09-04-2025
Protest signs supporting sexual assault victims
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — There have been numerous protests the past few weeks, where people sport signs and stand up for what they believe.
There's a group of people who are getting together to create signs for something they feel strongly about, however, you won't be seeing these signs outside anytime soon.
Courtney Hardie loves art, but it also has a deeper meaning to her.
'My big thing is art and using art for advocacy and my creativity for community,' Courtney Hardie said.
Emily's Hope naloxone boxes installed at Sanford
This is why she attended an event held by Sufu Creative.
'We are partnering with the Compass Center to do Signs of Change, a community protest workshop. So everyone is, basically they're working together to create signs the models will later be holding while they're participating in this fashion show,' Sufu Creative Board Vice President, Dina Bardakh-Conley said.
'In April we are recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We're also recognizing Emily Eirinberg, she's a victim of domestic violence. So with those two things in mind, we've created Rise Up: Art As Resistance. It's a floral fashion show,' Compass Center, Chief Development and Communications Officer, Sydney Bartunek said.
The models will hold signs showing the 10 warning signs of unhealthy relationships and partner violence, along with 2 signs that will recognize awareness and hope.
'So we have blame shifting, dismissing boundaries and financial control are some examples of those ideas,' Bardakh-Conley said.
Using art one day, to hopefully change lives forever.
'I hope people that attend our floral fashion show on April 24th really take away that prevention is possible, awareness matters, and if everyone that attends the show goes into the community and tells one person about our mission, that would make a huge difference. So we are really focused on the impact that one person in the community can make,' Bartunek said.
'By being a part of this event, I'm able to use my creative and artistic abilities to create these really thought provoking signs about a really strong and important mission that we need to be more aware of and more outspoken about,' Hardie said.
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