Andrew Vachss
Illuminations Award
from St. Vincent's Center's National Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program

ILLUMINATIONS
a source of light, hope & healing

Illuminations is St. Vincent's Center's National Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program whose mission is:

To utilize the visual art of Justin and Matt Wilke, victims of child sexual abuse, to deepen awareness and understanding of the reality of the sexual victimization of children, enhance the skills of professionals working in the field of child sexual abuse and serve as a support for the treatment of victims, perpetrators and their families.

Since 1995 the audience base for Illuminations has continued to expand both locally and nationally as a dynamic educational and training tool for mental health professions, law enforcement agencies and professionals, physicians, educators and clergy.

In addition to its use as an educational and training tool, the Illuminations Exhibit is also being utilized as a powerful and effective tool for empathy development in treatment programs for adolescent and adult sex offenders.

As part of Illuminations' mission to build public awareness around the issue of child sexual abuse, Justin's artwork is presently on view at the American Visionary Art Museum as part of their year long presentation titled: Golden Blessings of Old Age & out of the mouths of babes.

For more information regarding Illuminations please call: 410-666-7113

The Illuminations Award

About the Recipient: Andrew Vachss

The Illuminations Award is our important effort to acknowledge and bring additional attention to those individuals who have contributed in some significant way to bringing the issue of child sexual abuse out of the darkness. We are deeply honored to present this first Illuminations Award to Mr. Andrew Vachss.

Mr. Vachss has been chosen for this award for multiple reasons. Since 1971 he has been tireless in his efforts to understand and respond to the issue of child maltreatment. His significant impact in this critical area has been through means as diverse as advocacy, legal representation, lectures, articles, consultations, and program development. Beyond these formal efforts Mr. Vachss has used his well known and respected crime novels as another powerful means to "illuminate" this issue for an even broader audience.

Above all, Mr. Vachss is being singled out for the Illuminations Award because of his passion. It has been the central driving force of his work. And it continues to be the spark that inflames a similar passion in so many others!

About the Artist: Jay Wolf Schlossberg-Cohen

Jay's professional painting career began in 1973 as he first designed sets, lights and large backdrops for the theatre. He officially opened his first paint studio in New York in 1978. For the past decade, Jay has maintained a successful studio in Baltimore focusing on landscapes, musicians/dancers, murals, community based public art, youth projects and sacred works.

Jay has had several major shows and his works now include stained glass and ceramics. His works are in collections worldwide form the White House and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to private collections in China.

For more information regarding Illuminations please call: 410-666-7113