Meyer Vogl Gallery art auction supports local trafficking survivors
Laurie Meyer and Shannon Runquist have known each other since 2003, when they were both artists working out of the former Gibbes School in downtown Charleston.
Twenty years later, the two friends were texting one night when they landed on an idea: ask artists to donate small works and use them to raise money for people rebuilding their lives after human trafficking.
They made a list of artists and started calling.
That idea became “Small Pieces, BIGGER Picture,” which returns to the Meyer Vogl Gallery on Daniel Island Thursday, Oct. 29, to benefit The Formation Project, a Charleston nonprofit serving survivors of human trafficking throughout the Tri-County area.
Meyer, owner of Meyer Vogl Gallery, said giving gallery space to community causes has been part of the business since it opened.
“We felt very moved by its mission, and in keeping with our promise to give back to the community, we agreed to host the first version of Small Pieces, Big Picture,” she said.
This year, about 50 artists are donating more than 50 original works, all measuring 8-by-8 inches. The artists represent Charleston galleries including Meyer Vogl, Robert Lange Studios, Horton Hayes Fine Art, and Charleston Artist Collective, along with galleries in Santa Fe, New York, Philadelphia, Scottsdale, and elsewhere. Meyer is contributing a piece herself.
The collection ranges from realistic paintings to abstract, figurative, still life, and cityscape works in oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, and mixed media. Online bidding will begin around $200-$250.
“Each artwork is one piece, each artist contributes another, and together they reveal a larger picture surrounding human trafficking and survivor support,” Runquist said.
The Formation Project served 61 survivors in 2024, 121 in 2025, and 154 so far this year. It has also opened two transitional homes and launched Formation Legal in the past two years.
Locally, trafficking doesn’t always resemble what people expect. The organization says cases can involve someone the victim knows and occur in hotels, apartments, and workplaces. Labor trafficking in the Charleston area is most commonly seen in the hospitality industry, Runquist said.
When someone leaves a trafficking situation, The Formation Project can provide immediate help with shelter, clothing, food, a cellphone, and medical care. Long-term case management can then help with housing, employment, education, health, and other needs. This year’s goal is to raise $100,000, with proceeds from the auction going directly toward those survivor services.
“We hope to bring extraordinary awareness to our community about the services provided to victims of trafficking in the Charleston area,” Meyer said.
“Small Pieces, BIGGER Picture” runs from 5-8 p.m., Oct. 29, at Meyer Vogl Gallery, 250 River Landing Drive. Admission is free, but an RSVP is required at theformationproject.org/events.