Artist Sarah C. Rutherford collaborated with Willow Domestic Violence Center to create “Stories of Strength,” a public monument to honor survivors’ journeys of healing. This six-story mural located on the Time Square Building in downtown Rochester, provides a way for the public to share in this journey of healing. In 2022, Sarah and Willow embarked on an expansion of the project by focusing on broadening understanding and awareness of survivors’ experiences. Recognizing that survivors are more than their traumas, the collaboration centers on conversations about the journey of healing and strategies for sharing these journeys with others. 30 survivor stories have been recorded, providing opportunities to individuals at various stages of their healing to share their narratives. Throughout the process, careful attention was paid to multiple consent checkpoints, ensuring the safety and comfort of survivors. In October of 2024, this initiative will culminate in an exhibition at RIT City Art Space. The exhibition will showcase interview excerpts, artwork featuring the hands of survivors, a public offering of the workshop that was developed with Willow counselors, as well as artwork exploring disenfranchised grief.

The culmination of a two-year partnership between Sarah and Willow Domestic Violence Center, this multi-sensory exhibition weaves recordings of Survivors’ stories with drawings of Survivors’ hands in an immersive installation exploring themes of disenfranchised grief, witnessing, and storytelling as a tool for personal and collective empowerment.

Whether you have experienced trauma, loss, or unacknowledged grief, this project invites all to listen and share on the path to healing.

The Willow Domestic Violence Center works to prevent domestic violence and ensure every survivor has access to the services and supports needed along the journey to a safe and empowered life. Their vision is a community free from domestic violence, where healthy relationships thrive.