BEATING HEARTS: Stories of Domestic Violence

is a photographic project inspired by true stories of domestic violence documented by Kate Sartor Hilburn and Terrie Queen Autrey of Louisiana. Both women have been domestic violence advocates in their communities. Autrey is the founder of the Domestic Abuse Resistance Team in Ruston, Louisiana. Sartor Hilburn has served on its board. Both women now work as community advocates for the agency.

Sartor Hilburn, an artist/photographer, and Autrey, a writer and activist, teamed up to create a body of work that retells in visual and verbal terms the actual stories and experiences of women they have known and talked with through their work in domestic abuse prevention. In some of the pieces their intent is simply to provide information and answers to questions - "Why Do Women Stay?" for instance. In other pieces, they have created a portrait of a victim and the abuse she has suffered. The testimonies cover different ages, genders, ethnic and economic backgrounds; most were gathered from their home area. The stories are framed in windows and doors, representing the framework of home.

Beating Hearts consists of large and small photo constructions with accompanying text. Some are built upon light boxes and some are fully three-dimensional pieces. Beating Hearts has been shown in galleries and museums throughout the United States including Louisiana Tech University, Centenary College, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Texas Women’s University, Southern University (New Orleans), the ARC Gallery (Chicago), The Art Institute of Atlanta, the Arender Gallery (Monroe, LA), Centenary College (Shreveport, LA), Pensacola Museum of Art, East Carolina University (Greenville, N.C.), Hendrix College (Conway, AR), Ruston Artisans Gallery, and in part at the Nathan Cummings Foundation (New York City). It has also been shown and presented at photographic and domestic violence conferences in Nashville, TN, Cinncinati, OH, Baton Rouge, LA and Washington, D.C.

Terrie Queen Autrey and Kate Sartor Hilburn received a grant from the Gannett Foundation to create a poster series consisting of twelve 22" x 28" posters based on stories and artwork from Beating Hearts. The poster series is available for sale. It is $450 to purchase the complete set of twelve 22" x 28" posters ($45 individually).

For more information contact Kate Hilburn.