My script about intimate partner violence,'In Shelter', was awarded an Honorable Mention by the New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest and was also a Semi-finalist work in Theatre 503 International Playwriting competition.

The Red Carpet Project

Rehumanizing victims of woman abuse


Mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, cousins, grandmothers, friends, colleagues -- too many women gone from our lives. Globally, almost 60,000 women are murdered by an intimate partner each year; 1,800 of them in the U.S. That these numbers remain constant indicates that we accept them. Why is femicide acceptable?


While investigating kind memories shared about the women whose names are on this canvas, I recognized a trend. Initial search results for ninety percent of the names typed into Google were mug shots of abusers, press coverage of abusers’ trials and details of their crimes. Some women’s information wasn’t yielded until the third search page.

To give attention to something honors it. Our culture and media honor violent men.


The Red Carpet Project evolved from a conversation with fellow artists about my painting ‘XX Revue’. We realized other artists had similar images hanging in their studios, enough for a group show. My play, IN SHELTER, had recently been workshopped at The B-Street Theatre in Sacramento, CA, and, as we discussed reading the script in a setting of powerful artwork, we lamented that women we wished could see this show never would. They’d never again visit a gallery, attend an event, or walk a red carpet.


The idea of The Red Carpet canvas was born -- paint the names of women killed by their partners and something beautiful someone said about them. The names on the canvas came from the 2016 & 2017 National Coalition Against Domestic Violence ‘Remember My Name’ posters: hundreds of women’s names listed with their ages and States in which they resided. More names were researched than could fit on the 50’ canvas. Some of these women are honored on the Mandalas artist Brenda Ceurvorst created with me.


The events portrayed in IN SHELTER are fictionalized versions of episodes I either survived growing up in an educated, privileged extremely violent home or observed when working at an underfunded 30 day safehouse while pursuing my MFA. Shelters have progressed in recent decades to allow residents longer stays, greater access to financial and career assistance, and steps towards independent living.

The violence which necessitates protective housing remains unchanged.


Perhaps, if we begin to focus on the loss of women in our lives, rather than the cruelties inflicted upon them, the above statistics will no longer be acceptable. -- Jane Graille

The Red Carpet Project evolved from a conversation between artists in my studio space. We all realized we had at least one painting which depicts an aspect of woman abuse.

Our hope with combined artistic elements of this show at G1/CW gallery is to provoke discussions about how great an impact the loss of so many women has on our lives and our communities.

The Red Carpet Project, a multi-genre collaboration, presents artists' depictions of femininity and strength, and humanizes the memories of women felled by domestic violence.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and my intent is that the canvas roll, paintings and play which comprise The Red Carpet Project create an artistically provocative environment which inspires conversations about misogyny and its effect on our lives.

Please consider donating on our IOBY page: https://www.ioby.org/project/red-carpet-project

I've relocated to a beautiful city, and am focusing on writing as I haven't studio space yet.

The really great news is that my script, IN SHELTER, will be workshopped at Sacramento's B Street Theatre 16-22 April 2018.

I'm one of 4 women artists showing work at OPAL's satellite gallery Prairie Title in Oak Park. Our works will be on display until 8 December. If you have the opportunity to stop by, please do so. I'm honored to be sharing space with these talented ladies.
Jane

I've been accepted as an Artist Member of the Oak Park Art League OPAL!
Learn more at: http://www.oakparkartleague.org/