Red Sand Project

Red Sand Project is a participatory artwork created by Molly Gochman that uses sidewalk interventions and earthwork installations to create opportunities for people to question, connect and take action against vulnerabilities that can lead to human trafficking and exploitation. Red Sand Project was first launched in 2014, in an effort to increase public awareness and engagement around human trafficking. To expand the reach of the project, Molly launched a website—still active today—offering Red Sand Project toolkits, which include packets of red sand and information about slavery and trafficking in the U.S. and across the world, giving participants a way to physically engage with the cause and to build discussions around the action. 

Today, Red Sand Project actions have been done in all 50 states and in 70 countries, with more than one million participants. In 2020, over 200 groups in the U.S. requested toolkits as a means of drawing attention to this critical issue, including high schools and colleges, district attorneys and police departments, governmental agencies, religious organizations, organizations dedicated to women and family services, and a wide range of others. These efforts can be tracked online with the hashtag #RedSandProject. Learn more at redsandproject.org. 

Red Sand Project is an initiative of Stardust Arts Foundation.