Sex Trafficked from Where!?!

Behind the Artwork

A young woman returned to The Scarlet Cord looking for me. She gave me a hug and thanked me for the work. As I listen to people’s stories during ArtPrize, I try not to be shocked. But this story rocked me.

With tear-filled eyes, the young woman said, “As a small child, I was sex trafficked every day from my daycare center, along with several other children. Customers came to the daycare center or we were taken to other locations. The abuse continued for several years.”

As I hugged the young woman, I noticed that her mother was crying too.

A Lesson for the Artist

Behind the Artwork

A young woman sat on the curb—crying—after viewing The Scarlet Cord. A young man sat next to her with his arm tight around her. Five minutes later, they were still sitting on the curb, and she was still crying. So I decided to approach them.

Kneeling down, I asked the young woman, “Are you okay?”

She said, “I have a heart to help young children who have been abused. It is really terrible what some children experience.” She continued to cry.

The young man nudged her and said, “Tell her.”

A firm “No” came back. More tears followed.

“Our stories may be different, but hurt is universal,” I said, pretending not to notice the telling conversation that just occurred. “My artwork is about redemption. A fresh start. I couldn’t paint like this if I hadn’t experience deep wounds myself. The artwork is about healing. You have a beautiful and tender heart. It would be really wonderful if you could reach out to hurting children and help them regain hope.”

We talked a bit more about my art. Then I said something about how this may be my last year doing large exhibitions. The young man said, “You could still do something smaller. That would still help others.”

“I’m not sure about that,” I said.

This wasn’t the time or place to discuss my art challenges. Maybe he was right. Maybe not. For the last several months, I had been thinking about quitting my art journey. It had been quite a ride. I had lots to be thankful for. But the challenges had been overwhelming. I felt tired. Depleted.

He quickly interrupted my thoughts. “But something keeps bringing you back. Like you said, ‘Hurt in your life reaches out to others in a healing way.’”

His insight surprised me. The young man had just counseled the artist. I smiled and gave them both a hug. Our conversation pictured the ebb and flow of life. I intended to reach out to this young couple but, in a strange way, they ended up encouraging me. Their youth and innocence warmed my heart. Perhaps all three of us experienced renewal. The conversation had brought healing. As we parted, the young lady and the artist felt a new sense of hope, and calling.

Sex Workers Quotas

Behind the Artwork

Extreme close-up of red tangled cord on Wounded painting

A woman questioned one of the statistics in my story about Jenny. She said, “You’re exaggerating about the part in the story where it says that ‘her door swings thirty times a night,’ right?”

I responded, “Some handlers, or pimps, demand that the children under their control serve thirty clients a night, others demand twenty. I watched one documentary where pimps even set a timer for 15 minutes to maximize their profits.”

The woman shook her head.

Shared Hope International reports that “underage sex workers average 6,000 clients over the course of five years, and are typically instructed to serve between 10 and 15 clients per night. However, reports confirm that girls have served as many as 45 clients in a day during peak demand times, which includes major sports events.”

The Scarlet Cord Crossing Boundaries

One man said, “When you go to a hotel in Mexico City, you are offered a ‘señorita; she comes with the room.’”

After viewing The Scarlet Cord, a woman went to sit on a nearby park bench where she cried. For the next 30 minutes, a man, perhaps her boyfriend, wrapped his arm around her and tried to console her.

Returning to The Scarlet Cord

A young woman who had experienced sexual abuse returned to see The Scarlet Cord installation. “This exhibit is killing me,” she said, “but I had to come back.”

She added, “The deeper you step into the abuse, the deeper the addiction. The thin scarlet cord pictures the connection I experienced with my abusive boyfriend. As you move through this exhibit the cord thickens, like the entrapment I lived. You can’t walk away.”

The Scarlet Cord Opening Hearts

The middle-aged woman grasped my hand with tear-filled eyes. No words were spoken. She could only look into my eyes for a few brief moments. I stared back.

Then she slowly walked away. Each footstep filled with pain. Shoulders rounded. Head bent downward.

A couple of minutes later, another woman embraced her, perhaps a friend. They stood close together for several minutes. Maybe whispering words of healing. Maybe sharing only tears.

The Scarlet Cord Voted Top 25 Installation!

General

The ArtPrize Top 20 Finalists were announced yesterday for the second round of public voting which will determine the winners in four categories. Congratulations to those artists!

Thank you to all who volunteered, donated, visited, supported, and voted for The Scarlet Cord. Over 25,000 red string bracelets were given to visitors and The Scarlet Cord was voted a Top 25 Installation!