April 7, 2023 · 2 min read

‘What Were You Wearing’ art installation opens

Graduate students Elyxcus Anaya and Jessica Boyles examine the "What Were You Wearing?" survivor art installation in April 2022. Photo by Craig Chandler, UCOMM.

“What Were You Wearing,” an art exhibit that asks participants to understand that it is never about the clothing when sexual violence occurs, will be on display at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln on both East and City Campus.

The display will show representations of outfits worn during assaults with accompanying stories from sexual violence survivors, including many submitted by those in the campus community. Inspired by the poem “What I Was Wearing” by Dr. Mary Simmerling, the project intends to shed light on the burden of self-blame brought forth by the victim-blaming question that is pervasive for most survivors and shatter the myth that sexual violence can be attributed to a person’s choice in clothing.

This is the fifth year that the Center for Advocacy, Response and Education has offered this educational event.

“April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month globally, so we think it’s a fitting time to hold the exhibit,” said Jenessa Jarvis, Survivor Support Advocate with CARE. “’What Were You Wearing?’ not only addresses victim-blaming, but also provides support for survivors by showing that there is a resilient community of survivors on campus.”

The exhibit is free and open to the public. It will be available at the following times and locations:

Nebraska East Union, Garden Room