Anderson-Mackey warned some of images are blunt and could shock people.
Octavia Anderson-Mackey sits outside the cafe she used to own on High Street in this 2010 photo.HOLYOKE — Local painter Octavia Anderson-Mackey will exhibit her works Saturday to highlight April as National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
The exhibit “The Room Without a View” will be open from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Guilded Brick, 380 Dwight St., Anderson-Mackey said Tuesday.
“It is shocking how many people view this crime as something to be ashamed of, or they think they somehow asked for it,” she said.
“I could go on and on regarding the facts, but I won’t. I hope that I covered all of this with my art,” said Anderson-Mackey, who formerly owned the Dancing Dog Cafe, 191 High St.
Patrons can donate however much money they wish at the door. The 20 to 30 acrylics on canvas or board that Anderson-Mackey will display also will be for sale. Prices will range from $75 to $1,000, she said.
Some of the event’s proceeds will go to Womanshelter/Compañeras, in Holyoke, and Safe Passage, in Amherst, which help domestic violence victims, she said.
Anderson-Mackey said she wanted to warn people who attend the show to prepare because some of the images and the stories behind them are blunt, even shocking.
“The show could also bring out hidden emotions or triggering to some people, especially if they were abused in the past,” Anderson-Mackey said.
Cash bar starts at 8 p.m. and a disc jockey party will begin at 9 p.m., she said.