Release through October 31st, 2009 or FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE




Exhibit Showcases Artwork Created by Survivors of Domestic Violence

Pomona, CA (October 1, 2009) – Through October, A Window Between Worlds (AWBW) will commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month with its “BREAKING FREE: Art as a Healing Tool” Exhibit held at the dA Center for the Arts, 252 South Main Street, Pomona CA 91766. The exhibit will showcase works created by families in domestic violence shelters throughout Los Angeles and express the healing power of art and resilience of women and children survivors. Curated by Southern California Women's Caucus for Art President Sandra Mueller, the show will also feature AWBW’s Community Story Tree mural and selections from founder Cathy Salser’s Portraits of Survivor series. The opening reception takes place during the monthly Pomona Art Walk on October 10th from 6 to 9 pm. There will be a candlelight vigil and resource fair on October 24th. The exhibit will continue through October 31, 2009.

BREAKING FREE: Art as a Healing Tool will provide patrons with a unique perspective documenting the stories of battered women and children as they journey out of violence. Their images of hope, survival and strength illustrate the power of art as “a window between worlds” for survivors taking steps towards changing their futures. The artwork showcased throughout the exhibit enables survivors to share their voices in a safe and receptive environment, encouraging viewers to reflect on the impact of domestic violence in their own lives.

The exhibition is a collaborative project with SCA Project Gallery, which is hosting a juried companion show entitled Shelter. Rat Powered Films is working with AWBW to create a new film profiling survivors that will have its first screening at the BREAKING FREE exhibit. People are asked to donate new and slightly used art supplies, which will be collected at the dA all month long.

The exhibition is made possible, in part, by the generosity of individual donors and funding from the LA County Arts Commission.

A Window Between Worlds (AWBW) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using art as a tool to help end domestic violence. The only organization of its kind, AWBW provides healing workshops for 45,000 participants in 28 states each year. By providing a safe environment that promotes healing, AWBW’s art workshops enable women and children to develop a renewed sense of hope and possibility, empowering them to express emotions, rebuild self-confidence, and envision a future free of violence. AWBW’s leadership trainings are available to any agency or organization seeking to implement art as a source of healing for survivors of domestic violence.

Contact: Andrea Penagos,
A Window Between Worlds
(310) 396-0317 apenagos@awbw.org