“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” Vincent Van Gogh
Artists at Red Dirt Artists and Gallery have provided a powerful example of bringing small things together to do a 
great thing. Through a collection of original art on the theme of human trafficking, central Oklahoma artists are taking a stand in the movement to end modern slavery. This Friday night, they will display their artwork at a gallery event both to increase public awareness of human trafficking and to collect donations for Beautiful Dream Society
“Making the public aware of this terrible ordeal and how to help or prevent it is a worthy cause,” says Dr. Bob Palmer of Red Dirt Artists & Gallery, an art cooperative in greater Oklahoma City. After hearing Beautiful Dream Society speak at University of Central Oklahoma, where he is a professor in the Department of Art, Dr. Palmer contacted BDS to initiate Friday’s gallery opening. He reached out to artists in the cooperative to create original artwork expressing perspectives of the cause’s meaning and importance. His efforts resulted in a moving collection of photography, painted silks, and acrylic- and oil-based paintings on the theme of human trafficking.
“Interruption of Innocence” is a painted silk by event organizer, Megan Clements. Against a backdrop of rich, vibrant colors, streaks of black mar the surface. The piece expresses the darkness of human trafficking that robs a victim of any childlike joy or hope. Beautiful Dream Society staff and house moms have certainly seen this effect of human trafficking in the women who join our shelter program. Thanks to the support of partners like the Red Dirt artists, we are able to provide a safe place for women to transition out of the darkness of human sex trafficking to a place of hope and vibrancy.
Holding special gallery openings is a priority for Red Dirt Artists and Gallery. Established in April 2011, the art cooperative prioritizes featuring new artists by welcoming them in gallery openings every two months. The Gallery has also supported other humanitarian causes. The art on display for the human trafficking event will go on tour for two years to galleries around Oklahoma. After that, the pieces will become available for purchase.
The human trafficking gallery event at Red Dirt Artists and Gallery, in honor of Beautiful Dream Society, will open Friday, March 20, from 6:00-9:00. Admission is free. Donations will be taken for Beautiful Dream Society, who will attend with an informational table. Refreshments provided.
Directions: To get to Red Dirt Artists and Gallery from Oklahoma City, take NW Expressway northwest out of town. Turn right onto Colony Pointe Blvd.