Puyallup artist has intimate connection to upcoming domestic violence prevention fundraiser

The handmade coat that Puyallup artist Debra Kirk will show March 10 to 12 at the 23rd annual Wearable Art Show in Fife is, in part, a representation of herself.

As a “collage coat,” the article of clothing has many pieces to it. It’s made in part with black felt, has pockets and is lined on the inside. A variety of images and words are stitched onto it.

“The coat is very colorful and lively, like I am. (It’s) very symbolic,” said the 62-year-old Kirk, a Puyallup resident. “The coat was the best thing for me. And now what I’d like to do is see it somewhere else where it can be viewed by the public and people can see it all the time.”

Now, Kirk gets the chance to show her coat — which took more than a year to make — to others at the Wearable Art Show put on by the RAGS Guild, a group that’s part of YWCA Pierce County. Formerly known as the Young Women’s Christian Association, the group now goes by YWCA and is dedicated to creating opportunity and safety to children and adults in the community, especially when it comes to stopping domestic violence.

The Wearable Art Show is the major fundraiser put on for the YWCA, said Kathy Dorr, a member of the RAGS Guild marketing committee.

“We do our very best to remind people what this cause is about,” Dorr said. “That’s why this year our theme is ‘Be a Lifesaver’— because when you buy something at RAGS you are offering a small token of your revenue to help save somebody else’s life.”

A fraction of each piece sold at the Wearable Art Show will benefit the YWCA and its programs, including its shelter and its 24-hour crisis hotline. Kirk’s coat has a price tag of $7,500 — 40 percent of which will go to the YWCA, if sold.

“I’m glad that (the YWCA) does things like this,” Kirk said. “It’s great. I’m glad my coat gets to be seen again.”

As an artist, Kirk is always looking for opportunities to show her art to others. But having experienced domestic abuse in her life, participating in the art show also hit close to home.

Kirk experienced abuse, both from physical and emotional, at the hands of her ex-husband, she said, who is now deceased.

“Our society condones verbal abuse — it’s funny, we laugh at it, but when you’re in a situation and you’re being called (certain names), it isn’t funny and it’s hard to hear,” Kirk said. “It took me five or six years just to move away from my husband — to feel I could be on my own, that I was worthy to be on my own. You need support.”

Kirk found professional help and support, but art was another large piece of her life that she took comfort in, including the coat she created for the art show. From a young age, Kirk was interested in art and attended classes at her high school in California, where she won a $100 scholarship for “Most Diverse Artist.”

She loved trying out all types of art, from drawing and painting to sewing and ceramics. Her mother even got her into quilting, drawing inspiration from Paula Nadelstern, a quilter known for her kaleidoscope patterns. Kirk continues to draw inspiration from her today.

Kirk later returned to Washington, where she was originally born in Tacoma. She began working on her coat in 2010, using pieces of a torn-apart coat from 1977 — the same year she married her husband.

“It literally — step by step — is symbolic,” Kirk said about creating her new coat. “Art is my soul screaming out that I’m human, and that’s what I want my coat to do … I think I’ve grown as an artist. I know that all that I’ve been through is part of my life and part of who I am but I’ve moved forward, I think, in a lot of ways.”

Kirk, who has five children, now lives in Puyallup. She submitted an application for the Wearable Art Show after they became available in September. Then, a panel of three judges looked at photos of her coat before selecting it for the event.

It’s common to see both artists and guests who have experienced domestic abuse or who have used the YWCA’s shelter at the event, said Dorr.

“We have had an artist in the past who was in the (shelter),” Dorr said. “She’s using her art to be a therapist for children in these kinds of situations … we’ve gone full circle with people who’ve experienced these kinds of things (and) are now trying improve their lives.”

The 23rd annual Wearable Art Show will be open to the public between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. March 10 and 11, and between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. March 12 at Mercedes Benz of Tacoma at 1701 Alexander Ave. E. in Fife. Some garments, accessories and jewelry will be for sale.

Gala tickets are priced at $80 and are available at RAGSWearableArt.org.

This story was originally published March 1, 2017 at 9:44 AM with the headline "Puyallup artist has intimate connection to upcoming domestic violence prevention fundraiser."