Finding Our Voices – Breaking the Silence of Domestic Abuse

Katahdin Higher Education Center in Association with Partners for Peace welcomes artist Patrisha McLean, advocate for survivors of domestic violence for a presentation about her acclaimed project, “Finding Our Voices: Breaking the Silence of Domestic Abuse,” on Thursday, April 2nd, from 6 to 8 pm at the Katahdin Higher Education Center at 1 Dirigo Drive, East Millinocket.

McLean is a photojournalist based in Camden who started her project after the arrest of her husband of 29 years on domestic violence garnered worldwide headlines.

“The secret was out in the most public way possible,” McLean said.  “And people all around me started whispering to me about the domestic abuse in their lives. That is when I realized it is everywhere, but no one knows because no one talks about. I decided, I am going to change that, as a survivor, as an artist, and as a journalist.”

Her portraits and audio recordings of 21 domestic violence survivors from all over Maine have been touring the state since the project launched a year ago, including three months at the Holocaust and Human Rights Center in Augusta.

On April 2, Patrisha will share her personal story of entrapment and freedom and share the stories of some of the women in her project, who range from an 18 year old college student from Camden to an 80 year old retired teacher from Scarborough. A panel discussion will follow with two of the survivors in the Finding Our Voices project; the Millinocket police chief Craig Worster, and Mark Rucci, Assistant District Attorney of Penobscot County. “We are thrilled to partner with Katahdin Higher Education Center to offer this important presentation to the Tri-Town area and look forward to welcoming community members that evening” said Cynthia Freeman Cyr of Partners for Peace.

There will be time for questions and answers from the audience.