Introduction

Campus sexual assaults make up 43% of campus crimes; with 95% of victims being female students (Linder 46). Female students are constantly aware of their safety and this project investigates how women feel about their safety in and around College Park, Maryland. Using a survey given to female University of Maryland (UMD) students, Mapping the Invisible abstractly maps the safety of the campus and surrounding areas giving a visual representation of specific incidents and locations where females feel safe and unsafe. 

Literary Review 

After learning about Mark Bradford in an earlier Arts Scholars course, this project was inspired by his use of mixed media to portray different social issues that he has witnessed growing up in Los Angeles. He uses everyday materials to create large abstract art pieces that map different feels and emotions. This project wants to evoke the emotions that Bradford does but with a topic that relates to Women at UMD. The final work represents the emotions of Women in the different locations rather than distinctly depicting what happened in each location. 

The topic of Women' s safety is significant and relates to many individuals. Cath Lambert in “Sexual Cultures in University: an Arts-based Intervention" discusses how universities are spaces where sexualized behavior and the gendered power systems are often normalized. Lambert conducts art based research to create interventions that make students aware of the culture, what to avoid, and how to help. (Lambert 325). Like Lambert, this project will educate students on the safety of campus through art. Instead of just compiling surveys, an artistic representation of the data collected can invoke even more emotion. 

Methods

To conduct the research, a google form was created with various anonymous questions. The sections of questions were basic information questions, locations the responders felt safe vs unsafe, and describing any incidents where they felt unsafe at school. This survey was shared with various female centered campus organizations to compile a total of 66 female responses. With these responses, the information was organized through a google sheet to then begin the final map. 

For the map, an underlay from google maps of UMD and College park was used. Then, various materials were layered on the map to create the final piece. Some materials that were used were acrylic paint, paper machete, chipboard, construction paper, paper towels, pens, and markers. 

Audience and Impact

The audience of this piece is mainly focused on college aged Women to visualize that they are not alone in their experiences. This artwork aims to educate these women on their safety and how the campus environment can affect it. Although this piece is not directly related to the larger UMD community, it would still be meaningful for them to view the map and recognize the daily efforts their peers make to stay safe everyday. They could use the map and research to further study what changes can be done to help students feel safer on their campus. 

Completing this project has been challenging, as it involved time management, research, survey outreach, and artistic representation. Through this challenge, a meaningful project has emerged which brings attention to an issue that plays a role in the lives of many people. Through the surveys it was revealed that many Women share very similar situations, and this project amplifies those voices. Women' s safety is a topic that should never be overlooked and Mapping the Invisible makes sure to bring it into focus. 

References

Lambert et al. “Sexual Cultures in University: An Arts-Based Intervention.” Gender and Education, vol. 35, no. 4, 2023, pp. 348–364. Taylor & Francis, https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2023.2186375

Linder et al. “Blue Lights and Pepper Spray: Cisgender College Women’s Perceptions of Campus Safety and Implications of the ‘Stranger Danger’ Myth.” The Journal of Higher Education, vol. 91, no. 3, 2020, pp. 433–454. Taylor & Francis, https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2019.1664195

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank everyone who completed my survey, making this research possible. I also want to give a big thank you to my family for always encouraging me to do my best even when things were difficult. Thank you to my peers who helped with project development and good laughs throughout these past two years. Lastly, thank you to Harold, Heather, and Irene for being great mentors through the Arts Scholars Program. I could not thank you all enough!