motherartistsmakingart
MotherArtistsMakingArt
The MAMAs / Mother Artists Making Art is a movement foregrounding the value and visibility of mother+artists. All the images on this site were made by/for/during a MAMAs or PAMAs gathering by participating mother+artists.
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Hey MAMArtist* Monique Mead!
What are the ages of your child(ren), and where do you live?
I am the proud mother of Isabel Cardenes (20) currently studying harp at Manhattan School of Music and Tino Cardenes (19) a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University studying music and technology.
We live in Pittsburgh, PA.
How do you describe your art practice?
I am a classically-trained musician who creates, presents, and performs innovative concert experiences for people of all ages and abilities. This happens via community partnerships, in my work as Professor and Director of Music Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University, and in my sound healing practice.
The violin has always been the sound of my soul and I find deep satisfaction in the shared experience of beauty and inspiration that live performances offer. Music has the ability to connect us more deeply with ourselves and with others. I am awed by its power to uplift, heal, and transform us on every level.
Who is your artistic crush?
I have admired German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter since I was a teen. Despite her cool super-star professionalism on stage, I remember being disarmed backstage when I once greeted her there with my 6-month-old Isabel in my arms. Anne-Sophie promptly reached out to cuddle Isabel, allowing her to use her precious violin fingers as a teething ring.
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
You develop nerves of steel, and are able to be alert and “deliver” at any time of day or night—jet lag be damned!
You have something exciting coming up! PLEASE SAY MORE ABOUT IT!
I’m currently tending to two pandemic projects that have taken on lives of their own: our family's Porch Concert Series and the expansion of my Sound Healing practice.
Also, one of the most fulfilling parts of my creative practice is getting to work with students at CMU. Every semester, they launch new projects that champion causes within their communities. Those that have become sustainable include Azure Family Concerts, an all-behaviors-welcome chamber series for families with autism; Lullaby Project Pittsburgh, a collaborative songwriting program for parents/babies with birth trauma; and Scottie Sound Bath, a student-led class at CMU that reduces stress and promotes mental health on campus.
The next Azure Family Concerts are on April 21. The Lullaby Project Celebration Concert is on April 7 in the Alumni Concert Hall on the CMU Campus. The Scottie Sound Bath happens weekly on the CMU campus and its services are available for special events as well.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
Having built my career as a presenter of youth and family concerts in Germany, my children have shared the stage with me since they were in the womb. As a way of motivating them to practice their instruments, I invited them to perform on my shows. They made their piano debuts with orchestra in one of my shows at ages 7 and 9 and have since performed with me on many other occasions.
During the pandemic, with no performance opportunities, it was tough to keep them practicing. So we started a porch concert series to help bring the neighborhood together and give local musicians a place to perform.
Donations from these concerts help raise awareness and support for two other family music programs I partner with as part of my Citizen Artist course at Carnegie Mellon University, including: Azure and Lullaby Project Pittsburgh.
By popular demand, we have continued hosting porch concerts every summer since 2020, and we love keeping this new family tradition alive together. Our next concert series begins this June.
What are you currently reading or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
The poetry of Rumi never ceases to inspire me. And thanks to my son, I have also become a fan of the fabulously talented Jacob Collier.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
While being an artist is not about you, it’s imperative to radically prioritize your own well-being so that you can continue to create your art.
BEST LINKS to find you and your work!
moniquemead.com
awcpittsburgh.com/soundhealing
IG: monique.violin
Photo credits:
Top Row, Monique and daughter Isabel at age 6
Bottom Row, L to R, School workshop on Orcas Island; Monique + Sound Healing Practice
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Monique!
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Hey MAMArtist* KELLY CERVANTES!
What are the ages of your child(ren), and where do you live?
Jackson, 11 + Adelaide, would be 8yo but passed away in 2019 days before her fourth birthday + Anessa, 4. We live in Maplewood, NJ.
How do you describe your art practice?
I am an writer and public speaker. I write shorter blog pieces and have published a book. I also speak at events and for various companies across the country.
Who is your artistic crush?
Author, Christie Tate (Group and BFF). She is a brilliant writer who tells it exactly as it is - I've never read such honest and real writing before finding her books. She also happens to be an incredibly generous person who helped me along the way without ever having met me. Bonus - she is also a mom!
