Art Start in Rhinelander is hosting an art exhibit that was started by the Tri-County Council to raise awareness for Sexual Assault.
April is the month we recognize those who have been victims of sexual assault. The Tri-County Council is recognizing these people in a creative way, by asking victims to submit art that help tell their stories.
Nicole Winkler, The Sexual Assault Program Coordinator at Tri-County Council said, "I think it's super meaningful. Sexual assault is a hard topic for people to share and talk about. It's a hard topic for the community to even want to learn about."
From paintings, to notebooks full of sketches. Some people even submitted poems to symbolize their experiences and feelings.
Ashley McLaughlin, The Program and Operations Director at Art Start said, "You can see through some of the pieces here that they need to process potentially, what has happened or how they view the topic. Art gives them an opportunity to do that."
The exhibit is open now through the 19th, Thursdays through Saturdays, from 11am to 4pm. There will be more pieces that will be added in the coming days, including interactive pieces like consent coloring books that organizers hope will help all ages understand the importance of this topic.
Winkler added, "It's a big ask, asking people in the community to be present and show up. Not just for themselves, but for everybody. And say something happened to me, it was horrible, but I'm not going to let it define me."
She also noted that when they reached out to their community, some of the artists were happy to share their story, not only to express their feelings. But to show others that they are not alone.
There will be an event on April 17th where the organizers and artists will be in attendance. They want to celebrate this exhibit along with raising more awareness to the cause.
