Engaging Communities through an Art Program at a Domestic Violence Shelter

This chapter is a case study, written from the perspective of a visual artist, designer, and educator, reflecting on a five-year volunteer initiative of developing, leading, and funding an art program at a domestic violence shelter for battered women and adolescent girls who experienced sexual violence. One purpose of this chapter is to provide information about establishing art programs that can be sustained by the institutions in which they are introduced. This chapter discusses the following aspects: 1) breaking the ice and establishing rapport; 2) training and supervising staff and student volunteers; 3) fund-raising, grant writing, and seeking support both within and outside the agency; 4) partnering with organizations or community groups to set up art exhibitions; 5) partnering with artists and writers to print and distribute an educational publication; and 6) developing research with vulnerable populations serviced by the agency.