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
Well, you can always rely on a mother to sh*t done, and that applies to her work as an artist as well. But perhaps even more powerful is our empathy. Never underestimate a mother+artist's ability to love and understand another human's trial and then turn that into relatable art for all to experience and learn from.
You have something exciting coming up! PLEASE SAY MORE ABOUT IT!
I just published my first book, Normal Broken: The Grief Companion For When It's Time To Heal But You're Not Sure You Want To, and it is a USA Today bestseller! Following the death of my daughter Adelaide from a neurodegenerative disease just days before her fourth birthday, I felt irrevocably shattered by the loss. I was broken. Through connecting with others and myself through writing I learned that not only is grief not linear, but we all grieve differently. It took me years to want to heal, which was the impetus for writing Normal Broken, because every other grief book I picked up assumed I wanted to heal and I didn't. I thought grief meant letting go of my daughter, or moving on without her. What I would eventually learn is that healing actually meant remembering and moving forward with her. That I would never be the person I was again before she died and that's OK. I would always be broken, but that I could learn to be Normal Broken.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
Having lost my daughter (and a pregnancy at 21 weeks), this book is integrally tied to being a mother. However, it was important to me to write a book that was accessible to people grieving all kinds of loss: be it a physical person, parent, spouse, friend - or grieving a dream, job, or person who is very much alive but no longer in our lives. Grief is grief is grief. Comparing our trials and losses serves no one. So yes, I lost my child and this book wouldn't exist without my daughter - without me being a mother - but that doesn't make my loss greater or less than anyone else's.
What are you currently reading or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
I am currently reading Meghan Riordan Jarvis' End of The Hour, which is a stunningly beautiful memoir, and I am listening to Grief is Love by Marisa Renee Lee, which is exposing me to the ways culture and race can impact the way we grieve. So... lots of grief books, but mostly memoirs because I love learning as much as I can about the human experience.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
I read something recently that spoke to how women often think that if they are able to accomplish something then it must have been easy. GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT FOR ALL YOU DO! Surviving as an artist is not easy, motherhood certainly isn't easy - combine the two of them and we should all be celebrating every achievement, no matter the perceived size, along the way. Take a dance break, pop the bubbly, announce it on social media, whatever you need to do to acknowledge and celebrate you! Because whatever it is you've done, it definitely wasn't easy.
BEST LINKS to find you and your work!
www.kellycervantes.com
IG and Facebook: @kellygc411
Normal Broken is available everywhere books are sold!
Photo credits:
Top Row: Author photo by Justin Patterson
Bottom Row: Kelly & Adelaide, photo by Jennifer Loomis; Book cover, Benbella Publishing
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Kelly!
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Hey MAMArtist* BROOKE BERMAN!
HEY, MAMArtist!* Brooke Berman (she/her)
What are the ages of your child(ren), and where do you live?
I am the mother of Ben Haber, 13. We live in LIC Queens, NY.
How do you describe your art practice?
I started out as a playwright - and yes, I still write plays -- but lately I am also a filmmaker. I just made a feature film called Ramona At Midlife about a middle aged working mom making room for herself. I write plays, pilots, screenplays and sometimes prose. In 2010, I published a memoir called No Place Like Home about my experiences living in 39 apartments over my first 20 years in NYC. (It's not a book about real estate though, it is very much about coming of age in the theater.) And I have kept a journal for almost 40 years!
Who is your artistic crush?
Can I have more than one? Nicole Holofcener, Sofia Coppola (I recently fan-girled her), Lynn Nottage and Laura Eason. All of whom are vital working mothers. In my film, Ramona has an artistic crush on Patti Smith -- the entire movie is a love letter to the way Smith handled her identity as a mother alongside her identity as an artist without compromising either.
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
We know how to set limits. We know how to multitask. We know how to manage pressure. We know how to lead. And we know how to create when there is a limited amount of time. I will never forget Lynn Nottage telling a group of us that while raising her daughter she learned to set a timer for her writing and get one particular task accomplished for each writing session. I used to have endless amounts of time to think and feel and be... that all ended years ago. Now I have to be precise. Additionally, I credit motherhood for making me a better citizen and a more thoughtful collaborator.
You have something exciting coming up! PLEASE SAY MORE ABOUT IT!
