FARMINGTON — An art display honoring survivors of violence now graces the walls of the lobby at the Farmington Police Department.

“There’s been some positive comments,” police Chief Jack Peck said of the exhibit titled Portraits of Courage: Where Do We Find the Strength?

Peck asked artist Penny Hood of Farmington to display her work depicting survivors and their advocates at the local station.

“It’s a traveling show,” Hood said at Monday’s domestic violence vigil held by Safe Voices in Farmington.

The show will move to Kingfield on Friday, Oct. 11, for a Safe Voices-hosted art walk and then return to the police station, Peck said.

The work honors the recovery, strength and courage it takes to break the silence and raise awareness, Hood said.

“I started by asking participants, ‘Where did you find the strength to turn toward healing?'” she said. The project portrays the journey from victim to survivor.

Two years ago, Hood, an artist and licensed clinical professional counselor, painted a portrait from an image she found of a 16-year-old Afghanistan girl who had been raped by her neighbor. He was the chief of police and intended to intimidate her family and take their property.

In the image, the girl’s expression was blank, traumatized and hopeless, Hood said in a blog about the work. In her painting, Hood straightened her spine and put resolve in her eyes.

On Monday, Hood said she began to question how survivors get from victim to survivor.

The Portraits of Courage work began with the intention to create 30 portraits of local advocates and survivors to raise awareness and support, she said.

Local police regularly see the faces of victims and are supportive of efforts to deal with violence.

So far this year, the Farmington department has responded to 49 domestic violence reports, Peck said. That is in addition to the 44 cases handled by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.

The Portraits of Courage project is attempting to receive funding through Kickstarter, a U.S.-based private for-profit company that provides tools to raise funds for creative projects via crowd funding through its website.

To support the participants, break the silence, find personal strength and contribute to the project, go to Kickstarter: http://kck.st/17BKq0U. Pledges must be made by Oct. 18.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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