Artist Talk/Screening March 29, 2008

Lisa Kessler, Boston based photographer, will present a talk about her work which deals with “the church as a failed refuge for children,” and she will show her short film "Heart in the Wound", part of a series of work exploring the power and vulnerability of children in the context of institutions presumed to protect them. The images were made during the clergy sexual abuse crisis in the archdiocese of Boston, a time when old secrets were projected against a canvas of power and denial. Faith came up short: forgiveness was sought before problems were comprehended.

Kessler says, "I wanted to document the healing in the church and on the street, but only pain and rage and denial unfolded in front of me. Five years on, I still cannot make sense of the abuse and the betrayal of the institutional church. But the revelations illustrate a broader truth: the most common person to sexually abuse a child is an adult they know and trust, and the effects of that betrayal are profound." Childhood trauma remains alive in adult survivors, driving them down paths of destruction or across rich terrains of psychic reconfiguration. "Heart in the Wound" explores the forces of power and shame at the heart of sexual abuse, and the transforming potential of speaking truth to power.

"Giving Shelter" is an invitational exhibition of fifty artists from across the U.S. and beyond, exploring the themes of shelter, refuge and sacred space. It is in conjunction with The Cradle Project, a fund raising art installation for orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa. For more information on The Cradle Project, please visit www.thecradleproject.org.

"Giving Shelter" is on view March 1-29, 2008. For more info call 242-1445.

This event is FREE.

Official Website: http://www.516arts.org/calendar.html