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safe voices

The mission of Safe Voices is to provide person-to-person, individualized advocacy for all survivors of domestic abuse and violence, sex trafficking, and sexual exploitation in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties and engage our communities in social change to eliminate violence.  

The Ephemera Project is a crowd sourced archive of the people we love and the objects that hold us together. It is evolving into a powerful collaboration based in memory, self-reflection, and vulnerability. There are notes from loved ones and objects that signify time passing - such as the broken watches of passed away family members, the baby teeth of grown children, moments in history, mementos of a vacation and a subway ride. Simple reminders of people we love and homages to life experience. I am looking for your participation. I would like this project to be inclusive: I welcome objects and stories as diverse as we are. I encourage any age group and people to participate from all over the world.

What is ephemera?  Historically, the word ephemera is used to describe paper objects with no monetary value meant to be discarded, such as ticket stubs, posters and cards. Here the definition is expanded. At its heart, this project encourages and celebrates making space to value and listen to each other.

Safe Voices and artist Tanja Hollander are photographing your objects and gathering your stories for two weeks in October. Objects (no larger than 8×10″) will be photographed and catalogued, and the images will be included as part of The Ephemera Project. Your objects and stories will be on view on line and in multiple locations including at Maine MILL in Lewiston, ME.

To participate:

  1. Please bring 2-4 objects, not larger than 8x10” (the size of a piece of paper) on the days below. Tanja will be on site to work with your ephemera and will give it back to you the same day. If there is not enough time on any given day, Tanja will work with Safe Voices to return it to you asap.

  2. Collection Stations will be located at Safe Voices

    You may drop off items between Oct. 9th and Oct. 20th at Safe Voices at 100 Lisbon Street in Lewiston. We will have you sign an artist release, we will store your item, and Tanja will pick it up, scan it, and return it to us within 1-2 weeks. Because we don’t have extra storage space, you will have to pick it back up from us within 2 weeks of us notifying you it is ready.

    Tanja will be onsite to meet you and work with your belongings and stories on October 11 from 1-4 pm and October 13 from 9-12 pm.

    October 11th | 1pm-4pm : Signup: bit.ly/DROPOFF11

    October 13th | 9am-noon : Signup: bit.ly/DROPOFF13

  3. Fill out this google form and release or in person when you drop off your items.

  4. To learn more about the project and FAQs. Questions: E-mail Tanja.

Sample images from Tanja’s crowd sourced collection.

(Click on images to read descriptions. On mobile tap dot, bottom right corner of screen.)