The Art of Surviving Sexual Assault

[Carol Ann]

March 7th - March 31, 2008
Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault
540-371-1666
For Immediate Release

The Art of Surviving Sexual Violence:
Stories of victimization and healing told by survivors of sexual
violence
through their own artwork and poetry

The Art of Surviving exhibit will be displayed at The Wounded
Bookshop, 109 Amelia Street - Fredericksburg, VA 22401, (540)
373-1311. The Art of Surviving is an exhibit of artwork and poetry
created by survivors of sexual violence across Virginia. The art and
poetry provide survivors, many of whom have felt silenced in their
victimization, a voice with which to discuss sexual victimization and
healing and to speak out about the realities of sexual violence and
survivorship through artistic expression.

The artists and poets who contributed their work to The Art of
Surviving exhibit range in age from 19 to 75. They are college
students, great-grandparents, military veterans, activists, artists,
therapists, crisis center staff and volunteers, and self-defense
instructors. Some of the artists created their art shortly after they
were assaulted; some created it over 40 years later. A few created
their artwork and poetry while staying in a domestic violence shelter
or participating in a sexual assault support group. A few are
professional artists. Many created their artwork on their own.

The Art of Surviving is being brought Fredericksburg by The
Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault. It will be located at
The Wounded Bookshop at 109 Amelia Street in Old Town Fredericksburg.
The opening reception is March 7th from 6pm - 9 pm. The show will run
through March.

A project of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action
Alliance, the exhibit has been on tour throughout Virginia since it
debuted in April 2007. The exhibit is comprised of approximately 30
pieces of artwork and 10 poems, each with a written narrative
submitted by the artist/poet that describes how her/his piece relates
to surviving sexual violence.

The Art of Surviving seeks to raise public awareness about the
prevalence and scope of sexual violence, its impact on individuals,
families, and communities, and the process of moving from victim of
sexual violence to survivor.

For more information about the exhibit details, please contact staff
at the Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault at 540-371-1666 or
email to outr...@rcasa.org for more information. To find out more
about The Art of Surviving project, as well as how to submit artwork
and poetry to the exhibit, visit www.vsdvalliance.org.