I have a movie on the festival circuit! My first feature, Ramona At Midlife. We had our world premiere last June at Geena Davis's Bentonville Film Festival and subsequently screened at The Woodstock FIlm Festival, The Heartland Film Festival and the Mystic Film festival. While still on the festival circuit, we are looking into distribution and (fingers crossed) hope to be able to share this film with a wider audience in the coming year. And, Ramona at Midlife Is having two screenings at the New York Indie Theater Film Festival: Thursday February 15, 7pm and Friday, February 16 at 4pm. Info and tickets click HERE! You can watch the trailer HERE!
Also, I'm teaching a six week multidisciplinary writing workshop, affectionately called The Creativity Lab. The CL is a virtual place to explore your creative process and any new project – from first impulse to first draft and beyond. It is Six weeks via Zoom, on a weekday morning (TBD), 10AM-1PM EST starting mid-Feb. Email [email protected] for more info!
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
This movie is about and for artist mothers! It is literally about a woman raising her daughter and figuring out how to incorporate her former life as an essayist with her present life as a mom. How do we collate these identities? Ramona opens the movie by asking her idol Patti Smith, "When you were raising your kids in Michigan, did you ever sleep past 6AM? Did you feel motherhood was an immediate call to action?"
In making this movie, I found myself wanting to talk about motherhood in a more comprehensive and less splintered way than we currently do. We’ve seen a slate of films that separate raising children from creative lives – choose one or the other, they warn, as if there is no way to survive the ambivalence and pain of the juggling act. I refuse that splintering. How can we have a more nuanced conversation about creating room for both? The fact is, if women are going to "have it all,” our society needs to change. We need adequate childcare, healthcare, better schools, more flexible work schedules, even affordable family therapy. Let’s stop blaming individual women -- for having kids or not having kids – and instead shine a light on the social structures that would allow us bigger lives.
What are you currently reading or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
I just watched The Persian Version, a film by Maryam Keshavaraz, and loved it so much. The film is about a mother artist coming to terms with her own complicated mother just before she gives birth. It is incredibly moving and funny and smart. As far as books... just after the war broke out, I started reading a history of Israel and Palestine (Can We Talk About Israel? by Daniel Sokatch) to better understand this moment. And I'm halfway through Alvin Eng's memoir, Our Laundry, Our Town, and loving it. On the audio side, I'm listening to Ezra Klein's podcast, the Ten Percent Happier podcast (I'm a meditator) and Krista Tippett's podcast, On Being.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
You're not done. Whoever you are, whatever kind of art you make, you will have material and inspiration in every phase of your life -- pre-kids, during kids, post-kids. You are not done. Your voice is necessary. And the fatigue will pass. Find your tribe. Nurture friendship. My friendships, especially with other women, have lifted me up again and again. You've got this.
BEST LINKS to find you and your work!
www.ramonaatmidlife.com
www.brookeberman.net
FB: @Brooke Berman IG: @brookebermannyc
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Brooke!
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Hey MAMArtist* JENNY MERCEIN (she/her)
What are the ages of your child(ren), and where do you live?
My daughter is 7 and we live in New Orleans!
How do you describe your art practice?
I am an actor, a writer, a director, a producer, a storyteller, and a teacher. I am interested in creating socially relevant theater that speaks to contemporary issues. My plays are not didactic, but hopefully they inspire meaningful post-show conversations (and also make you laugh along the way!). I always tell my students: I don't believe theater can change the world but I do think it can spark conversation that can lead to positive social change.
An example of this is ROLEPLAY, a feature length documentary I am producing. It follows a diverse group of college students as they use theater to confront sexual violence on campus -- grappling with questions about sex, consent, identity, and power on their path to adulthood. We are in the final stages of fundraising for this film. I truly believe it will be a catalyst for game-changing conversations on high school and college campuses across the country.
Who is your artistic crush?
As a solo performer, I fell in love with the form via the solo plays of Wendy Weiner, an amazing writer and performer who I met when I first moved to NYC in the mid-90's. Wendy has a new show called The Mystery House which recently played in Edinburgh. I hope it has a long life! I also must add Heidi Schreck. I've been a huge fan of her work since I was in grad school in Seattle 2000-2003. I loved her first as an actor, then as a writer. The fact that many people have compared my show TWO ELIZAS to "What the Constitution Means to Me" is the highest compliment to me!
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
Probably not an original answer, but we can multitask!
You have something exciting coming up! PLEASE SAY MORE ABOUT IT!
