Art Exhibition Addresses Toxic Relationship Behaviors
Published on: February 10, 2020
BANGOR, MAINE - Husson University announced today that the #LoveBetter Exhibition will be at the Robert E. White Gallery in Peabody Hall on the University’s Bangor campus from February 11 – 28, 2020. An opening reception for the exhibition will take place on February 11, at 4:30 p.m. in the Campus Center, and is being hosted by Husson University’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Students and members of the community are welcome to attend the free reception and exhibition.
“The SAAC identified unhealthy/toxic behaviors that we have all either seen, heard, or experienced first-hand in our relationships, and found ways to represent them through common Valentine’s Day gifts that will be displayed in the gallery,” said Hanna Hembrow, 2020 President of Husson SAAC. “Our goal is to start conversations about the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships and spark change where it may be needed.”
Common Valentine’s Day gifts with disturbing and thought-provoking messages serve as the focal point of the exhibition. A video that captures the essence of the exhibition can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFYkslIiHmI.
The opening reception will feature free food and drinks, free giveaways like stickers and lip balm, and a free do-it-yourself Valentine’s Day card activity.
“The Husson University Student Athlete Advisory Committee is proud to collaborate with the One Love Foundation to bring the #LoveBetter Exhibition to Husson’s campus,” continued Hembrow. “We wanted to create an interactive exhibit available for students and staff to explore unhealthy behaviors in a unique way. Too often, the normalization of negative behaviors hurts our relationships, each other and our community standards.”
The need for raising awareness of toxic behaviors is all too apparent. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, more than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. This epidemic affects people of every age, race, gender, ability, orientation and religion. To help change this reality, the Husson University Student Athlete Advisory Committee collaborated with the One Love Foundation to bring the #LoveBetter Exhibition to the Husson University campus.
About the One Love Foundation:
The One Love Foundation was created in 2010 to honor the memory of Yeardley Love, a University of Virginia senior who was killed by her ex-boyfriend just weeks before graduation. After her death, Love’s family and friends were surprised to learn that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the U.S. experienced intimate partner violence during their lifetimes. The Foundation seeks to get to the root cause of this issue by teaching people how to treat one another in healthier ways.
The statistics associated with relationship abuse among young adults are daunting. According to the One Love Foundation, nearly 50% of women and 40% of men experience relationship violence for the first time between ages 18-24 (2010). The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health found that approximately 30% of adolescents in grades 7 - 12 in heterosexual relationships reported experiencing psychological abuse in the past 18 months. In addition, a 2016 study by the National Institute of Justice found that 20% percent of youth in same-sex relationships reported experiencing psychological abuse.
The One Love Foundation is committed toward ending relationship violence. It strives to achieve this goal by educating, empowering and activating young people in a movement for social change. These young leaders use a multi-layered educational approach by pairing educational videos with research-based discussion guides to foster deep conversations among peers in the classroom, the community and online.
About the Robert E. White Gallery at Husson University
Artists who work in every possible medium including watercolors, oil paintings, pastels, sculptures, ceramics, acrylics, photographs, etchings and installations are featured at the Robert E. White Gallery.
With rotating exhibitions each semester, the gallery provides students with a glimpse into how artists express themselves, giving them added insight as part of their educational experience. The gallery was established in 1992 and named for, and endowed by, Husson alumni and former Board of Trustees Chair Robert E. White '65.
The Robert E. White Gallery is free and open to the public, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is located in Peabody Hall on the campus of Husson University at 54 College Circle, Bangor, Maine. For additional information, contact Gallery Director Kathi Smith by phone 207-941-7004 or by email at smithk@husson.edu.
For more than 120 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent superior value in higher education. Our Bangor campus and off-campus satellite education centers in Southern Maine and Northern Maine provide advanced knowledge in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. In addition, Husson University has a robust adult learning program. According to a recent analysis of tuition and fees by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is one of the most affordable private colleges in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu.