In support of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Women's Studies Resource Center has teamed up with REACH (Refuge, Education, Advocacy, CHange), which according to its Web site is a "domestic violence agency serving 27 cities and towns throughout Greater Boston," to host a new exhibit, "REACH for the Stars... Transform a Life." The show consists of 100 ceramic plates designed by celebrities and artists. With contributions from Ellen DeGeneres, Michael J. Fox, Theo Epstein, Eve Ensler and Jerry Remy, this touching exhibition includes pieces that range from the fine creations of experts to a child's fingerpainting.

These plates, though fairly simple on their own, will serve an important purpose on Nov. 3, when they are to be auctioned off to help raise money for REACH. Rather than focusing on publicizing the celebrity-signed plates, this collection instead concerns itself with the noble goal of joining art with activism.

The collection opens with "Survivor Family," a set of dessert plates designed by victimized children and adults who have received help from REACH. The small space at the Women's Studies Resource Center was filled Wednesday night with artists, admirers and even kids, all present because of their love for art and community activism. More than 25 of the artists, including Clara Wainwright, founder of First Night in Boston, were also in attendance, all recognizable by the silver stars dangling from their necks.

The show itself is a grand exhibition of "Color-Me-Mine"-esque works, with a few exceptions that clearly stand apart from the rest. Mags Harries' "125," a provoking sculpture of a bottle going up through the center of the plate, sits on a mirror so the underside inscription, "Comfort has blinded me," can be seen by viewers. Brenda Star's "155" is another distinctive piece, in which the ceramic plate is actually embedded in the sculpture of a foot on a large, square marble tray. Most of the other plates are painted with messages of hope and pictures of handholding, flowers and butterflies, all sending a powerfully positive and supportive message. Some pieces include humor, such as "113" by Rebecca Doughty, in which "Eat your vegetables" is centered in the plate; others are more abstract, like Heidi Whitman's "169," which features a map with brain-textured continents.

"REACH for the Stars" runs in the Women's Studies Resource Center through Oct. 31. For more information on REACH and the Nov. 3 auction visit www.reachma.org.