My solo show TWO ELIZAS explores motherhood, women's rights, and intergenerational resilience. I will be bringing TWO ELIZAS to the Whitefire Solofest in Los Angeles on January 12th, 2024!! I am so excited to share this piece with West Coast audiences.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
TWO ELIZAS is 100% influenced by my experience of motherhood. The entire show was born out of the experience of becoming a mom. The play explores the true story of my ancestor Eliza Mercein Barry and her landmark 1847 U.S. Supreme Court case Barry v. Mercein which established a woman's right to retain custody of her child. Eliza's story is juxtaposed with my own complicated journey to motherhood, which included fertility struggles and mental health challenges. The play affords me the opportunity to share the anxiety I faced as a 40 year old woman feeling enormous pressure (societal, familial, and internal) to marry and procreate, as well as to talk candidly about my IVF journey and my experience with miscarriage. I am grateful to be able to openly discuss topics that are sadly still shrouded in silence and shame. The story of my ancestor is also an incredibly inspiring story of resilience, and of the US Supreme Court upholding a woman's bodily autonomy... which unfortunately highlights the ways in which the courts no longer seem interested in supporting the rights of mothers.
What are you currently reading or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
I absolutely adored Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, which explores motherhood and theater. And I just listened to a deeply disturbing episode of the podcast The Daily about CTE in young football players. I collaborated with KJ Sanchez on a docudrama called X's and O's that centered on the role of football in our society, so the piece impacted me profoundly.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
It is never too late. Give yourself grace. Every moment you spend raising your child(ren) is giving you life experience that will ultimately serve your art. By the same token, don't feel guilty when you leave your child to do your work. If you are lucky enough to have childcare, a supportive family member, or other resources that enable you to step away to practice your craft, DO IT! You are being an exceptional role model for your kid(s), showing them that pursuing your passion is worth devoting time and energy. And time away/ time spent on your craft rejuvenates you as a parent. But again, it's never too late. If you need to pause, pause. If you need to step away to focus on family, step away. You will always be an artist.
BEST LINKS to find you and your work!
TWO ELIZAS in Los Angeles at the Whitefire Solofest on January 12, 2024
Information about ROLEPLAY, the feature documentary about love, sex, power, and consent on college campuses
www.JennyMercein.com
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Jenny!
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Hey MAMArtist* Margaret Campbelle-Holman (she/her)
What are the ages of your child(ren), and where do you live?
My daughter is grown and has her own family. I live in Nashville, TN.
How do you describe your art practice?
Building, lifting and sharing the inherent music and storytelling artistry in our children and youth. I was trained as a music teacher. My career has taught me that I am more than that. I am a music education artist.
Who is your artistic crush?
My Mother, Marjorie Holmes Campbelle.
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
We have determination to serve others through our craft/artistry; a vision of how artistry builds community across borders; and we can inspire others such that through artistry and craftsmanship, doors open for children/youth.
You have something exciting coming up! PLEASE SAY MORE ABOUT IT!
I founded a nonprofit (Choral Arts Link) to serve elementary school student singers across our city’s schools because I saw students in my school ‘rise’ above what they believed was possible. I also experienced and discovered how their classroom growth fueled choral performances that lifted other students, their families and the school’s surrounding community.
MET Singers’ first performance was in 1998 and served public school singers. Our programming now includes private, charter and home school singers, grades 4 - 12, representing the growing cultural canvas of Nashville.
January 14, 2024 will be the 26th annual performance of our MET Singers with the Nashville Symphony. MET Singers serves as the Celebration Youth Chorus for the symphony’s Let Freedom Sing concert, a tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The singers will have pre-concert retreats in Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center, engaging with national conductors and guest artists for the experience of a lifetime. Even this year, this event will be the first performance inside this historic building for a large percentage of the singers and their families.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
As a mother, I looked for music and arts opportunities for my daughter. The arts experiences I had as a child in Nashville began in my home and continued throughout high school, in a segregated school system. My experiences were vast and deep because of my parents, especially my Mother, who was a musician, pianist, organist and music educator.
I was asked to return to Nashville to be the first officially hired music teacher in the public elementary schools of Nashville. Prior to this invitation, music education/experiences were only provided by classroom teachers. My daughter had participated in a wide variety of musical encounters during our time in Sarasota, FL and Memphis, TN, but these were not available in the city schools of Nashville, my hometown.
MET Singers/Choral Arts Link is an outgrowth of all of these things, especially with regard to what I was able to provide for my daughter in other cities. Creating opportunities for my Nashville students was an outgrowth of seeing my daughter thrive and recognizing that students in the two schools where I taught, at that time located in the two poorest communities in Nashville, deserved the same options as any other children within elementary music education system.
