PORT ANGELES — An exhibit of life-sized silhouette figures symbolizing deaths through domestic violence will appear on Peninsula College’s Port Angeles campus Monday.
Each of the 53 cardboard figures in the Silent Witness exhibit has a badge on its chest and the story of an individual or family killed in Washington state through domestic violence.
The exhibit, which was in Sequim’s Centennial Place last week, will be erected by Healthy Families of Clallam County, based in Port Angeles.
To provide more facts behind the shadowy figures will be Rebecca Korby, executive director of Healthy Families of Clallam County, during a Studium General program at 12:35 p.m. Thursday.
Domestic violence
Korba will talk about domestic violence, its effects and what is being done to prevent it
Her free presentation will be in the Little Theater, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
The Silent Witness exhibit, borrowed from the Quileute tribe’s New Beginnings program, is in recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The figures represent the number of men, women and children killed in domestic violence episodes last year.
That total included one domestic-violence-related homicide in Clallam County, according to the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The silhouette movement started in 1990 in Minnesota.
At least 26 women were murdered, and their assailants all were suspected to be husbands, boyfriends or other intimate partners, according to http://tinyurl.com/pdn-silentwitness.
A group of women artists and writers joined with other women’s organizations to form Arts Action Against Domestic Violence.
The women designed free-standing, life-sized, red wooden figures, each one bearing the name of a woman who had been killed — the Silent Witness exhibit.
Korby has worked for Healthy Families for 10 years and has served as its executive director for six.
The agency serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse/neglect.
In April, the Children’s Advocacy Center was established as an additional program.
Korby has more than 800 hours of specialized training in domestic violence, sexual assault and victim services.
More background
In 2006, she was qualified as an expert witness in domestic violence cases by Commissioner Bill Knebes of the Clallam County Superior Court and by the Makah Tribal Court in 2007.
Korby held a seat on the board of directors of the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs for five years and now chairs the Clallam County Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Task Force.
She also is a member of the Clallam County Homelessness Task Force.
For information on other upcoming events, visit www.pencol.edu or www.facebook.com/PeninsulaCollege.
