The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Wausau is again collaborating with The Women’s Community this April to mark Sexual Assault Awareness Month through art.
On Thursday, April 27, the Wausau campus will host the second annual art exhibit “We Step Into the Light,” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the hallway outside the Union in the Main Building, and at 5-7 p.m. in the Sonnentag Room of the UW Center for Civic Engagement, 625 Stewart Ave., Wausau. The evening exhibit has a suggested donation of $5 to benefit The Women’s Community and includes food by Taste of Jamaica, music and a short presentation.
The “We Step Into the Light” project 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 exhibit pairs volunteer thrivers with volunteer artists to create work celebrating the thriver. The artwork includes paintings, sculptures, photography, jewelry, poetry, song and dance. The art pieces are gifts made for the thrivers.
“What is so powerful about this exhibit is that the artwork focuses on the thriver’s hobbies, goals and ambitions, instead of on the trauma that the thriver experienced, emphasizing that although a thriver’s assault makes up part of who they are, it does not define them as a person,” said Jessica Lind, campus advocate for UWSP Wausau and program coordinator of Sexual Assault Victims Service Program at The Women’s Community.
UWSP at Wausau is excited to collaborate on the exhibit, said Ozalle Toms, campus executive. “We are proud to join with our community to raise awareness of assault and show our support for thrivers.”