Art sparks conversations about sexual assault 

The “In Memory of Me” exhibition gives audiences a visual and written experience regarding sexual assault, appreciation for survivors and allows people a safe space to bring up difficult conversations. 

Located in the Rusteberg Art Gallery on the Texas Southmost College campus in Brownsville, “In Memory of Me” is co-curated by Lysset Santibañez, an art education senior and gallery assistant, and Valeria Martinez, a recent UTRGV graduate in studio art and former gallery assistant.

“The exhibition, it’s like an appreciation for the strength and resilience of sexual assault survivors,” Santibañez told The Rider last Tuesday. “And we decided to do this through artwork and, like, poems … just to get different artists and different perspectives, because we feel like poets and visual art as well as 3D art, like, they both have a really huge impact.” 

The gallery features visual art in 2D and 3D, such as “Por Ser Señorita” (oil on canvas) by Natalia Salinas, “Trying To Be Better” (digital illustration) by Dana Moreno and a 3D figure, “Love Hurts” (stoneware and glaze) by Karla Alin Carrizales. 

“In Memory of Me” also showcases poems that give the audience another point of view about sexual assault through powerful words and imagery, such as Cindy Ruiz Zamudio’s “Not All Men,” which is smeared with blood and won the Best in Show award at the opening reception. 

Santibañez added that “In Memory of Me” was needed since she and Martinez believe sexual assault is not talked about enough at UTRGV. 

“About a year ago … we got kind of close,” Santibañez said. “And one summer, when we were working, we started talking about our experiences because we had seen earlier in the year that someone on the Edinburg campus had gotten sexually assaulted and then we never heard anything about it. So, we started talking about, sadly, our experiences with it.” 

Talking about these experiences with other friends and co-workers on campus, they proposed making an art show about it. 

“We just really wanted to do it the right way,” Santibañez said. “We talked to a lot of different people. We got advice and we took that wholeheartedly because we didn’t want it to seem like we were, like, making an aesthetic out of the topic. … And making sure not only were we involved in the sharing of the stories, but that artists were in a safe environment and had access to different resources, not only on campus, but off campus.” 

In the opening reception March 24, about 50 people attended and heard the artists’ heartfelt emotional explanations and the stories behind their work. 

“It was good to be in an environment where everybody felt free and safe to speak about their experiences and to really, like, honor the artists’ and poets’ work,” Santibañez said. “It was great.” 

Martinez, who was extremely nervous during the exhibit, said the turnout was amazing, specifically with the conversations among the attendees, artists and their families. 

“I also think the reception was a success, especially since we’ve had [the Office for Advocacy & Violence Prevention], Friendship of Women [Inc.], Bae-B-Safe,” she said. “… So it was really rewarding to have those organizations come together with us to spread awareness that’s needed in our community.” 

OAVP works with students, staff and faculty to strive for a campus free of gender-based and interpersonal violence by facilitating services for victims and survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual harassment and interpersonal violence. 

All services provided by OAVP are free and confidential. For more information, contact the office at 665-8287 or oavp@utrgv.edu. 

“I think it’s important for people in the community to go and see this exhibit,” Martinez said. “Just because, although they haven’t gone through some of these experiences … it’s important for them to know that it can happen to anybody at any time. And I think it’s important to acknowledge it.”

The exhibit continues through Friday. The Rusteberg Art Gallery has free admission and is open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Wednesday and from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday.