In celebration of Sexual Assault Awareness Week at Boston University and National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Center collaborated with the BU Arts Initiative to create an exhibition of students’ artistic responses to sexual assault, allyship and prevention.

The gallery, located at the BU Arts Initiative office on the second floor of the George Sherman Union, will remain open until April 10, said Sarah Collins, assistant director of the BU Arts Initiative.

Collins said that although the BU Arts Initiative had never worked with SARP before, the creation of the gallery was a large collaborative effort between the two offices. She said this particular exhibit connects both of their causes while providing an opportunity for students to get involved.

“Our working with SARP and their mission is a really good connection that they hadn’t had before in terms of an artistic approach to things,” Collins said. “It was a good opportunity for them to offer an alternative way for students who are dealing with things to engage.”

The gallery also allows students to understand sexual assault in a different way, she said.

“Everyone has their own way to process things, so this gives people an opportunity to see things in a different light so that they don’t necessarily have to talk about them, but to view other people’s experience and see how other people went through things or be able to see people’s art work … maybe it is helpful to someone,” Collins said.

Sarah Voorhees, a health and prevention educator for SARP, wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press that some students approached SARP before, wishing to brainstorm ways for student art to be included in Sexual Assault Awareness Week.

“SARP is happy to be working with BU Arts Initiative to create another platform for students to express themselves and another way for the BU community to engage with BU Sexual Assault Awareness Week,” Voorhees wrote.

In addition to the new gallery, Voorhees wrote that the week integrates student art through The Clothesline Project, a project which allows women to express their emotions regarding sexual and domestic violence by decorating a T-shirt and hanging it on a clothesline. This is the first year the project has been integrated into the gallery, Voorhees wrote.

Voorhees wrote that the week is important because it draws attention to the issue of sexual assault and how to prevent it.

“It’s important that our community set aside time to recognize the prevalence of sexual violence and how each of us can, and must be, a part of prevention,” she added.

Several BU students said they support the initiative to raise awareness for sexual assault.

Samantha Faden, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, said she believes art galleries are important outlets for topics that may be difficult to talk about.

“I think an art gallery is very useful for these kinds of topics,” Faden said. “I went to the [First-Year Student Outreach Project] gallery where they did a bunch of things, including a gallery for sexual assault and awareness, so I think it’s really important because it opens people’s eyes who are not aware of these issues.”

Inna Mankevych, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she has personally engaged in artistic outlets to express her feelings.

“I think sometimes art is the easiest way to process emotions, just because emotions aren’t a tangible thing and art is the closest thing we have,” Mankevych said. “Sometimes I paint my emotions just because it’s so much easier than putting it into words. I feel like artistic expression can put into words what words can’t.”

Mankevych also said she thinks it’s important that BU addresses the issues of sexual assault on college campuses.

“I think it’s important that BU hosts a sexual assault awareness week because a lot of people are aware it’s just not something they think about consciously in their minds, so I think it’s important to discuss it and support people who have dealt with sexual assault and be a part of the conversation,” Mankevych said.

Andrew Gildenberg, a senior in the College of Engineering, said while he is supportive of raising awareness for sexual assault, he did not know about the gallery exhibition and encouraged BU to do more to inform students about these events.

“I think it’s important because it’s something we should raise awareness about and try to prevent as much as possible on campus,” Gildenberg said. “I didn’t know about the exhibit so maybe BU could email a flyer out to all the students to raise awareness.”