According to End Abuse Wisconsin, one in five teens experience dating violence in Wisconsin. Two out of three teens who are in an abusive relationship have never told anyone about it. Teen dating violence is a real issue, one that most people might not even be aware of. The Christine Ann Center has recognized this problem and helped spread awareness in the community through an art show centered around the motto “Love Shouldn’t Hurt.”

Outreach Children’s Advocate Trisha Huberty helped coordinate the event.

“February is teen dating violence awareness month, represented through the color orange, and we just really thought of this event to spread awareness throughout the community,” she said. “We want people to realize how unfortunately prevalent teen dating violence is and to let everyone know that help is here.”

On February 18, the Christine Ann Center hosted a gallery at the Grand, showcasing teen artwork from across the community. Among the many submissions, 20 West art students’ work were selected.

“There is not a lot of recognition for the students' artwork,” art teacher Jason Ryf said. “We thought this was a good opportunity to help spread awareness about teen dating violence and also spread awareness about our students’ art.”

The art show looked for all mediums of art including photography, paint, 3-dimensional art, sketches, digital art, and even poems and poetry. Art teacher Linda Geffers saw this opportunity as a unique experience.

“We have never done a show with them before,” she said. “We usually have to host our own shows, so this is a first, which is nice because everything else has been canceled.”

Ryf looked at this as a great way to educate the public as well as enjoy the community that is created through art gatherings.

“With getting everyone to congregate safely and to see the work and come out and talk about the art with other people, there will hopefully give something positive to it,” he said.

With precautions in place, the Christine Ann Center was able to share their message.

“We teach kids a lot of healthy coping skills and art is the number one coping skill that we have seen in kids and teens,” Huberty said. “It's really neat to see their own creative interpretations of our theme ‘Love Shouldn’t Hurt’; it really acknowledges teens and their strengths and what we represent.”

The exhibit aimed to encourage teens to utilize art as well as other healthy coping mechanisms during difficult times.

“You relate differently depending on who you are,” Geffers said. “Some people like to look at the language of visual art, some people want to listen to speakers, some want to go on podcasts, some want to talk to a counselor.”

Junior Trinity Funnell sees this show as an important opportunity to spark impactful conversations and inspire others.

“People usually ask about the meaning behind the art, which opens up the conversation of the issue it represents,” she said. “The art may need no interpretation as the image or structure clearly expresses the story.”

Junior Paige Helfrich realizes how art can be helpful in a multitude of situations and is often overlooked.

“I think art in general is important, and can often go underappreciated as a form of therapy and self expression,” she said. “Art can be a way to escape reality the same way books and sports do for many people already, and can be an outlet for issues such as that of this gallery.”

Helfrich wants her art to have a positive effect on others, and encourages young people to pursue the same goal.

“I think art can express many emotions and messages, and within that it can display issues and topics that often go unnoticed in society, which is why I think it's important for younger artists to realize the impact art can have and become aware of the messages we can spread through our art,” she said. “If art as a passion can help other people along the way, it makes it even more worth creating.”

During the pandemic, Funnel created a piece in an abstract way to represent her dreams and goals for the future while trying to find hope and determination through these hard times. She hopes that others would use art as a way to help themselves.

“Art allows people to channel their feelings and experiences into visual mediums, making them very powerful and impactful pieces,” she said. “It is important that people utilize art to help themselves cope or to express a message they are passionate about because others will see it and learn from it.”

The Christine Ann Center is determined to spread awareness throughout the community and wants children and teens to know that they are enough no matter what they might go through.

“Any time somebody has witnessed abuse or experienced it themselves, there is a lot of trauma that builds in them and people unfortunately choose unhealthy outlets,” Huberty said. “Art is just one of the healthy coping skills that we teach kids to try and express themselves in a healthy way. We talk to teens about coping skills, self-esteem, self-worth, and self-care. We want them to know that they all deserve healthy relationships.”

By Emma Olson

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue V

February 26th, 2021

Artists lend talents to ‘Love Shouldn’t Hurt’ awareness gallery