Empty Place at the Table

Domestic violence is a deadly crime that creates a painful void a permanent empty place at the table for families whose loved ones were killed at the hands of abusers. A unique exhibit captures this reality and offers a reminder of the lethality of domestic violence.

Homicides create an empty place

Organized by local domestic violence programs in collaboration with the families and friends of victims, An Empty Place at the Table exhibit:

• recognizes the individuality of each victim
• establishes a way to mourn the loss of their lives
• raises awareness about domestic violence and the impact of this crime on families and communities

This exhibit comprises individual place settings with photographs, and personal items such as a childs favorite toy, a womans bracelet or a teenagers artwork.

When and how it began

Following a cluster of domestic violence murders in Lackawanna County, PA in 1993, the community responded by holding a rally and march outside the courthouse. To keep the momentum for social change alive, rally organizers and the Womens Resource Center, Inc., a member of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV), worked together to create An Empty Place at the Table.

This exhibit demonstrates the devastating result of violence against women and children and helps ensure that these deaths are not forgotten. In a most poignant and visual manner, the exhibit reveals how domestic violence undeniably leaves an empty place at the table.

Adding place settings

Since the projects inception, domestic violence programs throughout PA have worked with victims loved ones to create Empty Place at the Table exhibits in their communities. PCADV has featured the statewide display twice at the State Capitol in Harrisburg.

The National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Project has promoted the exhibit and, as a result, similar displays are now being established throughout the nation. The exhibits, often displayed during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, offer an opportunity to memorialize women and children who have been killed by batterers.

Memorial artwork

Mary Ellen was a 39-year-old woman who sought refuge at the Womens Resource Center safehouse before fleeing from her abusive husband to Florida. Her husband tracked her down and killed her in 1989.

The artwork c1995 is an original watercolor painted by artist Julia Valenza. The painting is a representation of Mary Ellens place setting enhanced with items from other womens settings. WRC commissioned the painting to represent all the place settings in the memorial art exhibit, An Empty Place at the Table.

For more information, please contact the Women´s Resource Center,Inc.