What are you currently reading or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
The bible. Also, articles on relational thinking, music as community builder, and the relationship between music and the brain.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
Fill/Expose your child to the arts early. Interact with your child through the arts, not just by watching them but by singing with them, playing duets with them. Build an arts community with your child, not just with music, but also painting (finger painting was an early joy for me), sewing (my mother taught me to sew), building (I often went camping with my father), cooking (in the kitchen with my mother and grandmother, becoming a contributor to our family meal), playing an instrument (I played duets with my mother, fell in love with the cello)...etc. These experiences of mine occurred over many years.
This is the undercurrent of all my teaching: to seek and provide the same quality in both the classroom and choral setting.
BEST LINKS to find you and your work!
Follow MET Singers/Choral Arts Link on Facebook!
Make a tax-deductible donation via Choral Arts Link's Giving Matters page
Let Freedom Sing concert details
Read about MET Singers/Choral Arts Link in The Nashville Scene
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Margaret!
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Hey MAMArtist* AMANDA MONTEI (she/her)
What are the ages of your child(ren), and where do you live?
My kids are 8 and 5, and we live in California.
How do you describe your art practice?
I'm an author and critic. My recent book, Touched Out, combines memoir with theory and criticism. But I'm trained in narrative, so I'm perpetually interested in story and how language shapes our perceptions of the world.
Who is your artistic crush? Mary Kelly
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
Caring for children teaches us to hold the possibility of another world in view, while also telling the truth about the world we live in now. It's an incredibly creative, intellectual, and political skill.
You have something exciting coming up! PLEASE SAY MORE ABOUT IT!
My most recent book Touched Out is the book club pick at Chamber of Mothers this November. Come join us for a conversation on November 29.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
Touched Out is about motherhood after MeToo, but it also explores more timeless cultural beliefs about who and what women's bodies are for, beliefs that are of course inseparable from how we collectively think about motherhood.
What are you currently reading or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
Margo Steines' Brutalities, a powerful exploration of violence, bodies, and care. And Jessica Elefante's Raising Hell, Living Well, about freeing ourselves from a life of influence.
I'm also currently listening to the podcast Scamanda, about a con woman and mother who convinced her community she had cancer to scam them out of money. It's a wild story about blogging, crowd-funded healthcare, and public personas.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
Be relentless. Don't try to mold yourself into the image of the male artist. Create no matter what. You're already a good enough mother. Be a good artist.
BEST LINKS to find you and your work!
Instagram @amontei
My newsletter, Mad Woman, where I write about books, pop culture, motherhood, and feminism: https://amandamontei.substack.com/
Touched Out can be found anywhere books are sold
My website for more of my writing and teaching work
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Amanda!
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Hey MAMArtist* donia salem harhoor!
HEY, MAMArtist!* donia salem harhoor (they/she)
What are the ages of your child(ren), and where do you live?
I have a 16-year-old cub. We live in the area of Lenapehoking now known as Princeton Junction, NJ.
How do you describe your art practice?
My work – in writing, movement, choreography, herbalism, and curation – often investigates how language, lineage, and disease shape identity and experience. It strives to be an excavation of self through rigorous introspection, engagement with resources, and exploration of the freedom that can be found within form. Practices of care and dedication along with the blessings and curses of distance from land, community, and beloveds, of what the weight of legacy and responsibility feel like often occupy me. I am drawn to exploring the mechanics and mysteries of memory through embodied research.
I would also describe it as a practice of recognizing and gathering threads within and without that then becomes a site of weaving and re-membering. I aspire to be always learning and returning anew simultaneously.
Who is your artistic crush?
There are so many, but three of my forever forever crushes that always have me swooning and soul-moved, singing reverent, being astonished, and wildly, gratefully humble are Suheir Hammad, Dr. Gale P. Jackson, and Hattie Mae Williams.
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
Interestingly, the word elasticity keeps bubbling up today while contemplating this question. I suppose I am thinking about the continual invitations/imperatives/insistences to stretch/extend/expand while simultaneously needing to always be able to reshape and return that are required of Mother+Artists. Mother+Artists as glorious multi-faceted shape shifting innovators who are also anchors. There is also something about neuroplasticity in this too, I think. Something around motherhood being a potent portal to all kinds of growth, transformation, and new ways of knowing.
