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Love Shouldn’t Hurt is an installation modeled on a wedding salon and dedicated to raising community awareness through lifting the voices of domestic violence survivors.

Fabric artist Patricia A. Montgomery will work closely with the director of client services  at STAND! for Families Free of Violence (STAND!) to facilitate focus groups that explore clients’ experiences and celebrate their work to heal. The finished installation will feature floor-length mirrors marked with domestic violence statistics and mannequins wearing fashionable wedding garments that have been embroidered, painted, and quilted with stories from STAND!’s survivors. The garments also will be featured in a fashion show at STAND!’s annual community event.

Patricia A. Montgomery creates mixed media art installations that reflect her passion for illuminating subjects drawn from personal and collective histories, cultural traditions, mythical stories, current events, and social justice. As a textile artist and expert seamstress, she sews these themes into quilts and garments.

STAND! provides an emergency shelter, transitional or residential housing programs, a survivor support group, and a teen Youth Against Violence program along with a Non-Violence Training program for offenders. Montgomery will have access to clients from these programs who express interest in participating.

Pictured: Missing Children Installation; photo by Patricia A. Montgomery