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The Women's Center, Inc is sponsoring an art exhibition entitled "Heal Your Soul: Art for Empowerment" at the Associated Artists Gallery. The gallery is located at 715 S. University Avenue in Carbondale. On "The Island," the same building as the Chicago Underground Bar. The pieces will hang the entire month of April as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Gallery hours Tues-Sun, 11 am <-5 pm. Admission is free. All the works are for sale. $30 each. 75% of the proceeds will go to benefit The Women's Center. Art as a HEALING TOOL "Heal Your Soul" is a collaboration of works by survivors of violence. Through this show, we want to share with the community the amazing works created during Art for Empowerment sessions that are offered to the clients of the Women's Center. Through this show we want to honor the survivors. We started art sessions last fall. We have two groups: adult and teen. The art sessions take place every other week at 6:30 at the Administration Building of the TWC at 610 W. Thompson. The teen group meets on Saturdays at 2pm. The art sessions are an alternative to talk therapy. Many women feel at home when talking about their art works, while being shy about expressing themselves during talk therapy. Creative expression provides a chance for women to heal emotionally. It helps reduce the symptoms of trauma and reduces the length of posttraumatic stress disorder. The art sessions: Help women to open up and use the counseling and support of the shelter more fully. Enable women to release their painful feelings and transform their vision of the future. Allow women to tune in to their present needs and future goals. Children and teens: Children of battered women have usually learned to keep silent about the violence and their feelings. Creative expression helps teens to reduce the trauma of domestic violence or rape by encouraging them to express their feeling visually and to gain a sense of hope. Creative expression allows children to process their feelings without fear of ridicule or disapproval. They can gain a sense of empowerment and self-esteem. A Window Between Worlds We adopted the format and the content of the art sessions from A Window Between Worlds. AWBW is a non-profit organization in Venice, CA functioning since 1991. Its goal is to use the healing power of art to help survivors of DV and abuse build a healthy life without abuse and violence. Currently, there are 51 windows art programs nationwide. We are one of them. At the Women's Center, we have 3 registered leaders. In addition, 5 other staff members were trained to lead art sessions. A core value of AWBW's art programs is that they provide an atmosphere of safety and acceptance. Battered women have experienced judgment and blame from their abusers, their families, and friends, and this often leads to them doubting themselves and their feelings. For healing to take place, women must know that their stories will be met with the utmost respect and compassion. AWBW art workshops provide a direct, gentle and effective way for women to reconnect with the parts of themselves that they shut off in order to survive the violence. Women are often surprised by how deeply the art touches them and how fully they are able to access thoughts and emotions that they were afraid to share with their abusers, friends, and even themselves. Quotes by the participants of the art program: "This group is powerful, allowing us to share our innermost self in a safe place." "These workshops reach the depth of people's souls in such a short amount of time, amazingly powerful." "It helps me talk about the abuse and pain that for so many years has been in my chest. Little by little I feel better." "Every day I take this class I feel stronger in my life to go forward." "The workshop made me realize what a beautiful flower I've always been, but didn't see it before." ----------------------------- For more information about "Heal Your Soul: Art for Empowerment," or Sexual Assault Awareness Month please call LYDIA (618)549-4807 ext 232. |