Buy Art Not People: Art Sales to Fight Human Trafficking and Slavery

I thanked Detective Alan Krok for his informative lecture and he advised me of an art initiative here in Chicago to fight slavery and human trafficking.  Buy Art Not People [BANP] at http://buyartnotpeople.org/ raises funds for social and activist needs by selling art works on their website for a flat $35.00 online credit card donation.  They have long term goals to educate the public in order to stop slavery and the economic exploitation of people.  Their most current goal is fund-raising to help formerly exploited young women and girls in a local residential program.

I recently met with BANP member and activist Elizabeth Grace Andrews and learned more about the organization.  They are new but going through all the right steps to grow their cause and work toward specific goals to help people.  They currently have tax exempt status through Destination Church and have partnered with and raised funds for the Salvation Army.  Their biggest outreach program is raising funds for the care of and giving art lessons to girls that are residents of Anne’s House:

The Salvation Army PROMISE Program (Partnership To Rescue Our Minors From Sexual Exploitation) is pleased to announce the opening of Anne’s House- Illinois’ first long term trauma based residential program for young women and girls who have been impacted by sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. This trauma based program will offer comprehensive services including, but not limited to, individual and group therapy, life skills training, support with academic and vocational goals, social and recreational activities and spiritual guidance.

They are working toward a gallery style art show event this May and are putting out a call for entry for works.  The works will be on display for a month for sales and to bring awareness to BANP.  This will be a juried show of donated works from artists and will also feature works available for sale by Anne’s House residents.  I will post the formal call for entry when it is released.

Creative Friends and Partners,

We have missed you over these last few months and hope this message finds you living and loving and creating like never before.  We have great news to release about the next Buy Art Not People event that will take place in May at Flourish Studios!  We will be releasing the Call for Entries by the end of this week and hope that you will consider being involved and spreading the word to your communities.

We truly are so grateful for your involvement and support in the past and present day and hope that you will continue in the future to help us create change and spread the abolition message through our voices in art.  Cheers.

The BANP Team

buyartnotpeople.org