Main fundraiser photo

See Us See Me

A Tribute to Survivors of Sexual Abuse.  Help us build our public art piece and find a home!  

See Us See Me, a public art piece, is designed to celebrate and encourage the progress through all stages of the journey of individuals affected by sexual abuse. We feel a public art piece on public land will have a significant impact.  Your funds will go to creating a physical space for facing the issue of sexual abuse.

                                              Voice.   Community.    Power.





These 3-D renderings exemplify our vision for See Us See Me.  The piece will entail a 30-foot mirror, approachable on foot along a stone walkway surrounded by granite walls. The purpose is so visitors will immediately feel the sense of community of the "See US" community and gain personal strength as they reach the base and "See Me." The art site will have a 12 ft. video wall on the granite stone at the foot of the walkway, reflected in the mirror, showing survivors' stories, artwork, poetry, and global statistics about the journey of surviving sexual abuse. 

See Us See Me, is a 501 c-3 nonprofit. 

My Story:
The first week of June in 2017, I was driving up to the mountains for a few nights' stay. Normally, the overwhelming first sight of the mountains would set my heart at ease, but this day was different. I was enraged that someone I cared dearly about was being asked to revisit her sexual assault experience after winning her case during a campus court hearing. She was asked to write about the entire experience along with details of the aftermath because her perpetrator had appealed the decision. I understand he had the right to appeal, but I couldn't stand witnessing the heartache of the painful experience being relived.
As a survivor myself, I kept saying over and over again, "It's not enough!"  We need change. We need a culture shift. We need a place where one can connect with others to heal, contemplate, and educate. As I looked up into the sky, I saw a giant mirror. An odd sight I thought at first, but the mirror has always been a grounding tool for me since I was a little girl, so it made sense. I pondered the effects of the mirror. Did it have the same effect on other survivors? Could a large scaled mirror connect us all somehow? Could we create a community where people came to celebrate the journey of survivorship? I spent the next eight hours writing concepts and drawing crude pictures of what I imagined the interactive public art piece look could be. I wanted a place where conversation was sparked. I wanted a place where contemplation was honored. I wanted a place that educated and gave a voice to the community. And I wanted a place where the power was taken back.

About Us:
See Us See Me, a public art piece, is designed to celebrate and encourage the progress through all stages of the journey of individuals affected by sexual abuse. Why 'celebrate'? Because we want to celebrate letting go of the stigma attached to sexual abuse. We are changing the perspective from ‘Victim’ to ‘Survivor.' We are changing the journey from one of lonely struggle to one of group solidarity where we can stand tall, keep our power, and walk forward, together. We are joining the isolation of “Me” with the community of “Us!" We want every individual to 'See Us' together as they approach the mirror and have the courage to get close enough to just ‘See Me.' We want to see the image of a radiant human being reflecting back their power to overcome. We want to create a place where no individual feels silenced by their pain or paralyzed by the trauma. We all know the journey is isolating at its worst, but, at its best, it is a place to inspire creative thought, spark conversation, dance, sing, heal, connect, and transform. Public art is a powerful tool to create change. See Us See Me is changing the world of sexual abuse one voice at a time and building one spectacular community to connect us all.

Where will the money go:

Phase One: $200,000 
 Project Manager fees, Blueprints, Structural Engineer fees, architect fees, model design fees, landscape design fees, beginning materials, video wall build, administrative fees, lawyer fees, site survey, fundraising events, and website

Phase Two: $1,000,000 
Electrical Engineer fees, lighting design/fabrication, Landscape Architect fees, landscaping, building materials, fabrication and installation costs, administrative fees, consultants, contract labor, insurance, create advanced web-based set up for video wall, transportation to site, clean up/removal, fundraising events, and website maintenance fees

Phase Three: TBD  
Twenty-year endowment fundraising and  maintenance fees.  

Phase Four: TBD 
Global placement of See Us See Me public art: multiply temporary and permanent art pieces

How You Can Help:

1. Donate what you can.  No amount is too small and all donations are tax-deductible.

2. Share on social media:
hastags:    #seeusseeme and #voicecommunitypower

3. Email this GoFundMe link to everyone you know.

4. Contact us with any information about a parcel of land for placing our piece. We'd love any help we can get with finding a home.

Donations 

  • Beatrice Price
    • $50 
    • 5 yrs

Organizer

Linda Austin
Organizer
Denver, CO
See Us
 
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.

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