ARTFUL INTERVENTION
Northside ‘Mini Murals’ project draws attention to human trafficking
There’s a window to another world at the entrance of the Moody Community Center on Fulton. It may look like a traffic signal control cabinet covered with paint to most passersby; but for a victim of human trafficking, there’s a glimmer of escape.
Anat Ronen, the artist who transformed the ordinary metal box into a wooden frame with swirls of trees and sunlight, included a phone number in her work: 888-373-7888, the national human-trafficking hotline.
“A potential victim could drive by or walk by, see the marking and maybe reach out and get help,” Ronen says.
Hers is the fourth and final mini mural in a public art installation series bringing prevention and awareness to the streets of the Northside. Houston City Council member Karla Cisneros initiated and funded the project for District H. Two other artists — Alex “Zú” Arzú and Renee Victor — painted cabinets at the three remaining sites: Airline at Crosstimbers, Airline at Cavalcade and Jensen at Crosstimbers.
Ronen’s reveal was timed to coincide with January’s designation as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
“I’m excited because it’s been awhile since I’ve done aminimural,” she says. Her design was chosen from
a rendering she submitted to UP Art Studio three years ago. “There’s a light in it, and hope — I understand why they picked it.”
“Mini Murals” is an ongoing program that Up Art Studio launched in 2015. Since its inception, some 300 art installations have popped up on city property. Council members select themes based on the essence or history of their communities.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. So for Cisneros, this month’s motif was an easy choice.
“Mini Murals is one ofmy favorite programs anyway,” she says. “They really brighten up depressed areas in some neighborhoods that are struggling. People like them and are really proud of them.”
It’s an artful, beautiful way to potentially reach victims of human trafficking, she says. Houston PublicWorks prohibits text on most city property, but Cisneros’ office convinced the department to bend the rules.
“We know this is a problem in Houston,” Cisneros says. “Like a lot of people, I thought it was just sex trafficking, but it touches so much more than that. It’s like slavery and forced labor formultiple industries. Children are affected by this.”
Her staff determined the four locations of the Mini Murals by tracking phone calls and 3-1-1 data from problematic areas reporting prostitution and other suspicious activity. Working with UP Art Studios for the most appropriate artists and image pairings was the next step.
“We have a roster of 50 artists who submit designs,” says Elia Quiles, co-founder and principal of the for-profit organization and design house. “I have a renderings book. The council member looked through 200 pages and narrowed it down to 10.”
The Mayor’s Office on Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence and Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs also weighed in before Quiles sent out a survey to the community.
Ronen says that a minimural usually takes her one or two days to complete, sometimes three. “This one will be very organic — a mixture of color and swatches and realistic. I think it’s only going to takeme one day,” she says excitedly.
Large-scalemurals are her specialty. When she first tried her hand at a mini version, she thought it would be too small and insignificant in the street scene. That wasn’t the case.
Theminimural becomes a centerpiece — she can camouflage the box entirely. One has to look hard to spot the humantrafficking text and hotline number.
“It’s not hidden, but it’s not out there in plain sight,” Quiles says. “Even if it helps one person, it has done its job. You never know what someone is going through.”
She describes her studio as a champion for civic pride through civic art. Together with husband and business partner Noah Quiles, their goal is for people to take pride in where they live.
Art constrained tomuseums and galleries isn’t necessarily accessible to all. “Not everyone is comfortable in those settings.
And why shouldn’t their lives also be enriched by public art?” Quiles poses.
Especially when safety is at stake.
Before Cisneros became a council member, she was a thirdgrade educator working in the classroom. Advocating for children is what prompted her run for office, she says. She felt the city could be doingmore.
She also knows that January is an importantmonth for raising awareness. If Houstonians understand the signs of potential human trafficking, they’remore likely to intervene.
“Be aware of someone who’s in a crisis situation. Maybe they’re hiding in a dressing room or the backseat of a bus,” she suggests. “It’s eye-opening when you start learning. And the point is that it helps.”