You have something exciting coming up! PLEASE SAY MORE ABOUT IT!
Yes!!! Thank you for this question and for the space to share about two projects presenting this October!
The Outlet Dance Project (TODP) is an organization that brings artists together to share their ingenuity through site-specific dance, film, and interdisciplinary creation. TODP celebrates the intersections of visual and moving arts, exploring relationships between sculpture and dance, between place and movement. Collaboration, community building, and experimentation are an integral part of TODP’s core practices and values. The organization champions the work of people of marginalized genders. Through partnership, outreach, and performance, The Outlet Dance Project strives to enrich the region artistically. We are honored to be in our 19th year of partnership with Grounds For Sculpture. This year we are very excited to be a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.
The Outlet Dance Project’s annual 2 day festival at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ is happening October 5th and 7th.
October 5th at 7pm is our Dance on Film Festival – an evening of stunning dance films from around the globe followed by a Q&A with some of the selected artists. Exploring embodied stories as portals, these wide-ranging, site-specific works dive into the myriad of ways storytelling can unfold, making for an unforgettable viewing experience. More info here.
October 7th at 12pm and 2:30 pm is our annual Day of Dance (Raindate: October 8th.) This accessible, family-friendly afternoon of remarkable live dance performances makes for a spectacular journey through Grounds For Sculpture (GFS), a 42 acre contemporary sculpture park. The festival features outdoor performances by choreographers, storytellers, and poets inspired by specific sculptures and landscapes throughout the park. It is a perambulatory event that brings audiences to multiple spaces at GFS via musician-led procession. More info here.
Also, later this month on the 21st of October, there is a culminating event for a beautiful project I have been very lucky to be involved in. Swim Pony, an immersive theater company in Philadelphia partnered with the Pennsylvania Environment Council and paired 10 different writers with 10 different trails in the greater Philadelphia area. Each writer created a site-specific story connected to their trail. An app called TrailOff was then created with recordings of each of these stories. Through the app, people can experience the stories in real time as they walk the various trails. I wrote a story called A Sycamore’s Psalm – told through the voice of a young poet, the story explores care-giving, family dynamics, loss, and roots of every kind. The narrator journeys through a diasporic legacy of Egypt, both ancient and contemporary, while encountering the history of the Perkiomen Creek and Trail while honoring loved ones present and past. We are having a walking event/listening gathering at the trail that will feature live music and readings, trail inspired tea blends, and much more. All details are available here.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
I have so many beautiful memories of my son being involved with The Outlet Dance Project from his littlest toddlerhood until now. When he was very young, he would dance amongst the sculptures after seeing different companies rehearsing and performing at Grounds For Sculpture. Witnessing his organic response shifted something in me around embodied reflection and the possibilities of different kinds of invitations that can be extended to audiences so that they might engage more deeply and immersively with artworks and place.
As my child has gotten older, he has wanted to be of more active support of our festival and has become part of the festival team, along with some of his dear friends. He has taken on more responsibilities each year and working together has been generative, even during fraught moments of teenagehood.
My son’s presence in my life inevitably has me considering sustainability, legacy, and impact often. My dear collaborator and friend, Ann Robideaux, is also a Mother+Artist. Our children and our lives with them shape many of our conversations around curation, the life of the organization beyond us, accessibility, re-visioning, courage, and embracing change.
In terms of TrailOff and a sycamore’s psalm, if it were not for my child, the story would not exist. In truth, the piece is a humble, tender offering to him and to the land. I hope that it is a kind acknowledgement of his tremendous generosity and complex journey over many many years of being deeply involved in my father’s dementia care.
What are you currently reading or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
· Ross Gay’s gorgeous book, Inciting Joy, is just a balm for my being these days. I am on my 4th time through the audiobook, which is narrated by the author and is perfection. Truly.
· The Art of Receiving and Giving: The Wheel of Consent. by Dr. Betty Martin. I first learned about this book and the concepts described in it while participating in a consent educator program with Mia Schacter of Consent Wizardry (https://consentwizardry.com/). I wanted to re-engage with the material and practices and wow, I am once again reminded how very crucial this information is for everyone.
· The Collected Poems of Bob Kaufman. Jayson P. Smith – an exquisite poet and person – has begun a study group that spends time absorbed in the entire collected works of a poet. We are currently reading Beat poet Bob Kaufman, whose innovative, influential writings are dynamic, deeply connected to jazz, and provide some of the roots of the Afro-Surreal arts movement.
