The Scarlet Cord – Flourish Phoenix

Behind the Artwork

Tethered close-up

For five days beginning next Wednesday, downtown Phoenix will play host to an expected one million visitors, all anxious to be part of the unparalleled hype that surrounds the Super Bowl each year wherever it is played. There will be live music, great food, national sports broadcasts, and even a giant climbing wall reminiscent of the Grand Canyon.

Those who wander a few blocks north towards Roosevelt Row will find something else that may seem out of place: a 40-foot storage container with people streaming in and out.

Inside the container they will find The Scarlet Cord, an award-winning exhibit by artist Pamela Alderman. The exhibit, which opens January 23 and runs through February 1, will be open from 10am to 9pm each day and admission will be free. The Scarlet Cord is presented by StreetLightUSA, a Phoenix-based nonprofit specializing in providing care for child victims of sex trafficking and exploitation.

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Award-Winning Child Trafficking Exhibit Comes to Phoenix

General

The Scarlet Cord is a moving tribute to victims

January 23 through February 1, 2015

Old door with marker writing for The Scarlet Cord installation

An award-winning art exhibit aimed at raising awareness of child sex trafficking is being brought to the Valley by StreetLightUSA, a local non-profit and the largest residential center in the country focused on the care and healing of child victims. The Scarlet Cord will be featured in downtown Phoenix in the Roosevelt Row Art District.

“The Scarlet Cord really moves you as it delves into the issue,” said Lea Benson, President and CEO of StreetLightUSA. “While most people don’t like to think about under-aged girls being sexually exploited, this horrific injustice is happening in our own backyard. I am proud to share this with others in the Valley.”

Pamela Alderman is the artist who created The Scarlet Cord. The unique art exhibit is housed in a 40-foot storage container. Here visitors encounter 30 weathered doors and portraits bound by a twisted scarlet cord to depict the trauma bond that connects abused children to their traffickers. Alderman’s motivation for The Scarlet Cord exhibit was to inspire healing for sex trafficked children and those who have been negatively impacted by the sex industry around the world.