THE SILENT WITNESS EXHIBIT

They present a formidable presence, these figures. Blood red, life size silhouettes, silent witnesses representing women killed by domestic violence in Oregon. Each figure bears a shield with the victim’s name, age, date of death, and story of how she was murdered.

The first Silent Witness Exhibit was created in 1990 in Minnesota by a group of women artists and writers. By the summer of 1997, all 50 states had created exhibits. On October 18, 1997, 1500 witnesses from all 50 states and several countries joined in the ’’March to End the Silence’’ in Washington DC to raise awareness about domestic violence. The Silent Witness National Initiative continues its work to raise awareness and end domestic violence. For more information about the national organization, visit its web page, at .

Womenspace and the Women of Color Caucus of the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (OCADSV) created Oregon’s first Silent Witness Exhibit in 1995. Now sponsored by Womenspace in partnership with The Love Shouldn’t Hurt Committee, the exhibit’s 22 figures represent women from across Oregon who died as a result of domestic violence.

Several local communities have created Silent Witness Exhibits representing women from their part of the state whose deaths were caused by domestic violence. All of the exhibits are available to groups who would like to sponsor them. The Silent Witnesses are a powerful visual reminder of the toll of domestic violence. For more information about the exhibits available in Oregon or if you are interested in hosting the exhibit, please contact Amber Murray .