I don’t normally associate hotels with great works of art. Yet there I was, standing quietly, intently staring at a tree in the makeshift gallery on the mezzanine of the Washington DC Hilton. Black easels and academic posters lined up and around the curved walls, lit by the low ceiling’s recessed incandescent bulbs. Normally I find art in hotels flat, made to make as little impression as possible so you can sleep soundly—for example, bowls of fruit and splotches of color. But as I walked along the conference rooms, I paused at each easel.

I was there for a conference to meet Peter Pollard of 1in6, and it was my first time meeting someone from the organization. It was the first time I had gone out of my way, in public no less, to acknowledge my deep desire to help with 1in6’s efforts to destigmatize and encourage the discussion of men having unwanted sexual experiences in childhood, so that we can help anyone live a happier, healthier life.

After meeting with Peter and learning of the numerous projects 1in6 is undertaking to achieve that goal, he invited me to experience one myself. He led me downstairs to the mezzanine and left me alone to see The Bristlecone Project, one of 1in6’s awareness campaigns. The Bristlecone Project consists of portraits and stories of men who have experienced and overcome abuse, and was developed in collaboration with founding board member, Dr. David Lisak. 

The tree on the exhibit’s main banner was thick, with tough knots and dense wood, smooth like a stone. I admit, I am terrible at visiting galleries, and I tend to pay less attention to words than to what draws my eye. I moved beyond the words on the banner, giving them only a glance.

My short attention failing me, I was inquisitive as to the lack of trees in the exhibit that I had expected after seeing the banner. Where were the hotel photos? The landscapes of wind lashed mountains and lone pines rising above the cliff tops? Instead, upon reaching the first easel, I saw a man, just like any I could have passed on the street. He could have been on the train with me that morning, or walking his dog in my neighborhood, but he was smiling at me through the frame.

I returned to the initial banner, reading beyond my first glance at the definition printed below: “Bristlecone Pine Trees survive and thrive in the harsh conditions of the western Rocky Mountains. Despite thin soil, strong winds, freezing temperatures, limited water, Bristlecones can live for thousands of years, and are among the oldest living organisms on earth.”

It helps to give more than a cursory glance. With that definition in mind, I returned to the exhibit. Pacing along, I found each portrait’s uniting similarities—growth and healing, withstanding harsh treatment, weathered with age but remaining strong or joyous. The united journey through strife shared by the men in the portrait series has not stunted them. Yes, they are shaped by the wind and grown in rocky soil, but the Bristlecone pine thrives. Each man’s face, smiling or resolute, reflects his growth—not who he is, or what he has been through. These men are not bent by gusts or shriveling from malnourishment. They continue to live, no matter their circumstances.

The oldest known tree in the world is thought to be a Bristlecone pine. The tree’s location, somewhere in eastern California, remains a secret for its protection. The men in Lisak’s portraits also carried secrets as their shield. But by discussing their experiences in their own words, and looking at them as they are now, not then, their growth and resilience shines through in each portrait. 

I wish I could find the oldest Bristlecone. I don’t wish to reveal its secret location to the public, or carve my name into the bark, or even take a picture. I just want to know that it’s possible that something rooted in sharp jagged rock and raised on thin mountain air can thrive despite what attempts to blow it over.

Stepping away from the easels, and grabbing a cup of coffee before heading upstairs, I glanced up at the coffee shop wall to see it lined with typical hotel art. I glanced behind me, to the stairs leading to the exhibit’s mezzanine. What I had seen was not like the frames on the coffee shop wall; it was like no art I had ever seen while in a hotel before, and certainly wasn’t just hotel art. But after seeing it, I thought I might sleep a little more soundly that night.

View 1in6’s Bristlecone Project awareness campaign.

- By Landry Ayres

Landry Ayres is a blogger and intern for 1in6. Raised in north Texas, he is currently a graduate student at George Mason University working toward his M.A. in Health Communication. His research focuses on resources for men who have unwanted or abusive sexual experiences in childhood, the HIV/AIDS rhetoric of evangelical organizations, performance, and public speaking education. He is also a coach of the George Mason Forensics Team, and a public speaking instructor at a variety of institutes across the nation.

The mission of 1in6 is to help men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences in childhood live healthier, happier lives.

1in6's mission also includes serving family members, friends and partners by providing information and support resources on the web and in the community.

Joyful Heart and 1in6 invite you to visit 1in6.org for info, options and hope, and to learn more about our partnership and Engaging Men initiative here.

The views expressed above are not necessarily those of the Joyful Heart Foundation or 1in6.