Still Waters
Natasha Rodriguez and David Wolanski

Still Waters looks at domestic violence through the lens of a photographer and the canvas of a painter. The exhibition was held in the Dover Art League’s Holden Gallery. In January 2015, Wolanski began the project by reaching out through social media and his blog – Domestic Violence Around Us: One in Four is horrific – for women who would tell their stories of domestic violence and agree to be photographed. His goal was 100 women.

The exhibit features the 15 women who “have been brave enough” to step forward, Wolanski said. He reached out to Rodriguez not only because of the “raw emotions” seen in her paintings but also because she, too, is a survivor of domestic violence. For Rodriguez, the artwork on display in, Still Waters, is not only an outlet for what she has gone through as a victim and survivor of domestic violence – it also is a way of healing.

“It’s a big issue that needs to be brought to life. This project is therapeutic for me. It’s about bringing light to the many people we pass in the street who might be affected by domestic violence. For those who are going through it, there is hope.” — Natasha Rodriguez