Friends of Guest House on East Luray Avenue, Alexandria. Courtesy of Friends of Guest House
When art reveals hard and hidden truths, it comes with great pain and bravery to explore and explain one’s life. That might be one sentiment felt at the upcoming exhibit “Portraits of Progress” organized by Friends of Guest House in cooperation with Old Town’s Principle Gallery on April 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. But it’s not the entire story.
“Portraits of Progress” is about personal, real-world experiences of formerly incarcerated women who are rebuilding their lives at Friends of Guest House.
As a residential reentry program located in Del Ray, Alexandria, the only one of its kind in Northern Virginia and the largest in the state, Guest House offers resources and support, through business and nonprofit partnerships, for women overcoming drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, employment and legal problems.
The art show is an outgrowth of Friends of Guest House’s partnership with George Washington University’s art therapy graduate program.
“A major life event can render a person speechless,” said Aubrey A. Rainbow, a Master’s student at GWU’s art therapy program, who has been working as an intern at Guest House since the fall of 2018.
Living with trauma, people often don’t have the words to express themselves. An art therapist helps as a skilled clinician and uses art as the medium to work things out.
“I wasn’t looking forward to it [art therapy]. I am no artist,” Kim said (her last name omitted for privacy reasons). But after a session, Kim, like others, see there is no judgement. It is a safe place to process stressors and soon their investment rises, Rainbow says.
Typically, art sessions with Rainbow begin small with a warm-up exercise, such as working with a mandala. Then clients are presented a directive and after that each is given time to process what transpired and share if they so choose.
Through exercises with Rainbow, like recalling happy memories and sad ones, Kim sees she’s always struggled with abuse and has allowed herself to repeat that cycle. Her series of four masks document her journey from a troubled child of 13 to a smiling 50-year-old.
“The exhibit is my first step. It is a testimony,” she said. “It helps me face and heal secrets. [Seeing my work] I hope someone else opens their eyes to what is going on in their life.”
At Alexandria’s Friends of Guest House, 26 women go through the Residential Program every six months, and more — 400 — apply each year. Founded in 1974, Guest House just had its 45th anniversary serving demographically diverse, non-violent female offenders.
According to Marisa Tordella, director of marketing and development, fewer than 10 percent of Friends of Guest House graduates reoffend, which is far below the national average of 70 percent.
This means graduates have completed both the Friends of Guest House’s Residential Program and the Aftercare Program.
And it means, in Tordella’s words: “Graduates of our program are able to achieve and maintain stability in their lives. Whether that is personally, connections with their family or a community they’ve created for themselves. Reuniting with their children, grandchildren. Stability related to their health — both mental and physical. Maintaining sobriety. Housing stability — whether they move from an affordable housing unit to a market rental, or even go on to their own home. Employment stability and growth.”
In other words, Friends of Guest House is an anchor for many. It’s seen through their programs, their longevity, their clients’ success and now, on April 2, at “Portraits of Progress.”