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Empower. Listen. Believe
Artwork Title: Be Quiet
Artist: Alejandra Alvarez
2018, silkscreen on Bristol paper, courtesy of the artist
From the artist: "I started doing silkscreen prints in 2013 after returning from Chile, where I was able to learn about street activism and muralists through my own independent research. Art has become my own form of activism and organizing practice. I have also learned collage, printmaking and mosaic techniques through a community art center in my hometown of Chicago. The piece I shared for the rEVOLUTION gallery show was made in 2018 after living abroad and experiencing intense street harassment, it was made using the silkscreen technique and printed on Bristol paper. The word is in Arabic and means 'be quiet, silence or to shut up'. All three words are synonymous with how survivors of sexual violence are silenced. For me, art has become a cathartic practice to shed the layers of trauma and embrace my own story of resiliency as a survivor of domestic violence/intimate partner violence. I hope this piece empowers and resonates with many."
Work of art and above commentary contributed by
Alejandra Alvarez
U-M Student, Artist
About the show
The work above is one of several pieces of art from the U-M community included in the virtual exhibition rEVOLUTION: Transformation, the 16th annual art show curated and presented by the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center. "Our goal with this event is to create and engage in a supportive community space for survivors where UM student allies and survivors will build empathy and an understanding of sexual violence and healing through the unique creative expression of survivor experiences and perspectives," the organizers said.
Reflection Prompts:
  • Alvarez's work includes several prints of lips, slightly open, as if they are about to speak. It shows a crucial moment in the experiences of survivors of sexual abuse: Do I talk or not? Will I be believed or not? Will telling my story help or not? At this crucial moment many survivors will be silenced. Much work still needs to be done to create a wide-spread culture of support that listens to, believes, and helps survivors. What can you do to encourage that culture change?
  • Thinking about the #MeToo movement and other recent moments of cultural change around believing and supporting survivors of sexual abuse and assault — what role has art had in moving those conversations forward? Have you seen a piece recently that has stayed with you?
Explore the full online art show
rEVOLUTION: Transformation
Presented by the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center and the Survivor Empowerment and Ally Support Program, the rEVOLUTION art show includes entries from all forms of art. Explore visual works, dances, poems and more in the online gallery available now.
Resources
Support Services offered by SAPAC Survivor Care Team
The SAPAC Survivor Care Team consists of full-time, professional Case Managers and Advocates, and highly-trained U-M Master of Social Work interns. Their team is here to help, and provides a wide array of supportive services for survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, sexual harassment, and gender-based harassment. 
Local Resource
Ann Arbor's SafeHouse Center offers 24 hour HelpLine

The SafeHouse Center HelpLine is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to answer calls from survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Advocates and volunteer counselors are available to answer questions and provide support for survivors and their family members and friends.

SafeHouse Center HelpLine: (734) 995-5444
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