T-shirt art from survivors of abuse raise awareness
‘The Clothesline Project’ includes almost 200 t-shirts from survivors
WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - As domestic violence awareness month comes to a close, a powerful display is giving survivors a voice. The Women’s Community showcased “The Clothesline Project” at Northcentral Technical College on Wednesday. Messages of resilience and hope are painted on the shirts.
Jessica Lind, the Sexual Assault Victim Services Program Coordinator for The Women’s Community, said the shirts come from people with different experiences.
“Our t-shirts here vary from people impacted by child abuse or witnessing domestic violence. We don’t want to forget that our young people are also very impacted by domestic violence from little on, if they’re witnessing abuse in their home, to being teens who are impacted by a teen dating violent relationship,” Lind said.
About the display
Lind has showcased The Clothesline Project for a long time.
“We really wanted to bring awareness to our college campus here at NTC about the impact of domestic violence and interpersonal violence on college campuses,” Lind said.
The Women’s Community has collected about 200 shirts over the decades it has run the project. People interested in making a shirt can stop in at The Women’s Community.
“There are people right here in our community who have been impacted by domestic violence or sexual assault. Maybe they’ve never talked about it before and they just need to know that they’re not alone,” Lind said.
Lind said The Women’s Community is ready to listen to survivors.
Domestic violence deaths in Wisconsin
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Data from End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin shows 61 people died from domestic violence in Wisconsin in 2025. That is down from 71 homicides in 2024. The latest report shows one-third of victims were over the age of 50.
Lind said people in the community have been affected by homicide due to domestic violence.
“We have had people in our community be impacted by homicide due to domestic violence. And so when we think about the lethality surrounding domestic violence, we really want people to know that there’s always a way out,” Lind said.
Services available
The Women’s Community offers free and confidential services. People can call its 24-hour help line at 715-842-7323 or 1-888-665-1234 or visit in person.
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