Houlton art show to focus on domestic violence

HOULTON – After a powerfully moving show drew a crowd last year, the Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Project has once again joined hands with the Battered Women’s Project to host an art exhibit geared toward raising awareness about domestic violence, celebrating the survivors and mourning the victims.

The organization’s building on Market Square is also home to the Blue Moon Gallery, where the second annual event will be held during Domestic Violence Awareness month in October.

Titled “A Walk in their Shoes,” the show will be on display Oct 5-28, and gallery officials said they will be accepting work for the exhibit Sept. 26-30.

Last year was the first time that the gallery and the Battered Women’s Project collaborated for the show, which featured the theme “Breaking the Silence.”

Local artists and domestic violence survivors all contributed pieces to the exposition, which included paintings, poetry, quilts and drawings. The artwork depicted a range of emotions – fear, anger, sorrow, and relief – with the images drawn and words written by adults as well as children.

Pieces from The Clothesline Project, which features T-shirts decorated by survivors of domestic abuse, also hung throughout the gallery.

This year, the arts organization is looking for work that expresses thoughts on domestic violence and is created with shoes or features shoes as the subject. Exhibits created with shoes can be painted on or sculpted, for example, and paintings, photos and other work with shoes as the theme may also be submitted.

SACAP is a nonprofit that supports and promotes art in the region. The Battered Women’s Project in Aroostook County has outreach offices at Presque Isle, Caribou, Houlton, Madawaska and Fort Kent.

An opening reception for the show will be held 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6.

For information about submitting entries to the show, call 532-9119.