The simple black dress pinned onto a board caught Erin Andres’ eye as she made her way around the artwork displayed at the Civic Media Center, located at 433 S. Main St., on Friday night.
Andres, a 36-year-old Gainesville resident, maneuvered past the people crowding the food bar to reach the dress. She caught her breath when she realized what it represented.
The card next to the dress told the story of an anonymous 17-year-old UF student who was raped by a fraternity brother after a semi-formal. As a survivor of mental and physical abuse herself, Andres said she was amazed by the student’s bravery.
“When you realize that’s what someone was wearing when their life changed forever, it’s just inspiring that they would share it,” she said. “It’s a powerful image.”
About 60 people attended the fifth-annual “Survivors of Violence Art” exhibit, hosted by Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center, to commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness Month, said co-organizer Ashley Flattery. The free show featured spoken word, dance performances and artwork submitted by abuse victims and advocates.
The exhibit will remain in the center until Thursday. It will be moved to the Harn Museum of Art, located at 3259 Hull Road, on April 10 and stay until April 29, Flattery said.
Flattery said the event gives survivors an opportunity to express themselves freely in a safe space.
“Instead of speaking for them, we pass them the mic,” she said.
The black dress was on loan from the UF “What Were You Wearing?” exhibit, which is installed in the Ustler Hall Library from Monday to April 30, Flattery said. The exhibit, hosted by Sexual Trauma Interpersonal Violence Education at GatorWell and the American Medical Student Association, displays recreations of the outfits students wore the day of their assault, according to Alligator archives.
Elle Eclectica, 32, performs a lyrical dance about her experience escaping an abusive relationship inside the Civic Media Center, located at 433 S. Main St.
Cassandra Moore, the crisis center project coordinator, said “What Were You Wearing?” challenges the connection between a victim’s clothing and sexual assault. The outfit recreations range from jeans and a sweatshirt to child-sized pajamas.
“You have the right to wear whatever you want, and no one has the right to assault you,” Moore said.
Andres, who lists her artwork under her nickname Katniss, felt inspired by the vulnerability of her fellow artists. She submitted “Girl on Fire,” a painting done by an acrylic pouring technique, to the “Survivors of Violence Art” exhibit. She said her art has been part of her healing process after enduring 25 years of abuse.
“I learned that my art is one of the best ways to get out my emotions and get out my feelings if I can’t get it out verbally,” she said.
Although she has been an artist since childhood, she began experimenting with paint pouring a month ago.
By spilling yellow to black shades of fire onto the canvas, Andres said she lets herself lose control. “Girl on Fire” depicts both her pain and healing, she said.
“Sometimes the only way out is to go through the fire. That’s how abuse is,” Andres said. “You may have a few scars and burns but ultimately, you survive.”
Contact Amanda Rosa at arosa@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter at @AmandaNicRosa.
Eddie Valiant, 28, and Katie Zarada, 24, view artwork displayed at the Survivors of Violence Art Exhibit in the Civic Media Center, located at 433 S. Main St., on Friday night.
