ArtPrize 2014

The first 8 days of The Scarlet Cord at ArtPrize 2014 have been exhausting but well worth it. In addition to currently being in the Top 25, visitor responses have proven the importance of confronting human trafficking and bringing hope and healing to survivors.

Here are just a few highlights:

Healing Tears

Tears are words the mouth can’t say nor can the heart bear. Joshus Wisenbaker

At The Scarlet Cord installation, a woman suddenly grabbed me, buried her face into my shoulder, and started sobbing. A moment later, before I had a chance to respond, she quickly walked away—and blended into the ArtPrize crowd.

Meeting a Pimp

The following story was shared with me at ArtPrize:

In 1982 while attending school in Ann Arbor, I was at a laundromat washing my jeans. A man came up to me and started telling me about his beautiful apartment and asked if I would like to see it.

A nearby woman yelled, “Don’t touch her.” Then she turned to me and screamed, “Get the hell out of here.”

I left my jeans in the washing machine and ran out of the laundromat.

At the time, I was too naive to recognize the danger. But that woman saved me from being trafficked by a pimp.

Building Convictions

After being convicted about pornography at summer camp, a group of male—and female—students threw their iPhones into the bonfire because their phones were full of pornographic images.

The Scarlet Cord Responses

• Through tears, a young adult said, “I’m not usually into art but this one touched me.”
• These three words slipped out mingled with tears: “I’ve been there.”
• An inspired and upset male college student said, “What can I do?”

Sex with Children?

A woman stopped me in a public restroom at ArtPrize and said, “My husband has a personal question for you.” She continued, “How do adults have sex with these children?”

I responded, “They engaged in oral or anal sex with children.”

Horrified, the woman thanked me.

As she left, I thought: Yeah, the math just doesn’t add up. I’m horrified too.

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Thank you for partnering with me and supporting The Scarlet Cord.

Kindhearted Women At Risk volunteers gave away thousands of red cord bracelets each day so far. As the volunteers tied the string bracelets on each wrist (or ankle), I realized that we were literally touching the lives of the ArtPrize visitors, making a personal connection between the healing message of The Scarlet Cord and the public.

A Peek Into Our Day

• Muscular young men waited in line for string bracelets
• Graying men extended their arms for bracelets
• A distinguished executive indicated that he wanted a bracelet
• A few hurting, young women sobbed while loving friends circled around them
• Many offered words of appreciation for the work
• An attractive upper middle-class woman quietly reached for a tissue
• Several people walked through The Scarlet Cord container with their dogs
• One man rode his bike through the installation (a new way to view art)

Email Responses

One friend wrote:

After listening to your audio collage, I spent an hour on the Shared Hope International site…oh my. I also sent the audio collage link to ALL my Facebook contacts—one by one—so no one has an excuse for not knowing.

Another friend sent this email:

This year Pamela’s art is tackling the horrible reality of child/people trafficking in the US. I didn’t know that containers filled with trapped boys, girls, men, and women are shipped across the country at major events around the country like the Super Bowl, and other large-draw gatherings and conventions, to support the sexual desires of the people attending those events.

Another woman wrote:

I will read more about the Do 1 Thing Challenge and pray about what to do.

The Scarlet Cord visitors continue the conversation at ArtPrize:

A mom overwhelmed with emotion struggled to get these words out, “My adopted son was a sex toy night after night for his parents.” I thought, there is a lot of evil in this world, but here is a good woman who really cares for the welfare and healing of her child.

A young woman trembled as she recalled her childhood story: “My dad sold me for sex to other men from his office from the time I was two until the time I was five.”

When children come through the installation, I say, “The Scarlet Cord is about being kind to others. When you see someone being unkind to another person, tell an adult.” One 9-year-old responded, “My grandfather was unkind to me; he went to prison.”

A retired police woman said, “We never had any training about sex trafficking while I was on the force. After viewing The Scarlet Cord, I stayed up late researching sex trafficking.”