A Run Through Central Park

A Run Through Central Park by Samantha Scheuerer

For my arts based approach to reveal the long history of sexual violence and harassment I created a painting based on a New York Times article from 1989. The article I chose covered the rape and beating of a women jogger in Central Park by a gang of teenage boys. The article was an opinion piece by the Elizabeth Holtzman who was then the Brooklyn District Attorney. Holtzman’s analysis of the event emphasizes the role that gender played in the attack and in sexual violence across the United States.

I placed the canvas on two records to demonstrate how the ideas and sentiments in Holtzman’s article have been on the record since 1989. The left record has statistics and verbiage about rape and sexual assault against women in 1989. All of these snippets from the article still apply to rape and sexual assault today, despite the decades long difference. Examples of this include the blame and fault that victims feel about their victimization and the notion that an attempt for control and power is the impetus of sexual assault.

The right record includes solutions and changes to our society that Holtzman calls for in her article in order to prevent sexual violence against women. As a society we are still struggling to implement the solutions Holtzman proposes. For example, Holtzman calls for the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment in order to increase opportunities for women through which they can work to change society’s attitudes about gender. This Amendment has still never been passed.

The canvas in the middle depicts the women who was attacked while jogging in Central Park and the author’s description of the attack. In the article Holtzman places this attack at the center of a larger history and problem that plagues society and continues to persist today. Holtzman emphasizes that a women cannot walk around at night without fear for her safety. This sentiment has been intrinsic in woman’s experience throughout history, persists today, and will continue to impact women unless something is done to change society’s attitudes about gender and sexual assault.