About the Project
An Empty Place at the Table Memorial Project was established in 1993 in Scranton, PA in response to the murders of two women and one child within a twenty-two day span. Inspired by the “Aids Quilt” and Judy Chicago’s art exhibit “The Dinner Party”, WRC advocates and surviving family members established the Table to bring to life the people behind the domestic homicide statistics. The WRC Memorial Project consists of an art exhibition of dinner place settings, photographs and personal items, each representing a victim of domestic violence who has been murdered in acts of domestic violence in Lackawanna or Susquehanna Counties, PA. The mission of the Memorial Project is to remember those murdered, increase awareness of the deadliness of domestic violence, and to act as a catalyst for social change.
An Empty Place at the Table has been displayed to over 15,000 people since 1993 to diverse audiences and venues, such as the JWI’s 3rd International Conference on Domestic Abuse in the Jewish Community and the PA Governor’s Conference for Women. The documentary film of An Empty Place at the Table is narrated by award-winning actress Susan Sarandon and has been seen by approximately 8,000 people since its premiere in October 2003. The moving exhibitions and film screenings have built momentum for personal and community action, and acted as a forum for conversation and healing.
An Empty Place at the Table has become a national model for community organizing and education replicated in approximately ten states by families and advocates. An Empty Place at the Table documentary film, Handbook, and film user’s guide were developed for domestic violence advocates to use in educating the community and to assist in the development of a Memorial Project for their own community.
For more information on An Empty Place at the Table, email nancyp@wrcnepa.org or call (570) 346-4460.
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