one deserves that hate, that punishment.
And as long as I have the ability to stand up and speak out, let it be
known, that is exactly what I will be doing." --Female Student

"The
art exhibit on domestic violence was stimulating in many ways. Not only
was the artwork incredible, but the emotions behind the art were very
powerful in their sincerity. The artwork that reached out to me in
particular was all the art done by the elementary school children like
the masks and the quilts. The artwork depicted some of the purest
emotions and the rawest." --Male Student

"The
exhibit was an experience of a lifetime. It made me think about the
incredible courage it took for a survivor to gather willpower and take
brave steps forward. It helped me understand the great ordeal that
these people had to endure to speak out. Also, it helped me understand
the intensity of the social problem of domestic violence.” --Male
Student