Clothesline Project returns to Virginia Tech on March 26

On Wednesday, March 26, the Virginia Tech Drillfield will transform into an outdoor exhibit as the annual Clothesline Project display returns to campus.

The Clothesline Project shows the impact of gender-based and sexual violence through hundreds of T-shirts designed by survivors and their loved ones. Each shirt carries a personal message – words of pain, resilience, and hope – to draw attention to an issue that affects millions each year.

Since its inception in 1994 by the Montgomery County chapter of the National Organization for Women, the local Clothesline Project has grown to include more than 680 shirts created by New River Valley residents, said Susan Anderson, senior instructor emerita of mathematics in the College of Science.

Participants use color-coded shirts to represent different experiences: White for those who have died from violence, red or pink for survivors of sexual assault, and purple for those attacked because of their sexual orientation, among others.

The shirts hang together on a clothesline on the Drillfield.

Anderson said the event is important because it amplifies awareness and solidarity. “Each of the shirts is horrifically beautiful,” Anderson said. “Each represents a person – someone’s friend, parent, child, or partner – who has been affected by violence. The Clothesline Project encourages individuals to break the silence, to speak out, to share their story.”

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the United States have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.

How to get involved

For those who wish to contribute their own stories to the display, the Women’s Center at 206 Washington St. in Blacksburg will host the Clothesline Project workshops from March 24-28 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Survivors as well as friends and family of victims can design their own T-shirts in a quiet, comfortable setting. All materials are provided at no cost, and no artistic experience is necessary.

“Creating a shirt is a deeply personal experience.” Anderson said. “It allows survivors to share their stories of gender-based or sexual violence with not only Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff, but with the greater New River Valley community.

The Clothesline Project display will be located on the Drillfield from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 26. In the event of rain, the display will be moved to Squires Student Center.

For more information, contact Susan Anderson at 540-951-2013 or anderson@math.vt.edu.