The show, Stories from the Margins: Art & Writing by Sex Trade Workers Past and Present, opened on September 2, 2003 with a Wine and Cheese Reception for the artists and their friends and relatives. On September 3, a Gala Reception was held with specials hosts and guests--an overflow crowd was in attendance.

The show was held at the Martin Batchelor Gallery Studio in Victoria.

Front row (left to right): Dorothy Field, Deb, Yvonne, Jannit Rabinovitch,
PEERS Executive Director (2003) Lauren Casey, the new VI's Laura Acton and an overflow crowd.

Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe addresses the Opening.

Comments from the Guest book:

Very moving exhibition...Carry on the great work...You guys rock!

A little knowledge shared is so much greater than a lot of knowledge that sits idle.

Proud to be here. Great Idea...Would like to see others express their feelings thru art.

Powerful. Wow. You rock artists!

Thanx for this amazing evening, a true gift to reveal such raw talent from women I'm honoured to have gotten to know. Krystyna

Wonderful work. Thank you so much for the good work you're doing for our community.

Pleasantly surprised. Diverse pieces. Fabulous, sadness expressed with love.

Thanks, great show! Moved me...I hope this inspires many more people.

I am most impressed. Great, do it again and let the show travel.

Touching, scary, as a worker its disturbing.

Thank you. This exhibit has inspired me greatly. What amazing courage and talent here!

Creative, courageous, bold, unsettling. Thank you.

Ramona’s Thoughts on Coming Home from The Opening of the Exhibit

The gallery celebration was a huge success. Who knew that all my hard work, perseverance, and determination would pay off like this? One can only hope but I could never imagine it could be so exciting and appreciated by so many walks of life. It makes me want to dedicate my life to creating art that can describe something that people on the outside of the sex trade cannot know. The little bits and pieces can show only glimpses, but the more glimpses that are created, the bigger the screen can become. I am feeling so honoured suddenly to have been a part of this art show. I was there it seemed by chance but I don't think so anymore. I made it into the last 5 weeks of the group classes to work on the project and was able to complete my shadow box and some photographs as well as poetry, other writings and some recordings. I can't quite describe how wonderful it was to have people come up to me and congratulate me. I really felt the sincerity of people tonight when they complemented me on my shadow box. I didn't quite know what to say except for thank you and yes, it took me days and hours to complete and it was quite a process and I am happy with how it turned out and thank you, I am happy to hear that it has touched you. It is all I could have hoped for. I am extremely happy. A huge part of me wanted to be out there speaking but as I said I really wanted to protect my son as it is always a dangerous world being a mom in or out of the sex trade. I have always been the sole caregiver of my son and want it to stay that way. I am the mama bear. I do not want anyone to fuck with that. Period.

I sit here alone celebrating on my own the excitement of the evening. I am happy to revel on my own, as I am aware that it is my happiness alone. On the other hand, I don't want to be alone. I just went from a huge crowd of people, a lot that I knew and politicians and strangers and all. I just put a whole lot of energy out towards the evening and had a great time yet I also found it quite emotional as every piece of art, every poem read, every song sung, every film shown, really hit me close to the heart. I can relate to so much of the exhibit and was really moved tonight by everything that was going on around me. Right now I am processing. When it comes to so much heart felt and reality information, I know it will take more than one day to process. Hopefully it won't affect me so much that I won't be numb for two days and then down for three. I want to still feel up. The down part would include all the heart wrenching realities that were there at the gallery tonight such as the Peers video, some poetry, the artwork and speeches made by politicians and people directly or indirectly involved in the art show. It is all sad but true information that I already knew but it doesn't change how I feel. It is a sad reality, the sex trade. Many issues here. I have done a lot of healing and still have a lot more to go. Meantime, I will be triggered; I will still hold feelings and memories around it that will never go away. I have dealt with it all alone as that is how it goes being a sex trade/ex sex trade worker. The sex trade has been all about going it solo for me as no one can ever really get inside these memories in my head. I can never fully express it all anyways. It was years and years and thousandths of thousands of moments never even all to be remembered or expressed. Sometimes things are indescribable.

Tonight, after the Gala Celebration, I am alone. My son is in bed sleeping peacefully. I sit and write, happy To be able To do so. Yet still, I crave. Understanding and a warm heart Beside me To hold me And love me And be here for me As I rejoice and savour The success of the evening Or, to hold me And caress my hair and face If I need to let out the tears saved for after the show in the privacy of my own pain or, to just be here and know that the tears lay behind my fears and that they may never be able to fall on my cheek.