The Art of Survival - A Snapshot

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SURVIVAL A Snapshot Violence Intervention Program, Inc.

On Thursday, July 14

the Violence Intervention Program, Inc. hosted our first ever Art of Survival event at the El Barrio ArtSpace in East Harlem. We were thrilled to see so many new and old faces come together to enjoy some art, laughter, and discussion. So often when we gather to support the difficult work of ending domestic violence our tone is serious or somber. But, the Art of Survival was a celebration that brought people together to raise awareness about our work through lighter hearts and a little bit of humor.

We are grateful for the contributions of our artists and panelists, who helped make the night such a success. Savannah Chin, a painter, kindly lent over 25 of her original pieces for her first public exhibition, even auctioning off four fabulous paintings and helping us raise over $400!

April Lee Hernández, writer and actor, shared a reading from her touching new book about her experience with domestic violence – of course, with a few laughs thrown in. Following her reading, April helped facilitate an inspiring charla with some of New York City’s leading Latina activists fighting to end domestic violence – María Lizardo from the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, Lety Liriano, activist and niece of Gladys Ricart, and Cecilia Gastón, our very own executive director. Finally, Room 28 Comedy ended the night with a hilarious comedy skit that had us roaring with laughter.

Whether you were able to join us or not, please enjoy this album of highlights from the evening. And, as always, thank you for your continued support of our efforts to lead Latin@ survivors of domestic violence to safety.

the venue. el barrio’s artspace PS109

El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 is a community-driven project which has transformed an abandoned public school building in East Harlem into an arts facility with 89 units of affordable live/work housing for artists and their families and 10,000 square feet of complementary space for arts organizations.

From left to right: Michelle Hernandez, Maria Moreno, Cynthia Montalvo, Cynthia Lopez, Jasmin Fortunato. Omega Phi Beta, Sorority, Inc., Alpha Beta Alumnae Chapter

our guests.

Betsy Mallow, Deputy Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery and VIP Board of Directors; Cecilia Gastón, Executive Director of VIP; and Carmen Vázquez, former VIP Board of Directors member.

Dr. Chris Creatura and Amy Glickman, Lawyer.

our statements.

James S. Rubin, Commissioner of NYS Homes and Community Renewal and his daughter Eliza

Betsy Mallow, Deputy Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery and VIP Board of Directors Member with her son Seba Robbins.

Rachel Strauss-Muñiz, VIP Board of Directors member

Mario Martínez, VIP staff member.

the painter.

Savannah Chin is a self-taught artist based in Astoria, New York. Often with no particular image in mind, she enjoys starting each piece with a blank slate and open mind, letting the colors and textures choose themselves. She can usually be found gallivanting through the woods or navigating Midtown.

savannah chin

the writer.

April Lee HernĂĄndez is a committeed and fierce activist in raising awareness about intimate partner and teen dating violence. Your Voice, Your Choice is her candid firstperson experience with intimate partner violence.

She opens up and shares her story in the hope of empowering others to speak up (or to leave) before it´s too late.

april lee hernĂĄndez

the actors.

There is a saying in the Dominican Republic that when someone is insane they belong in “el cuarto veintiocho” (Room 28); a reference to the insane asylum located at the 28th milepost between the cities of Santiago and Santo Domingo. Here in the United States when you refer to Room 28, you are being reminded of a similar insane group of people—a collective of Hispanic comedic actors who are quickly taking the world of sketch comedy by storm.

room 28

comedy

Actors of Room 28 Comedy including VIP Board member, Rachel Strauss-MuĂąiz.

the round table.

One of the highlights of the evening included an informal panel discussion, or charla, with some of the most prominent and committed Latina leaders in the struggle to end violence against women. The panelists shared about what brings them to this important work, including their own personal and family experiences with domestic violence. The panelists called on attendees to remember that we too, as individuals, can play a role in preventing further violence by lending a hand to a victim, even if they are a stranger.

From left to right: April Lee Hernández, author of Your Voice, Your Choice; María Lizardo, Executive Director of the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation; Lety Liriano, niece of Gladys Ricart; Cecilia Gastón, Executive Director of VIP

thank you to our sponsors Room 28 Comedy Dolores Batista Daniel Baumann FMTC/Hghrise Management Amy Glickman Isabel Kim Oliver & Maxandra Kramer Ernesto Malavé Betsy Mallow Jennifer Muñoz Julissa Vollono

and our donors Tatiana Cardona Habitat Restoration Cynthia Montalvo John Muñoz Vanessa Ramos Asli Ozdemir Minverva Urrutia Carmen Vázquez

call to action.

28,000

Out of supportive housing units available in New York City,

less than 100 are reserved for victims of domestic violence.

90%

of victims face financial abuse that Around takes years to correct. On top of that, the gender pay disparity means that white women earn about 0.78 cents on the white man’s dollar, black women 0.60 and Latinas 0.50 cents.

75%

of undocumented immigrants are women and children. Almost of our clients are undocumented. Fear of deportation often prevents victims from calling the police or leaving their abuser.

50%

75%

what you can do.

Register to vote.

This may be one of the most important elections of our time. Make sure you are registered to vote by October 14th. Visit youramerica.com or tuamerica.com to learn how to help others get registered.

Stay informed.

Read our policy page at vipmujeres.org/policy to stay informed about important issues and calls to action affecting the Latino community.

Donate to support our work.

Beyond the culturally competent services we offer our clients, we work tirelessly to advocate for fairer policies for Latin@s in NYC and the state.

we´ll see you at The 7th Annual Beauty of Survival October 20, 2016 El Museo del Barrio