​UNSEEN TO BE SEEN AT THE ECCE GALLERY

To many, the word ‘slavery’ probably brings to mind the barbaric institutions of a past age, where people could be treated and traded like cattle. However, even though it is nominally illegal in every industrialized country it is still a thriving institution in today’s world. In fact, there are approximately 30 million people currently in slavery, more than there ever were when the Atlantic slave trade and Southern plantations were at their peak.

People are still trafficked on a regular basis, especially women and children who are forced into sex work at brothels or ‘massage parlors’ either because their parents are stuck between the options to do this or watch them starve, or often they are snatched up as orphans. 11 million children in India alone will find themselves trafficked like commodities to the highest bidders. It isn’t just an issue in developing countries either, with many buyers from first-world countries getting involved, even some in North Dakota.

In the face of these daunting statistics, it can be easy to lose hope that any change can be effected. One local nonprofit named Unseen refuses to lose hope, however. The organization was founded about five years ago by former NDSU graduates Than Baardson, whose work in the National Guard and the field of journalism exposed him to the epidemic of human trafficking, and Tanya Martineau, who has worked with brothel workers from South Korea in order to give them a new lease on life.

Unseen works with anti-trafficking groups in 11 countries, including India and Thailand where trafficking has reached epidemic proportions. “There are many of these groups out there,” says Melanie Iverson, the development director at Unseen. “A lot of them are good at counseling victims, but they don’t know how to ask for help, or they lack the exposure to inform people and make a bigger difference.”

That is where Unseen comes in. The nonprofit helps create exposure and institute fundraising for these groups with their media expertise, which includes graphic design, filmmaking, and web design. By doing this they hope to not just hope to help those who have already been exposed to this evil but to help prevent it altogether with a new generation.

Take for example a partner group in Thailand called ‘Home of New Beginnings’, based in the red light districts of Bangkok. Unseen created media and marketing for the group, worked with their counselors, helped build them a new website, and even helped them raise almost over $570,000 to rescue these disadvantaged people to help them achieve a normal life and give them a home. “We’re so encouraged our [North Dakota’s] government is working on the issue with us,” says Iverson. “There are so many places where that just isn’t the case.”

Even if you are not part of a non-profit like Unseen, that doesn’t mean that you can’t help. On April 29th, Ecce Art Gallery on Broadway will be hosting “c(art)e blanche: creativity with a cause” which is being co-hosted by a local start-up named Finnu for Unseen.

The event will showcase the creations of several local artists such as Jessica Wachter, Andrew Stark, and Carl Oltvedt. The doors open at 6:45 and a silent auction for the pieces of art (which will feature online bidding) begins at 7 p.m. There will be information about the organization, hors d’oeuvres, and a wine tasting led by North Dakota’s only certified sommelier, Jean Taylor, as well as violin playing by Kelsey Knutsen. After the bidding ends at 9 p.m. the proceedings move upstairs where Fargo’s own Diane Miller will be performing with her new jazz hip-hop project.

“It’s so great that all these local artists have gotten together to use their creativity to bring attention to this issue,” says Iverson. Of course, that is what all this is about, using the power of art to make real-world changes. If this sounds like something that interests you and you’re looking for a night of great art in service of a noble cause, be sure to come!

IF YOU GO:

c(art)e blanche: creativity with a cause

Friday, April 29, 7-11 p.m.

Ecce Art Gallery, 216 N Broadway

Tickets are available on Eventbrite.