The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Wausau is collaborating with The Women’s Community this April to mark Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The campus will host the art exhibit “We Step Into the Light,” a project that raises awareness about sexual assault, relationship violence, gender-based violence, and stalking through art created for “thrivers,” which is a term that has been chosen to replace the term “survivors.”
The community is invited to attend the Open House Art Exhibit on Thursday, April 21, from 5- 7 p.m. The event will be held in the UW Center for Civic Engagement on the campus of UW-Stevens Point at Wausau, 625 Stewart Ave., Wausau. Light snacks will be provided by A Taste of Jamaica with music by Gerry Wolf.
The exhibit is the result of pairing volunteer thrivers with volunteer artists to create work celebrating the thriver. The artwork includes paintings, sculptures, photography, jewelry, poetry, song and dance.
The art focuses on the dreams, goals, passions and ambitions of the thriver rather than on the assault the thriver experienced. Through a series of interactions with the artists, the thriver inspires the artist, who then captures (in collaboration with the thriver) the essence of the thriver who lives a full life beyond the experience of violence. The art pieces are gifts made for the thrivers.
UW-Stevens Point at Wausau is excited to collaborate on the exhibit, said Ann Herda-Rapp, campus executive. “For our students, for our staff, for the community, this exhibit raises awareness about assault and shows our support for thrivers.”