· For the Wild Podcast. So many incredible episodes, the recent encore rebroadcast of Kurt Russo discussing the People Under the Sea (orcas) has been haunting me for weeks.
· I recently saw a truly breath-taking performance at the Philly Fringe Festival that I continue to consider. Hazem Header, a Cairo-based Egyptian dancer and choreographer (NÜT Dance Company-NDC) collaborated with Ben Grinberg of Philly’s Almanac Dance Circus Theatre to create a full-length duet called Fix Me. The rich interiority portrayed with such gorgeous, electric subtlety by Header will be on my mind for a long, long time.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
Just sincerely wishing all of us ease, support, nourishing fellowship, waves and waves of joyous discoveries, and full, ungovernable autonomy in every aspect of our lush lives.
BEST LINKS to find you and your work!
doniasalemharhoor.com
theoutletdanceproject.com
@dancinghathor @theoutletdanceproject
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Donia!
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Hey MAMArtist* MINNA DUBIN!
What are the ages of your child(ren), and where do you live?
My kids are 10 and 6, Berkeley, CA.
How do you describe your art practice?
Roller-coaster-y. I work in waves -- I either have the muse or I don't. And when I do, it's the most amazing feeling to have the words just rush out of my fingers. And when I don't, I am kind of sad with myself and grumpy. Oh maybe you mean, what is my art? I'm a writer--mostly memoir, some journalism, some poetry, some fiction. I write a lot with other writer friends, either at cafes or on Zoom. I will make up any excuse not to write, so other people help me to stay accountable to getting my butt in the chair.
Who is your artistic crush?
Dorothy Allison, her work transports and heals me.
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
For me, parenting and work feed and enhance each other. I have never-ending inspiration for my work from my family and the trials and joys of mothering. And my writing gives me a safe place to work through so much of what I'm feeling and experiencing in my mothering life. It's a symbiotic feedback loop.
You have something exciting coming up! PLEASE SAY MORE ABOUT IT!
My first book Mom Rage: The Everyday Crisis of Modern Motherhood comes out on September 19th. I've been working on it ever since my New York Times articles on mom rage went viral in 2020. I interviewed 50 mothers from across the country and around the world, and I also tell my own story of anger in motherhood. It's really the first comprehensive book on the what, why, and how of mom rage. I did so much research, but it's based in story, which felt important to me because I'm a memoirist--a storyteller, really--not an academic. I'm hopeful it will provide moms (and the people who love them) with relief and some ways forward.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
Hah! I wouldn't have had these experiences if it weren't for motherhood! Becoming a mother to my son just blew the roof off of me. I was so spun trying to figure out how to give myself what I needed while also trying very hard to be a "good mother." And those two things are in opposition in our society. A "good mother," according to current ideas about mothering, is one who basically has no needs and so she disappears herself. This book is kind of the culmination of a decade of examining the culture of motherhood in America and thinking deeply about my mothering experience.
What are you currently reading or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
I've been listening to the Serial Podcast's show The Retrievals, about a fertility clinic at Yale. Even though I only had one miscarriage, and was able to conceive pretty easily, I am very interested in infertility as a feminist frontier. I think birthing people's right to access free and safe fertility treatment should be part of the bodily autonomy fight, right next to abortion and gender-affirming medical care and treatments.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
This book came from an essay that came from a list that was part of a funky public art project I did for 3 years. I wrote lists about motherhood and turned them into art pieces, then hung them up in public places. I did it because it was a way to write but in early motherhood I needed to make something with my hands. My advice to do whatever artistic acts you can manage that bring you joy, even if they are weird and quirky and quick. Everything can be artistic practice. And we never know where it will lead.
BEST LINKS to find you and your work!
Preorder Link for Mom Rage!
Mom Rage Book Tour Dates!
All my published writing including the NYT Mom Rage pieces
Check out the 150 lists from #MomLists
Follow me on Instagram
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Melissa!
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Hey MAMArtist* ELISABETH MOTLEY
Where do you live, and what are the ages of your child(ren)?
Bushwick-Brooklyn, NY, US; age of child: 9
How do you describe your art practice?
I am a disabled choreographer, scholar, and teacher whose work is concerned with disability as a framework for choreography and creative practice. Departing from my experiences of neurodivergence, physical disability, and Madness, the choreographic practices I engage with examine how my disability and its principal characteristic of multiplicity offers strategies for choreographic practice.
