Domestic Violence Awareness Center, Colorado Springs, CO
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
community Project • 2025
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
A powerful multi-wall mural at a domestic violence awareness center in Colorado Springs, featuring portraits of a woman with an afro and gold hoops, surrounded by purple ribbons, empowering phrases, and symbols of healing and hope. The piece delivers its central message — 'You Are Not Alone' — with compassion, dignity, and unwavering strength.
Gallery
Artist's Note
“This was the most emotionally significant project of my career. Every creative decision was weighed against its potential impact on survivors who would see this art during the most difficult period of their lives. The imagery needed to be empowering without being aggressive, hopeful without being dismissive of pain, and beautiful without being trivializing.”
— Rachel Dinda
Inspiration
The survivors and advocates who work through this center every day. Their courage informed every element. The purple ribbon of DV awareness is woven throughout, but the dominant message is hope — that isolation ends, that support exists, and that healing is possible.
The Process
I worked closely with center staff, counselors, and survivors to ensure the imagery would be healing rather than triggering. Every color, symbol, and phrase was reviewed for its emotional impact on people in crisis. The purple palette was chosen for its association with DV awareness, while the gold accents represent the inherent worth of every person who walks through these doors.
Community Impact
Center staff report that the murals have measurably changed the emotional atmosphere of the space. Visitors in crisis pause at the 'You Are Not Alone' message, and counselors use the artwork as a bridge to difficult conversations. Several survivors have told staff that the mural was the first thing that made them feel safe.
Project Details
Location
Domestic Violence Awareness Center, Colorado Springs, CO
Year
2025
Size
1,800 sq ft
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