A Woman in the Night

From the Heart

Saturday night a woman returned to The Scarlet Cord asking for another red string bracelet because she lost the first one. As I tied another string around her wrist, she asked for a hug. I had a nanosecond to decide if I was going to extend kindness to the intoxicated woman.

Although the toxic effects of alcohol dulled her senses, the woman was still sober enough to say, “I’m the woman behind your doors. Your artwork is about me.” She continued, “If I go home tonight, I will be beat.”

After giving her a hug, I tried to offer a few words of mercy. But she kept saying, “I’m the woman behind the doors. Your artwork is about me.”

“Put this card into your pocket,” I said while handing her a business card from Women At Risk International. “When you wake up tomorrow morning, you will find the card in your pocket.”

She slipped the card into her pocket and told a random group of young teens standing nearby, “Your mom made a beautiful exhibit.”

Did I fail to really help this woman? My heart ached. She vanished into the night with the red cord tied around her wrist. Truly, this woman was one of the women behind The Scarlet Cord doors.

The Scarlet Cord: Branded

Behind the Artwork

Branded - Part of The Scarlet Cord installation

Branded, Livestock branding markers on canvas, 25½ x 25½ inches, 2014

Reproduction featured at Macy’s of Rivertown in Grandville

Traffickers refer to the group of children they control as their “stable.” Within their stable, children are tattooed—marked like livestock—and herded into a mechanical and emotionless existence. However, if loving individuals help restore these children to a safe place, the children can thrive again.

FACT: One in three runaways will be approached by a trafficker within 48 hours (Manasseh Project).

The Scarlet Cord: Tethered

Behind the Artwork

Tethered - string art for The Scarlet Cord installation

Tethered, Mixed media on plywood, 44 x 48 inches, 2014
(Approximately 700 nails and 600 feet of string)

In India, a teenage prostitute’s baby cries while tethered to a post by a thin scarlet cord. No one is allowed to touch or talk to the baby. Her trafficker’s goal: create the perfect sex slave—a child desperate for affection. Similarly, by using manipulation and deception, pimps enslave American children with a thin psychological tether.

FACT: Cybersex sells children as young as six weeks old for sex to customers in the US (Women At Risk International).

Midnight Wars & The Scarlet Cord

General

Kelsey Rottiers

Don’t miss singer Kelsey Rottiers’ live performance set against the backdrop of “The Scarlet Cord” ArtPrize installation—confronting the harsh reality of child sex trafficking and calling for compassionate action.

What: Live performances by Kelsey Rottiers
Where: The Scarlet Cord installation at the Ford Presidential Museum
When: Sunday, September 28 at 2:00 pm AND Sunday, October 5 at 2:00 pm

The Scarlet Cord: Do 1 Thing Challenge

General

Circles of ProtectionWear a red string bracelet to symbolize your commitment to protect children. Get involved in their lives. Listen to them. Reach beyond your sphere and build circles of protection around your community’s at-risk children. By confronting the harsh reality of child trafficking, we activate hope and healing.

Start with one child.

See something, Say something!

Call the Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 if you see indications of trafficking.

Seven Red Flags to Look For:

  1. Signs of physical abuse such as burn marks, bruises, or cuts
  2. Unexplained absences from class
  3. Sexualized behavior
  4. Withdrawn, depressed, distracted, or checked out
  5. Displays expensive clothes, accessories, or shoes
  6. New tattoo (name, symbol of money, or barcode may indicate trafficking)
  7. Older boyfriend or new friends with a different lifestyle