Dear Friends,
 
Gold! Gold is beautiful! Gold is for royalty! Gold is forever!  When my husband asked me what kind of wedding ring I wanted, I told him, "A simple gold band." It's perfect. Now, close your eyes for a moment and imagine what it would feel like to work with gold and leave your mark on this most beautiful metal! Welcome to ArtWorks for Freedom's newest partnership, the Golden Doors to Freedom project with master gilder William Adair!

The Golden Doors to Freedom initiative is a participatory art project that turns abandoned doors into dramatic vehicles to raise awareness about human trafficking. Participants experience the thrill of holding genuine 23-karat gold leaf in their hands and applying it to the door. They will then write, draw, stencil, scratch, burnish and embellish the door with their own stories, feelings, hopes and dreams as they transform the ordinary discarded door into something extraordinary.

We are so excited to launch this initiative, which not only creates a striking visual presentation, but also brings people into the art-making process to form a community that addresses human trafficking together. The Golden Doors to Freedom made its debut at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS)—the largest annual heavy-duty trucking event in the world, which was held during March 31 – April 2. Below, you can read a recap of our experience at MATS, which was made possible through a partnership with Truckers Against Trafficking.

Our goal is to create a series of doors that will be made by allies in the fight against human trafficking - including community organizations, educational institutions and government agencies - as well as communities of survivors to stress the importance of working together and encouraging one another.

The Golden Doors to Freedom initiative will be a feature of our campaign at the University of Wisconsin-Madison later this month, where we are presenting several art activities and exhibits to coincide with the university’s 2016 Summit on Women, Gender and Well Being.  On Thursday evening, April 14, I will be joined by CBS Travel Editor Peter Greenberg to lead a discussion about “Human Trafficking: What’s the Real Story?” Along with the Golden Doors, a full schedule of arts presentations will be held. Please read more about our University of Wisconsin-Madison campaign below.  

We’re so encouraged that our work continues to resonate with new partners, artists and people who attend our campaigns. We would not be where we are today without your support! We hope you’ll continue to share ArtWorks for Freedom with your friends and encourage them to join our community!

Michele Clark
Executive Director, ArtWorks for Freedom

Our latest campaign takes ArtWorks for Freedom to the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). Throughout the month of April, ArtWorks for Freedom will mount our arts-based human trafficking awareness campaign at UW in partnership with The STREETS Project (see our partner spotlight below).

The campaign runs jointly with the 2016 Summit on Women, Gender and Well Being where ArtWorks Executive Director Michele Clark will be joined by CBS Travel Editor Peter Greenberg in a discussion about “Human Trafficking: What’s the Real Story?” on Thursday evening, April 14.

During the campaign, ArtWorks will present our exhibits and participatory arts activities, including:

• Bought & Sold: Voices of Human Trafficking: An outdoor photoraphy exhibit by ArtWorks for Freedom Founder and Artistic Director Kay Chernush, at the Chazen Museum of Art.
• What You See is Not Who I Am: A striking series of murals created in partnership with Groundswell, through its Teen Empowerment Mural Apprentice program, at Edgewood College.
• The Red Sand Project w/ Fine Art Prints by Molly Gochman: A participatory art installation created by Molly Gochman that invites people to fill sidewalk cracks with red sand to make visible the marginalized and vulnerable members of society. An exhibition of Ms. Gochman’s fine art prints derived from the Red Sand Project will also be presented at The Pyle Center.
• Golden Doors to Freedom w/ Water Color Exhibit by William Adair: Trafficking survivors and student leaders will, separately, turn two abandoned doors into dramatic vehicles for communal focus on human trafficking. Fine art concept watercolors by Mr. Adair - the inspiration for the golden door installations - will be exhibited at the Overture Center for the Arts. Doors provided as an in-kind donation by Crescent Moon Antiques and Salvage.
• Select Film Screenings

View the full schedule HERE.

For our University of Wisconsin - Madison campaign, we are grateful to work with our partner, The STREETS Project (Social Transformation to End Exploitation and Trafficking for Sex), which is part of the university’s broader 4W Initiative. Through 4W, the University of Wisconsin-Madison acts as a leading voice in education, applied research and impactful engagement to promote the well-being of women across the globe. Through education, convening and research, STREETS acts as a hub for students, faculty and alumni who are actively engaged in anti-trafficking work. STREETS also supports a statewide consortium of health providers who work with trafficking survivors and collaborates with policymakers on other initiatives in the state.

According to Dr. Jean Geran, Co-Director of STREETS, partnering with Artworks for Freedom on the UW campaign fits perfectly into the overall approach that the organization takes when addressing human trafficking.

"What ArtWorks is about is really what STREETS is about, which is collaboration. We're trying to promote the links between research and practice, which doesn't often happen,” Geran says, “And we are emphasizing the importance of getting survivors involved in the conversation around what really works as good practice."