During the month of April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). I carry a bag of chalk with me everywhere I went and whenever I was in public space I created a mark every 107 seconds. In the US someone is sexually assaulted every 107 seconds. That is less than every two minutes. Throughout the month I took pictures of the marks I was making and shared them on social media with various anecdotes about my experiences, others, or statistics and data around the issue. I also answered questions people has about the issue when I was asked. In some cases, others took pictures of the marks and shared them, if they were aware of the project, and several people began making their own marks.
APRIL 2015
In an interesting outcome of the practice, neighborhoods I spent time in became alarmed at the marks on their streets and I felt the need to post in neighborhood groups about the project, allowing for the conversation to also occur in these spaces. Interestingly, the conversation shifted and became more about either 1) neighborhood safety and vigilance and the appropriateness of both or 2) the validity of the art practice I was engaging in and art in general
Resources for Sexual Assault:
If you or someone you know needs help, or you would like more information on what you can do to be of help:
RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1.800.656.HOPE & online.rainn.org), and offers free, confidential services; educates the public about sexual violence; and leads national efforts to prevent sexual violence, improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.