There's a celebration going on downtown on Walnut Street.

        Forty brightly decorated T-shirts proclaim survival and resilience for the women of Greater Cincinnati dealing with the scars of domestic violence. Women as young as 20, as old as 78; some living, some dead. Some abused by their lovers, some by their own children.

A volunteer decorates a t-shirt for Domestic Violence Awareness Month | ZOOM |

        In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month , the YWCA co-sponsors The Clothesline Project, a provocative exhibit designed by domestic violence survivors, family and friends and women living in the shelter.

        They worked under the guidance of women artists from the Women's Art Gallery and volunteers from Lazarus Partners in Time. In conjunction with the exhibit, the YWCA also presents a luncheon with national domestic violence expert Anne O'Dell at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the gallery. An opening reception will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

        In the United States, every 12-15 seconds a woman is battered, and domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15-44.

        “People here are affected by the recent bombings,” says Charlene Ventura, YWCA Cincinnati's president and CEO, “but that's nowhere near what these women deal with every day. They worked hard on these T-shirts and you can really see their pain” in the design of shirts.

Pain every day

POEM

A Strong Woman Versus A Woman of Strength    A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape . . .    but a woman of strength builds relationships to keep her soul in shape.    A strong woman isn't afraid of anything . . .    but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.    A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her . . .    but a woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone.    A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future . . .    but a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be unexpected blessings and capitalizes on them.    A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face. . .    but a woman of strength wears grace.    A strong woman has faith she is strong enough for the journey . . .    but a woman of strength has faith in the journey that she will become strong.    Pass this on to a Great Woman . . . I just did.    — Anonymous poem written on Clothesline Project T-shirt

IF YOU GO

What: The Clothesline Project exhibit    Where: YWCA, 898 Walnut St. downtown    When: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Nov. 2.    How much: Exhibit free. Tuesdayluncheon with domestic violence expert Anne O'Dell, $25, call for reservations.    Opening reception 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday Free.    More info: 241-7090.

        Some shirts are colorful. Some have handwritten messages. Some are elaborate, some are plain. All have powerful emotions draped from shoulder to shoulder throughout the exhibit.

        Since 1999, 19 women have been murdered by their abusers in Hamilton and Clermont County.

        Although most participants chose to remain anonymous, the family of murder victim Cassandra Betts designed two shirts in her honor. She died just before Christmas last year , shot in her car while her daughter lay sleeping in the back seat. Ms. Betts' mother and aunt are dealing with the loss and healing while waiting for the accused's trial.

        Domestic violence is a silent epidemic that affects the lives of many women and children. More than 1,000 women and children a year have found shelter at the YWCA's Battered Women's Shelters in the Greater Cincinnati area.

A national movement

        Providing a face and a voice to violence against women statistics, this project celebrates a woman's strength to survive and provides an avenue for her to courageously break the silence.

        It is the first exhibit in Cincinnati for a project that has been a national movement since 1990. Thirty-one shirts were displayed on the village green in Hyannis, Mass., in October 1990 as part of an annual Take Back the Night March and Rally. Eleven years later, more than 35,000 shirts have been displayed in exhibits across the country.

        “Women in our shelters are still making T-shirts,” Ms. Ventura says. “As women arrive, they see what the women already there are doing, and they want to make one, too. It's very therapeutic for them. I'm surprised at how creative these women are, considering what they've gone through.”

        Currently, three shelters provide safe places for battered women and their children: the Battered Women's Shelter for Hamilton County, 872-9259 or (888) 872-9259, the YWCA Eastern Area House of Peace for Brown, Clermont and Clinton counties (753-7281) and the Kentucky Women's Crisis Center, (859) 491-3335.

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