The ARTWORKS FOR FREEDOM event is part of the exhibition titled Human Trafficking: Reclaiming Freedom, A Call and Response.
Human Trafficking: Reclaiming Freedom, A Call and Response, is an exhibition running from September 25th to November 4th, 2017 that is a collaborative exchange for poets and artists. Curated by noted artist Helen Frederick the call and response invites writers and visual artists to participate, assigning one to call and one to respond. The result is a set of paired works, resonating with each other, demonstrating the interplay of artistic media, and speaking of our times.
This exhibition theme: Human Trafficking: Reclaiming Freedom, resources the finding of residual words and visual images that persist after a trauma that changes lives, including victims of modern slavery, immigrants and refugees at risk, and all those who have suffered loss of their freedom due to trafficking.
Human trafficking is a global criminal enterprise affecting millions of men, women, and children. It exists in every country and in many guises, fueled by extreme poverty, cultural norms that devalue and commodify women and children in particular, and also by a seemingly insatiable demand for exploitive sex and cheap labor. According to recent estimates, the buying and selling of human beings is a $150 billion-dollar annual business. The profits are high and the risks low. It is also one of the biggest violations of human rights in the world.
The exhibition is part of ArtWorks for Freedom | ACTION DC! a city-wide arts festival to raise awareness of human trafficking throughout the Washington, D.C. region. ArtWorks for Freedom, a nonprofit organization working nationally and internationally, uses all forms of artistic expression to inspire individual and community actions in the fight to end human trafficking. ACTION DC! will feature exhibits, films, dance, theatre, spoken word, participatory arts events and community conversations throughout October and November. See artworksforfreedom.org for more details.
PRESENTERS:
Introduction by Michelle Clark and Helen Frederick
Visual Art Projections by the Artists /Readings by the Poets
Jessica Kallista and Jennifer Atkinson
Cheryl Edwards and Fred Joiner
Shanti Norris and Sarah Browning
Elizabeth Board and Lisa Short
Susan Main and Elizabeth Halper
