A COLLECTION of artwork by Indiana women on display at the Columbus Museum of Art and Design in the Commons is designed in general to raise awareness of domestic violence and, in particular, the efforts of the Turning Point Domestic Violence Services.

The exhibit "Out of the Shadows: Art by Indiana Women," which will run through April 2, is an effort by local organizations to reach beyond a mere appreciation of fine art to provide an even broader social message.

This connection of art to domestic violence is based upon an unprecedented 19th-century movement in which a number of talented and independent-thinking women artists from Indiana achieved national and international success through perseverance, sacrifice and determination.

The fighting spirit of these women has been translated into the message of the exhibit , the need to provide a vehicle of self-expression, emotional healing and self-confidence to individuals who live their lives in the shadows of fear.

Simply put, that is the mission of Turning Point, which is collaborating with the museum and ARTColumbus. Proceeds from the local sale of a book "Skirting the Issue: Stories of Indiana's Historical Women Artists" will be donated to Turning Point.

That there is a need for the message behind the exhibit was underlined in a tragic fashion last week by the horrific beating death of a Columbus woman and the subsequent arrest of her husband in the crime.

Investigators described the murder at the Lafayette Avenue home as brutal.

Bartholomew County Coroner Larry S. Fisher said it was an example of spousal abuse to "the extreme."

Even more tragic is that this is the third instance over the past two years in which Columbus men have been charged with beatings of this severity. A macabre connection to all three incidents is that each of the victims were beaten by iron skillets.

In the earlier incidents, the men were found guilty and sentenced to prison terms of 60 and 70 years.

Unfortunately, these sentences are unlikely to stem the violence.

That is why providing individuals who live in the shadow of fear a voice and choices is so important.

Situations such as those that resulted in tragic outcomes did not occur as a spur-of- the-moment thing.

Often, domestic violence is an ongoing way of life, especially for victims who feel they are trapped with no choices for escape.

Escaping these relationships is difficult and does require courage but it is possible, especially with the opportunity for refuge in a place such as the Turning Point shelter.

The important thing is finding the will power to take that step.

Any way that message can be spread ? be it through an exhibit of art or words of encouragement ? is far preferable to the alternative.