The Violence Against Women (VAW) Art Map was conceived in the fall of 2018, in the wake of the #MeToo movement by Lauren Stetz, a Ph.D. candidate in Art Education with a minor in at Penn State University. Inspired by the globality of the hashtag movement, Stetz became fascinated by its unique manifestations in different geographic locations, questioning how the universal language of hashtags interacts with complex histories of oppression. Drawing from transnational and intersectional feminisms, Stetz queries the nuances of violence across borders, boundaries, and identity.
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The VAW Art Map can be used to visualize connections between artists globally, highlighting themes such as vulnerability, shame and victim-blaming, and law and government. The VAW Art
INTERVIEWS & PUBLICATIONS
Visual Culture & Gender
"Transnational Artistic Responses: #MeToo and the Creative Coalition" (2020)
by Lauren Stetz
Behind the Art Scene
with Mehreen Hashmi
"Artist Talk with Ewa Grochowska | Art and Activism for Abuse survivors" (2021) with internationally acclaimed Pakistani artist and curator, Mehreen Hashmi
Behind the Art Scene with Mehreen Hashmi
"A Talk with Lauren Stetz | Art Educator on #MeToo and Creative Coalition" (2021) with internationally acclaimed Pakistani artist and curator, Mehreen Hashmi
Penn State Arts & Architecture News
"Art education grad student addresses violence against women with interactive map" (March 17, 2022) by Mackenzie Daly