HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — In April, survivors of sexual assault all around the country are coming together to share their experiences and promote education and support.

Sammi Murrell says every time she glances at the clothing hanging from the wall, she thinks of the survivors.

She said, "I think I just think about the bravery of the survivors who shared their stories with us.”

Northern Kentucky University’s Norse Violence Prevention Center is hosting an art exhibit displaying the clothing of sexual assault survivors inspired by the poem, “What I was Wearing” by Mary Simmerling.

Murrell, a survivor herself, says this exhibit removes stigma.

She shared, ”When we talk about sexual violence, especially on a college campus, we’re thinking of people at parties, things of that nature. But what we know is a lot of our students may have already experienced harm before they came to campus.”

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), on average, there are over 460,000 incidences of rape or sexual assault in the United States. While the 2022 Crime in Kentucky Report, revealed over 3,000 reports of sexual offenses were reported.

Third-year student Dylan Perez works closely with Murrell as an ambassador. He said this year’s exhibits features 33 individuals and show that anyone can experience sexual violence.

Perez said, “It is definitely important to recognize that this does happen to masculine aligning individuals, and that they have just as much of a voice in this conversation as female aligning individuals.”

Murrell says she hopes anyone coming to visit the exhibit takes one thing with them.

She said, "Getting involved in organizations, spreading a message that yes means yes is super important and that they make a bigger impact than they might think they do.”

The exhibit will be open in April and is open to the public.