The Joyful Heart Art Auction (a silent auction) took place in Minot, ND on the 25th of April to honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month and benefited the Joyful Heart Foundation--a New York based nonprofit established by actress and activist Mariska Hargitay--as well as the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Minot. It was held at the beautiful Lillian and Coleman Taube Museum of Art in Historic Downtown Minot from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
So many people have worked so very hard to help survivors of rape and sexual assault, as well as to educate the public about sexual violence. And while the occurrence of rape has significantly decreased since the 1990s, there were still nearly 250,000 victims of sexual violence in 2007. In fact, one American is sexually assaulted every two minutes. Worse yet, only 40% of the victims report the assault to the police and "only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail". (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
We've progressed in this important journey, but the road is still long and winding. We can do more. We can do better. We can help change the public's attitude towards sexual violence, so that people learn to respect others entirely. We can raise children so that as adults, they'll know that "no" indeed means "no" and won't violate the trust given in "yes". So that if someone is victimized, they won't feel the shame that rightfully belongs to the offender and they can get the help they deserve to heal. So that one day maybe, just maybe, sexual violence will become a problem of the past...
I originally organized the Joyful Heart Art Auction as a senior at the University of North Dakota for a creative Honors Thesis, experience towards my Communication major, and--most importantly--for the opportunity to do something that could make a difference in my community and for others. The first JHAA raised a little over $1,000 to benefit the Community Violence Intervention Center in Grand Forks, ND and the Joyful Heart Foundation.
After meeting Mariska Hargitay, award-winning star of Law & Order Special Victims Unit, and learning more about Joyful Heart I decided that I wanted to create an event to help them with their commitment
to the total healing and recovery of survivors of sexual assault. I
also felt, and still feel, that it is important to give back locally
and was happy to include CVIC in the event.
My
respect for JHF's mission has deepened in correlation to the growth of
their pioneering healing techniques for sexual assault survivors, as
well as survivors of domestic violence and child abuse, and because of
the overall uplifting nature of this nonprofit. The difference they
have made in the lives of so many is completely inspiring. It is
an honor for me to have some small part in that difference and to bring
that to Minot, specifically to the Domestic Violence Crisis Center.
Sexual violence is an issue that, I think, needs to be addressed more than it is. But it can be intimidating, so the Joyful Heart Art Auction was more of a celebration of the difference we can make by simply choosing to do something about it. Minot has a strong art community and is filled with generous and proactive people. The support JHAA received from outstanding artists, businesses, and individuals helped me meet my goal of raising over $2,000 to benefit the innovative Joyful Heart Foundation and steadfast Domestic Violence Crisis Center.
I believe we did do something great on April 25th. It was a lovely evening filled with beautiful art, generous people, good food and drink, chill music, and a simple yet profound joy... In one night we were able to reach out to others through art. Because of that, today we are able to help the Domestic Violence Crisis Center and the Joyful Heart Foundation reach a hand out to a survivor of sexual assault and hold it as they embark on a journey of healing. I'm very proud of that.
-Annie Langseth, JHAA Event Coordinator
