Suzanne Lacy, Charlotte Watson, Virginia Cotts, David Katsive, Sharon Smolick, Linda Lee, Sue Rees, Thea Dubow and the Women of Bedford Hills Family Violence Program (New York 1993)

Three cars were created at the Bedford Hills Maximum Security Correctional Facility by 15 women in the Family Violence Program, initiated by Lacy and My Sister’s Place, a domestic violence shelter that did programs in the prison.

After a year of introductory visits and planning, in August Lacy and collaborators established a two-week workshop for inmates to transform three wrecked cars into sculptural testimonials. They learned to use power tools for the first time, but as they worked on the cars, memories unexpectedly returned: the demolished cars looked like battered and bruised bodies and decayed interiors evoked rape scenes. As the three cars were developed, the years of preparation through their group discussions and their support of each other sustained them.

Out of their process grew decisions to create: the Abuse Car, with a distorted apartment inside and household objects with writing to graphically describe how it was used against one of the women; a brick wall installed inside another car with the prison sentence of each woman embedded on a brick and glass etching on car windows to faintly reveal the brick wall encountered when each went for help and found none; and the last car, the Healing Car, wrecked on the outside but inside filled with photos and other precious objects symbolizing how these women kept their spirit alive and their community with each other strong.

Their cars premiered at the prison and were exhibited at Bennington College, Niagara Falls, and at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island. The project was a co-production of Artpark and the Public Art Fund.