A 40-foot shipping container sits near the corner of First and McKinley streets. It’s not abandoned, or being used for construction, but instead transformed into an art exhibit that aims to raise awareness to the horrors of child sex trafficking.
StreetLight USA is a local nonprofit that provides a safe haven for girls ages 11-17 who need to rehabilitate, recover and start a new life after experiencing sex trafficking. The organization partnered with the artist, Pamela Adelman of Grand Rapids, Michigan, to bring the exhibit — called “The Scarlet Cord” — to Phoenix in time for Super Bowl week.
Inside the container, visitors can see 30 battered doors and haunting portraits. The scarlet cords that bound the doors and paintings represent the deception that enslaves innocent trafficking victims.
As they travel through the space, visitors can read anecdotes, such as the story of 13-year-old Jenny, who became a victim after putting her trust in the wrong man. They can also learn statistics; for instance, that every two minutes a child is forced to sell her body. An audio collage plays in the shipping container, featuring stories from two survivors and a police officer. With such imagery, the exhibit evokes strong emotions from visitors, volunteers said.
“Many people have come out crying or come out in shock,” Melanie Campbell, a volunteer with StreetLight USA, said. “People have not had any words to say to fit their emotions.”
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“The Scarlet Cord” opened on Friday. Since downtown Phoenix is serving as the center of Super Bowl festivities for the next week, visitors can see the exhibit until it closes on Sunday, Feb. 1.
After traveling through the exhibit, visitors can stop at an information table staffed by volunteers and pick up their own scarlet cord bracelet.
“The bracelets represent the circle of protection that StreetLight USA offers girls 11-17 in the Valley,” Campbell said.
This is the first time that StreetLight USA has presented an art installation to the Phoenix community, but the healing power of art has always been central to the organization’s efforts to remain hopeful and help victims overcome their traumatic situations.
“The overall goal was to bring awareness to the importance of therapy,” Lea Benson, the CEO of StreetLight USA, said. “Art, dance and music are all things we found to be effective in their treatment.”
Every aspect of the exhibit, which took a year to create, was carefully thought-out and executed by the artist Pamela Adelman.
“We get two events in Phoenix, the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl,” Adelman said. “Children are vulnerable and fall prey to this. Everybody comes to the Super Bowl to have fun, and these kids will not be having fun.”
Although there are points of contention surrounding the causal effect of the Super Bowl on sex trafficking, a 2014 study by the ASU School of Social Work shows that any event held in a populous urban area increases the likelihood of crime and exploitation.
Adelman said she is enthusiastic about her opportunity to spread awareness through her art and help victims.
“Art unlocks the heart and is a catalyst for healing,” Adelman said. “It feels very encouraging that my art is really making a difference. It’s living art and the message will go on.”
The exhibit, located on 813 N. First St., is free and open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Sunday, Feb. 1.
Contact the reporter at rbouley@asu.edu
