SAFE Families’ First Sip and Sculpt – Healing Through the Arts
Around 20 family members gathered on Nov. 16, the day before World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, at MoDa Studios in Venice for SAFE’s first-ever “Sip and Sculpt” — an opportunity for families who’ve been affected by traffic violence to connect over tea, baked goods, and artistic expression.
Art therapy has been shown to be a useful tool for those who’ve suffered traumatic events, like losing loved ones to traffic violence, because it is a nonverbal, creative way to externalize experiences that can be hard to process.
“The idea was for victims of traffic violence to have a place where they could reconnect with their experience in a calmer, safer space,” said Julio Uriega, SAFE Support program specialist, who helped organize the event. “It can be really intense to feel like you have to tell your story, and this gives people a chance to connect over similar experiences without all the pressure.”
Damian Kevitt, SAFE Executive Director, attended the event and was impressed by the community created through artistic expression at MoDa.
“It was so wonderful to see all the interactions among all the different family members, who come from all walks of life,” Damian said. “Despite everyone’s differences demographically or professionally or geographically, they all share this commonality: the issue of traffic violence and its impact on all of us. That was really special.”
The idea for the inaugural Sip and Sculpt event emerged from SAFE Families, a group of family members and individuals who’ve been impacted by traffic violence. SAFE Families serves as both a support group for members and a way to advocate for change.
If you’ve been impacted by traffic violence and would like to join SAFE Families, contact us at:
•(844) 204-7233 or
•Support@StreetsAreForEveryone.org