Art exhibit shares stories of domestic violence so lives can be saved

November 19, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — “Six and a half years filled with fear, terror and violence that I could have never imagined.” These are not the words of a military veteran or Holocaust survivor; they are the words of a survivor of domestic violence. This devastating social issue affects one in four women and impacts the lives of so many more.

The Verizon Wireless Florida Clothesline Project exhibit consists of colorfully decorated T-shirts, created by victims of domestic violence, that literally air society’s dirty laundry with powerful messages of pain and healing. Designed to look like a clothesline, the Clothesline Project is a moving acknowledgement of how domestic violence affects the family. While the exhibit displays brightly decorated T-shirts that communicate an array of messages, the most poignant pieces of the display are the personal stories that accompany each shirt, delivering messages that range from chilling and unimaginable to hopeful and renewed.

In addition to the Clothesline Project exhibit, the emotional testimonial of a local domestic violence survivor brings a very real element to the project exhibit.

Eager to share her story of survival, she hopes to educate others so that lives can be saved.

“To live your life in fear of losing it is to lose the point of life. Domestic abuse is real, and it hurts. Legal changes need to be made to protect those who want help,” says a local domestic violence survivor about the importance of publicly sharing her story.

“Our goal is to show every single passerby the reality of domestic violence, and to inspire hope and safety for anyone currently in a domestic violence situation,” says Chuck Hamby, public relations manager for the Florida region of Verizon Wireless. “The hundreds of survivors who expressed their experiences through T-shirt art joined our public effort in the hope of saving lives.”

Aspiring to break the destructive cycle of domestic violence, Verizon Wireless of Florida has teamed with Peaceful Paths and the UF’s Florida Blue Key to bring this powerfully candid and emotional display of art to Gainesville.

The Clothesline Project exhibit will be on display at the UF’s Reitz Student Union through Nov. 28.