Art display planned for Williams

A silhouette bearing the story of LSA senior Tamara Williams, who was stabbed to death by her boyfriend Sept. 23, will join the Junior League's Silent Witness collection.

"Silent Witnesses are life-size figures of women that have been murdered at the hands of their partners," said Barbara Scott, an Ann Arbor Junior League officer.

The Silent Witnesses is a collection of red silhouettes depicting a generic woman with golden plaques detailing the deceased women's name, age, date of death and city. This information is engraved on a plaque, along with a few lines about how they died, Scott said.

Williams is the newest victim to be added to the collection, Scott said.

"I think when you read something in the paper ... you're still distant from it," Scott said. "If you had known that person, it would've had more impact on your life. That is what these life-size figures do. It's our way of paying tribute to these women."

The silhouette of Williams will include the story of her death, as well as the death of her on-and-off boyfriend Kevin Nelson.

Director of Family Housing Eric Luskin said the silhouette of Williams will bring something positive from the tragedy.

"It's a very powerful display," Luskin said. "It sends a reminder about the victims and their lives. It sends us a reminder about what has to be done.

"The notion that something good can come out of this is heartening."

Five of the silhouettes, including the Williams memorial, will be taken by three Junior League members to the Silent Witness National Initiative in Washington, D.C. this weekend. The conference will display silhouettes from every state, and members will be involved in a march and vigil near the Capitol on Saturday evening.

"We are moving toward the goal of zero domestic murders by 2010," Scott said.

The silhouettes are scheduled to be loaned to six organizations throughout the year.

"The silhouettes are loaned out to different organizations, including schools and domestic violence conferences," Scott said.

Heather Sauber, a campus publicity and networking co-coordinator for the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, said the silhouettes will be on loan to SAPAC from Oct. 25 through Nov. 7, in conjunction with the Clothesline Project, which showcases T-shirts designed by the survivors of domestic abuse.

"(Domestic violence) is a struggle and we're still working on ending it," said Sauber, an LSA senior. "We need to remember those people who haven't survived."

The silhouettes will be displayed in the Art Lounge of the Michigan Union along with art, poetry and T-shirts from the Clothesline project.

"The whole combination of art and silhouettes makes a huge visual impact," Sauber said. "You can grasp the reality of domestic violence ... because (the silhouettes) are life-size they have a physical impact."

Davidde Stella, student volunteer co-ordinator for SAPAC, also said the combination of displays is educational.

"In a way, since the display is so diverse itself, it reflects how diverse domestic violence is," Stella said. "People do live on ... this is a part of the healing process."

The Junior League orignally borrowed the old silhouettes with generic image from another organization, but decided last year the cut-outs were in bad shape and needed to be replaced. An artisan donated the time to cut the silhouettes and a carpenter put on the finishing touches, Scott said.

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