AWARENESS DISPLAYS

Art and Educational Exhibition and Public Awareness Campaign

The Message of Survivors

Art and Education Exhibitions and Displays

A Variety of Venues

ART AND EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Linda shares:

I came to Toronto to do this square on a Monument. There is great importance to me for being able to do this. This square shows me that scars will always be there for what I suffered as a child. I wanted to speak through my square to let the world know what the effects of neglect and abuse can do. Trusting is a big issue for me.

A Mother’s Neglect

When a mother is never there
what in life is ever fair?
Believe in God, that is true
But the one I really need is you.
God does not abandon me
Mom, it wasn’t he.
There are conditions to your love
Not from God above
Mom, you have a chance
to do what’s right.
You’re too selfish to see the light.
Your daughter’s the victim, do you see?
Instead, you say it’s me.
I’m a child, is it my fault?
You have choices as an adult.
Can you know how I feel
Break the illusion that isn’t real.
You never intend to protect me
It really is not to be.
That monster, that man comes in the night
Mom, I can’t scream, I try to fight.
Where are you Mom? Why aren’t you here?
All these times it’s just not fair.
Mom, you throw me away
Is your illusion here to stay?

Linda

STILL ATTACHED

The kite flies
In the sky
Almost free;
But just like
The abuse
Still
Attached
To me.

Rayleen

EYES WIDE OPEN

I want people to see
People must see
With eyes wide open
People must see
how many children have been hurt
the long lasting effects of abuse
that children must be free and have wings to fly
that children must have hope and security to grow
that children must have courage and not be afraid to live

People MUST see
With eyes wide open.

Lois

OPEN YOUR HEART

I come not to discuss my life experience
but rather to bring awareness of the impact
that abuse has on a person, especially on a child.

Abuse shatters dreams
it causes one to despair, not knowing where to turn.
Emotional, mental, physical and sexual
None of them easy.

A child needs nurturing
reassurance that everything will be okay.
A child looks for a sense of security
But instead her trust is betrayed.

Why should a child be weighed down by such a horrific experience.
Who will be guiding this child
towards a happy and successful life.

Unfair, to say the least
what are we doing to show our innocent children
that they are safe.

What difference are you willing to make
will you open your heart or will you turn the other way.
It takes a tremendously strong spirit
to bear all its pressures.

H.

UNLEASHING MY SILENCED VOICE

I have no voice
I draw in silence
I speak through my drawings
Our silent tears are overflowing with screaming pain
Our Mother's hate inflicted upon her child for a lifetime to remain
The Beast's hand created too many tears
For each tormented tear we created a child
My voice of what I hear and see from so many children inside
In my drawings you'll see the torture we survived
Please, Please don't destroy my silent voice
Keep it safe
Protect it
So we can share it
Please, Please don't throw out my silent voice
You see we must say Hello to our pain in our silent tears
Before we can say Goodbye to our pain we survived in fear

Gloria

SEE ME

See me
I’m me, not you
Though as a child
I didn’t know
where I ended
and you began.

I’m your daughter
I’m your sister
I’m not a sex object
See me,
I’m me, not you.

See me
NOW
I am a beautiful child
Bright and pure
In order to escape your eyes
I had to leave my body
With you,
While I had to go somewhere else
Into blackness, scary but safe.

I can be part of this tree
Hidden in its curves and lines
No one can see me
I am covered and held
Here I am safe enough
to close my eyes
to sleep.

Beth

BREAK THE SILENCE

Break the silence, to heal the hurt
Make me feel what I once learned.
Stripped of dreams, so long ago
The courage within makes me whole.

Bleeding inside, screaming with pain,
Make me believe in life once again.
The struggle within is hard every day
Break the silence, there is no other way.

The courage within, that's what you need.
Break the silence of another man's greed.

Stolen dreams, so long ago
Made me hate my lonely soul.
Time to heal the lonely child
Bring back the love and beautiful smile!

Derrick B.

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

Fountain of youth
Help us speak the truth.

My pain inside is so real
Fountain of youth, help me heal.

Use your voice that's what it's for.
Speak your mind and thank the Lord.
Time will heal your precious heart
Break the silence and make a new start.

Derrick B.

For the Monument to actualize the power of change, its' message will have to be seen by many. For people to be changed, they have to be touched and called to action.

Art has the power to reach beyond people's conceptual defenses and touch the soul. Connecting with the deeper spirit of humanity has always been one of the purposes of making art. As one quilt square artist said,

"I would like the Monument to ‘tug' at people's hearts, and make them face and acknowledge the widespread abuse. I don't want them to sit idle, but rather take an active part in putting an end to all the suffering of the innocent ones."

In order to reach out to more of society, The Child Abuse Survivor Monument Project is worked toward a major national arts exhibition. In addition to the art works, the Monument Project displays employ information highlight boards to help develop awareness of child abuse, its ramifications and its prevention.

The display material examines the basic issues of abuse and includes guides to help viewers understand survivors' concerns and dispel many myths that exist about abuse and abuse survivors.

The Message of Survivors

Society is finally becoming aware of the extent of child abuse, and in particular, child sexual abuse. Unfortunately, child sexual abuse is an area fraught with much naivete and misconception.

Helping society come to terms with child abuse is one of the goals voiced by Project survivor/artists. Upon finishing her quilt square Janet wrote, "I want to assist in further ‘breaking the silence' on this issue — for the Monument and show to be a reminder that both women and men were sexually abused as children and need to be heard."

Voicing the sentiments of many other quilt square participants Cherlyn declared, "If one child hears the TELL message and gets help, WOW."

It is highly significant that the people primarily responsible for creating this enormous act of social action and benefit are themselves survivors.

Each quilt square is an important voice that is directed to other survivors and to the community at large. Maria stated,

"I would really like the sculpture that I worked on to have an opportunity to speak to the hearts, minds and souls of those who view it. It is my hope that there will be understanding that the real damage done to child sexual abuse victims and other child abuse victims goes for deeper than the physical. It affects our very being and who we are and become. It impacts the rest of our lives."

These survivors of childhood abuse are moving into the public domain to prevent further victimization and ignorance. To prevent the further victimization of other innocent children is an ultimate victory over the legacy of this devastating form of violence.

Standing up and speaking out with action can be empowering, and that empowerment affects others. In making a quilt square one participant related, "I got in touch with the strength I have and the hope to be strong in life. I have spoken more about my experience with the sculpture as a focus. I want the Monument Project to be able to assist others in their healing and to work for prevention."

The sculpted quilt squares will be a voice on the Monument, and through the travelling art and educational exhibition they will visit small and large communities across Canada. Through its wide exposure, the public art/information exhibits will have an enormous effect on individual survivors, and on society's understanding of the issues around child abuse.

Art and Education Exhibitions and Displays

The art and education exhibition has three components.

First, the art work for the exhibition comes directly from the bronze Monument's sculpted 276 quilt squares. The molds used to make these quilt squares into bronze are for the purpose of the exhibition used to form light-weight and highly portable cast paper wall sculptures. Each wall sculpture is framed 26" by 36"and encompasses 6 quilt squares.

Second, these cast paper sculptures are accompanied by 46 poster boards of poetry from the Project's art workshops.

Third, Information Highlights, which review survivor issues, join them to create a comprehensive art and educational composition.

Maple Leaf Gardens Exhibition

By including poster boards with vignettes of survivors' stories through their poetry and materials of an educational descriptive nature, the Child Abuse Survivor Monument Project Quilt Exhibition took on a unique form. It became more than just an art show.

Approaching an exhibition with art, stories and educational information is, in part, premised on the belief that people are far more sophisticated today and want more than a visual impact when attending an art exhibition. In art, we want the awe and wonder of aesthetic achievement; yet we also want to learn, to think and to participate. We want to be cimages/smp_icon2.gifhallenged emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.

A Variety of Venues

The entire show is appropriate for a large public site, such as a major gallery or museum. The exhibition also lends itself to being separated into smaller components which will allow several simultaneous displays at regional shows or smaller venues. Panel units of the project lend themselves to short-term presentations at conventions, shopping malls and other public settings.

Public displays of The Child Abuse Survivor Monument Project began in the fall of 1996. We have had more than a dozen display exhibits at conferences and other Community Events.

The first showings of The Child Abuse Survivor Monument Project Quilt Exhibition occurred in Collingwood, Ontario in June 1998.

The full group of information highlights were first shown at Maple Leaf Gardens in September 1998 and are always on exhibit in our gallery/sculpting studio at 30 Birch Avenue in Toronto.

Over the millennium period, in the Fall of 1999 the Child Abuse Survivor Monument Project Quilt Exhibition and an accompanying Public Awareness campaign was toured across Canada.

One of our dreams would be a coast to coast tour of the the full size monument.