The opening reception for Safe Spaces: A Survivor Art Showcase was held at the Pickens County Museum of Art & History the evening of Friday, November 1, 2024. The artwork, by domestic violence survivors in Channel Missions’ The Hiding Place, is meant to bring awareness in October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but the reception was rescheduled due to Hurricane Helene. The exhibit will run through about the second week of January, 2025. With the exception of art on one particular wall, all of the artwork is for sale, with proceeds benefitting The Hiding Place.

Breann Griffin, Director of The Hiding Place, told The Pickens County Chronicle during the reception that art therapy is a big part of their program, their community support group. “We think there’s healing through art, through painting, and being able to do things,” she said. Betty Waldrop, Griffin said, was the influence of putting art therapy into the program, through her bead work. “She started doing bead work, and I thought this is so amazing,” said Griffin. “She started showing me that, and I started doing it, and I thought this is so healing, during my own journey. And, so, we started to implement it within the program, and the survivors love it. It’s a little different than normal counseling and therapy, things like that. You get to actually make things with your hands.

“So, this is all from survivors or children of survivors who have painted these pieces. It will be up through the end of the year. People can come and see it, and everything except for one wall is for sale. The minimum donation is $25, but people can donate whatever they want for a piece. It all goes to The Hiding Place program.

“Our goal with our program is to get people housing. Sometimes, they come to our on-site property, or we put them in hotels, or we get them with safe family. And, then, the goal is to get them safe housing of their own. So, even once they get their own safe housing, they’re still in our program. We still do community support and things like that to help their healing journey.”

“They were sitting in my house when they first said we want to start The Hiding Place,” Waldrop told The Pickens County Chronicle. “I was the first one, I guess, that knew about it. And, so, I tried to help in every way that I could. I still am. I can’t do much, but I really encourage them. Breann and Jennifer come to my house once a week, and we sit down, and they discuss things. I had known Jennifer since she was a little girl, and she was the one who had brought Breann into my house and introduced me to her. So, that’s how I got to know Breann.”