Hearts

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Hearts Voices Against Violence IowaCASA
Lobby Day 2006
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Corazón Lastimado Healing the Wounded Heart
International Sexual Abuse Survivor Art Exhibit
sponsored by Iowa Coalition Against Sexual
Assault, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic
Violence, and Arte Sana (art heals)

• In our world today, sexual and intimate partner
  violence continue as under-reported crimes that
  impact our communities on a daily basis. In most
  cases the perpetrators are our own family
  members, partners, or acquaintances.
• Often due to shame or fear of the reaction from
  family or the community, many victims suffer in
  silence and never receive the validation nor the
  medical or emotional attention they deserve.
  Furthermore, because we often doubt the validity
  of rape victims' experiences, rape is the least
  reported crime of all crimes despite the fact
  that one in four women will be sexually assaulted
  during their lifetimes.
• For many survivors of sexual and intimate partner
  violence, a first step towards healing is
  breaking the silence. While some may choose to
  share their stories verbally, others may choose
  alternative forms of expression such as the
  creative arts where many survivors often find
  they are able to express the issues related to
  their victimization and healing and convey their
  stories more safely and clearly than with words.
• Historically, art has always served various
  purposes, from advertising political power to
  embodying ideology. Art and music can change a
  person's perception of their world as well as
  their attitude, emotional state, and pain
  perception. They can create hope, a positive
  outlook, and can help people cope with
  difficulties. But even in its most public form,
  its true audience is an audience of one, and its
  true function is to inspire, absorb and reflect
  deep emotions.
• The Corazón Lastimado Healing the Wounded Heart
  survivor art exhibit offers visual testimony to
  the impact of sexual and domestic violence in our
  lives. Sexual abuse survivors, advocates, and
  concerned artists were invited to use wooden
  hearts as vehicles of expression and healing.
  Begun in 2001 primarily as a statewide effort in
  Texas, the project has drawn interest from
  survivors, victim advocates, and artists from
  throughout U.S. and Latin America.
• The following pictures contain select works from
  the exhibit that were displayed IowaCASA / ICADV
  Lobby Day 2006. To view the complete exhibit,
  please visit Arte Sanas online gallery at
  www.arte-sana.com. This moving exhibit invites
  everyone to bear witness and honor the healing
  power of the human heart. We invite you to share
  their stories
• Advisory
• This year, as in previous ones, over 50 percent
  of those who submitted these pieces were abused
  at age 15 or younger. Due to the nature of the
  themes of this exhibit, some of the artwork
  displayed may be explicit and potentially
  disturbing to some, especially young children.
  Parental guidance is advised.

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• Love Heals
• Artist name K.J.H.
• Gender female
• Message A heart filled with love can
• overshadow all wounds. Like a cancer
• in remission. Love overcomes, love
• heals.

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• The Window
• Artist S.C., Survivor
• Gender female
• Message The window frame
• measured 2 feet by one. I wondered
• if I could escape but a large 6 foot 2
• frame blocked my own 56 frame
• that felt smaller, frailer, and dirtier than
  before.

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• Piecing My Life Back
• Together (2002)
• Artist Kimberly Newsome-Maryfield,
• Survivor
• Gender female
• Age at time of abuse 32 years
• Perpetrator/abuser 2 strangers
• Message I was attacked by two men who were
  unknown to me. I was trying to get gas late at
  night. The assault was not on the video tape at
  the station so the police department did not
  believe a crime had ever occurred. I was arrested
  and booked into jail for false report to a
  police officer. I was released on a personal
  bond and my court date is still pending. During
  my recovery and healing period I had many
  sleepless nights. I would sit up at night and
  make quilts. The quilted pieces of the heart
  represent healing and the people who have helped
  me along the way. The black part of the heart
  represents issues I still need to work through. I
  has been a life changing experience and I am now
  piecing my life back together.

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• Fénix (Renacer de las cenizas)
• Phoenix (Rebirth from the ashes)
• Artist Morgana, Survivor - Argentina
• Gender female
• Age at time of abuse 32 years
• Perpetrator/abuser ex-husband
• Message Violación marital
• ensenamos a los/as niños/as Tu cuerpo es tuyo.
  No dejes que nadie le haga lo que t? no quieres.
  Aunque estes casada, si t? no quieres hazte
  respetar, di que no. (Marital rape - we teach
  our children Your body is yours. Don't let
  anyone make you do something you don't want. Even
  if you're married, if you don't want to be
  disrespected, say no.")

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• "She's Thinking of Disappearing
• Artist Bess Green
• Message As an advocate, the thing I struggle
  with most is the way the community fails to
  believe and support those who have the courage to
  speak up. This piece is in large part about a
  child who told (twice) and is still being made to
  have contact with the offender.

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• Hands That Touch the Heart
• Artist Dolores, Survivor
• Gender female
• Age at time of abuse 19-26 years
• Perpetrator/abuser husband (now ex)
• Message Hands are always touching our heart they
  could be friendly, kind, helping to start a life
  or even being abusive! I use my hands to protect
  any heart with music and love.

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• NI UNA MAS! (NOT ONE MORE!)
• Artist Laura Zárate, Arte Sana
• Gender female
• Message This is dedicated to all of the women
  and girls who have been murdered along the
  Texas-Mexico border.

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• Throw Me A Rope
• Artist Laura, Advocate
• Gender female

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• Alone In The Forest
• Artist Anonymous

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• Dreams Lost
• Artist Anonymous, Survivor
• Gender female
• Age at time of abuse 18 years
• Perpetrator/abuser college student
• Message Raped September 17, 2001 by a college
  student at university. I lived.

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• For Silent Sons
• Artist Deanna Allen, Advocate
• CARe Communities Against Rape
• - Indiana

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• We Were Your
• Daughters
• Artist Silvia M. Gutierrez, Survivor
• Gender female
• Age at time of abuse 4-12 years
• Perpetrator/abuser father
• Message I was sexually abused by my father. All
  of my sisters were sexually abused by my father.
  We were his daughters. All we wanted was love.

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Sexual assault advocates IowaCASA staff were on
hand to answer questions provide information