May 5, 2026 — The Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence (MSCFV) announces Sole Strength, a powerful, immersive art experience that transforms the unseen journeys of domestic violence survivors into stories that can be felt, seen, and shared through art. Alongside this announcement, MSCFV is issuing an open call for artists across disciplines to participate in this meaningful community exhibition.
Sole Strength invites artists working in painting, sculpture, woodwork, metal, fiber, mixed media, and beyond to interpret real survivor journeys through their own creative lens. Each artwork will be inspired by an anonymous survivor story and a donated pair of shoes worn by an individual whose identity remains protected, but whose voice deserves to be heard. Through texture, shape, color, and space, Sole Strength offers the public a rare opportunity to walk alongside survivors not through statistics or headlines, but through deeply human stories of fear, resilience, transformation, and self-sufficiency.
Exhibition Event and Locations
The Sole Strength Gallery reception will take place on Wednesday, October 21, at the Market at Dover Station in Easton, Maryland. On the same day, satellite gallery installations will launch across Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Dorchester, and Kent counties, with works remaining on public display from October 21–31. A silent auction benefiting MSCFV will conclude on October 31 at the Market at Dover Station.
Call for Artists
What: MSCFV is seeking a range of artists to reflect the varied experiences of survivors across the Eastern Shore.
How to Participate: Email Catherine Roper (croper@mscfv.org) information about yourself and art medium, vision for approaching the project and studio, county, contact information, and relevant links to examples of artwork.
When: Deadline to sign up is May 30th.
Questions: Attend in-person information session for more details on Friday, May 8 from 11:30am – 1pm at the Market at Dover Station located at 500 Dover Road in Easton, MD
MISSION
The mission of Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence (MSCFV) is to create healthy opportunities to break the cycle of domestic violence through intervention and prevention by providing shelter, counseling, services, and advocacy for victims and abusers; and by changing society’s attitudes and systems which permit and promote such violence against women, men, and families. Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence is the central point of access for domestic violence assistance within the counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
