The library will host an online program about domestic violence on Wednesday Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. in conjunction with Patrisha McLean's October art exhibit at the library,  Finding Our Voices: Breaking the Silence of Domestic Abuse. Joining Patrisha in this discussion will be the Ellsworth artist, and fellow Survivor, Maegan Graslie, and Dorathy Martel, executive director of the NextStep domestic violence project. NextStep helped both Maegan and Patrisha to safely leave and heal from their domestic violence situations.

Finding Our Voices: Breaking the Silence of Domestic Abuse consists of photo portraits of women from all over the state, all walks of life and all ages, who have experienced domestic abuse, plus audio of each telling about the abuse and their journey out of it. The show will be on display in the library's Britton Gallery and Howard Room through the month of October.

The chief way that Patrisha's new non-profit organization Finding Our Voices is spreading awareness of domestic violence during COVID-19 is through huge (4' x 2') banners traveling downtown business windows town by town all over the state, each featuring the face of one of 29 Maine Survivors plus the local domestic violence hotline phone number. The banners are currently throughout the Blue Hill Peninsula, with Maegan's banner in the window of Handworks. Maegan's artwork is currently being shown at Flexit in Ellsworth.

This program will feature remarks by Patrisha, Maegan, and Dorathy, leading into a broader dialogue about domestic abuse and issues raised in the art exhibit. It is free and everyone is welcome to attend, but registration is required to receive the link to join by Zoom. Register by calling the library at 374-5515 or on the library's online calendar at www.bhpl.net.