Survivors come together at art showcase March 11

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RIT hosts “You Are Not Alone: Voices of Survivors of Violence,” an art showcase created by male and female survivors of violence, on March 11.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that in the United States, one violent crime is committed every 19 seconds. According to The United Nations Development Fund for Women, at least one of every three women globally will be beaten, raped or otherwise abused during her lifetime, and it is estimated that 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually, says a report from the National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To encourage awareness and healing, Rochester Institute of Technology will host “You Are Not Alone: Voices of Survivors of Violence,” 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday, March 11, in the Campus Center Bamboo Room. The annual event features artwork, music and poetry created by male and female survivors of violence, accompanied by their personal stories, as well as a memory table honoring those who have lost their lives to violence. Speakers and panel discussions are also part of the program, and a quiet spot will be available for survivors to connect with each other. Telling Amy’s Story, a film about a domestic-violence homicide, will be shown at noon.

“This art showcase is a unique and beautiful way that allows people to have a voice about what has happened to them,” says Laurence “Rauncie” Ryan, RIT’s assistant dean of graduate student success, and the event producer. “This is a way for survivors of all kinds of violence—incest, rape, bullying, date rape and domestic violence—to come together to heal.”

The showcase is sponsored by RIT’s College of Liberal Arts and the Center for Women and Gender. For more information, call 585-475-4261 or email lrrgla@rit.edu.