Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 3, 1995 TAG: 9503030089
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Hanging on a wall in Sherry Christensen's apartment is her painting of a pair of dark legs, one foot flexed between broken eggs.
Christensen calls it ``Walking on Eggshells.''
``Anyone who's ever been in an abusive situation knows what that means,'' she said. ``It's a very common term.''
Christensen knows. She endured what she describes as a physically and mentally abusive marriage several years ago. The wounds have taken a long time to heal.
Painting has been her salvation. So too, have support services, including the Women's Resource Center, which is Total Action Against Poverty's counseling and advocacy program for abused women and their children.
Christensen, of Roanoke County, always wanted to ``kind of pay back what I was given'' but never quite knew how.
A friend who works for General Electric Drive Systems in Salem told Christensen that the company's community service organization - the Elfun Society - was looking for someone to do some artwork for a fund-raising project.
A collection of songs was to be recorded on cassette and sold to raise money for Turning Point, the Salvation Army's shelter in Southwest Roanoke for abused women and their children. The organization needed someone to design a cover for the cassette.
Warren Kurtz, accounting manager at G.E. who is overseeing the project, said he received several responses. Christensen's was the most enthusiastic, he said.
Initially, Kurtz knew nothing of her past. But it made the project much more meaningful, he said.
``A project like this highlights those people who have survived and are willing to help others to survive,'' Kurtz said. ``It's surprising to hear how many people have suffered this, who have spoken up since our involvement with the Turning Point.''
And Christensen found a way to give back.
For months, she and another Roanoke artist, Amy Grigorieff, had been planning an art showing. They'd found a location - the Radisson Patrick Henry Hotel lobby in downtown Roanoke. They had a theme - ``The Essence of Women.'' They'd settled on a date - March 3.
At Christensen's suggestion, they decided to donate half of the proceeds from the sale of their paintings at the showing to Turning Point.
``It was definitely the [cassette project] that precipitated the idea about giving a percentage to Turning Point,'' Christensen said. ``The wonderful support that I got when I needed it, totally free of charge. It was a way to give back. It was icing on the cake.''
The art showing will feature paintings by both women - of women.
``A lot of people who've seen us tend to think the showing will be of tortuous, feminist work by women who hate men,'' Grigorieff said.
It is not, the artists say. Christensen calls it ``honest, raw art.''
``It's very up front,'' she said. ``We don't dress up what we say. We come out and say it.''
The showing will include the painting that will be used for the cover of the cassette, named after its title song, ``Harbor for Tomorrow,'' co-written by Kurtz. The painting is based on a sketch drawn by Kurtz's 11-year-old daughter.
It shows a woman and a child looking at a harbor. A lighthouse shines in the distance.
``To have that kind of view is wonderful,'' Christensen said. ``It symbolizes them trying to get to a safe place.''
``The Essence of Women,'' an art opening featuring the works of Sherry Christensen and Amy Grigorieff, will be held this evening from 6 to 9 at the Radisson Patrick Henry Hotel lobby in downtown Roanoke.
by CNB