I currently work with Hollow Organ, a vessel of multi-disabled dance artists grounded through the collective creativity of disability experience. Hollow Organ examines disability as a framework for experimental performance. Culling the social/political materials of our multi-disability, we are concerned with disability performance as cultural disruption and activation. Comprised of Elisabeth Motley (she/her), a White, disabled, neurodivergent and Mad woman; David Sierra (she/her), a White, disabled trans woman; x (they/themme), an Afro-Asian, disabled hypermobile, disabled trans, agender person, and Cory Nakaue (she/her), an Asian-American Latina, non-disabled woman, Hollow Organ interrogates the oppression of normative, ableist performance structures, generating liberatory pathways for disability artistry.
In addition to my performance work, I co-conspire with choreographer and teacher Kayla Hamilton on the facilitation of Crip Movement Lab: a movement invitation to all disabled people and their non-disabled accomplices, including and not limited to those that identify as blind, visually impaired, Deaf/deaf, chronically ill, crip, or Mad. The lab asks the key question: How can we be together with movement practices which center disability as a framework for creativity?
Who is your artistic crush?
Kayla Hamilton and Joselia Hughes
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
Embedding creativity in their mothering.
You have a workshop called MELT scheduled in early January 2023. Congratulations! Can you tell us a bit more about this?
I met disabled artist Kayla Hamilton in 2018. Since then, we have shared similar curiosities around disability and disability arts practices. This lab is an opportunity to work through some of our questions with the community. Crip Movement Lab is a movement invitation to all disabled people and their non-disabled accomplices, including and not limited to those that identify as blind, visually impaired, Deaf/deaf, chronically ill, crip, or Mad. MELT will ask: How can we be together with movement practices which center disability as a framework for creativity? Be prepared to use sound and language with movement in all of their forms.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
My whole family unit is disabled. I am constantly thinking about how rather than succumb to the Medical Industrial Complex’s “curing” of disability, instead we know that disability is knowledge producing and principally creative.
What are you currently reading or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
Really enjoying Crystal Davis’s Dance and Belonging: Implicit Bias in Dance Education. And Black Disability Politics by Sami Schalk.
In addition, I’m finishing up a PhD which examines the intersection of choreography and disability, so I’m re-reading a lot of my own work!
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
You are a powerful witch. Always insist on and trust your intuition.
Best links to find you and your work?
https://www.elisabethmotley.com/
MELT
PHOTO CREDITS!
Top Row: Colored Shadow, presented at O+ Festival, Kingston, NY; photo by Landon Speers
Bottom Row: MELT; Elisabeth, photo by Landon Speers
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Elisabeth!
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Hey MAMArtist* ANN LEPORE
Where do you live and what are the ages of your child(ren)?
My kids are 8 & 11. We live with my husband in Mahwah, NJ.
How do you describe your art practice?
My practice is heavy on process; the more steps, the better. Complexity, risk, and curiosity are all important to me because I’m always learning. If something seems scary or difficult, then I know I should do it, because this is how I will grow. I’m especially curious about how culture is formed and how people inform each other through social interaction. I love going to a new place and feeling out the social vibe, noticing the divides, and digging into the social landscape until I figure out why people do what they do. This is a long way of describing that a big part of my practice involves conversation and storytelling. Becoming a mother changed the way I use time. Prior to having children, I really enjoyed toying with an idea for quite a while before executing it. I’d make plans for how the idea could possibly exist in any medium and then weigh which medium would be the right vehicle. That process sometimes took weeks or months. Once my time was compressed by the reality of caring for a helpless infant, I figured out how to make these same decisions much faster, like, as in hours.
Who is your artistic crush?
Tali Hinkis
http://www.lovid.org/
and Marina Zurkow
https://www.o-matic.com/
When I first met Tali, she and her husband were performing at The Kitchen as Lovid. She had her infant daughter in a baby carrier on her chest. During one part of the performance, she had to change the way she was moving her body to control an electronic interactive instrument that they'd invented. So she effortlessly slipped the carrier to her husband, Kyle and they swapped active parenting, mid-performance! Seeing this made me think I could do anything. Eventually, I found myself rehearsing a turntable performance with my son strapped to my chest, though I couldn't see over his little noggin to grab the fader, so I ended up with a sitter for the live performance. I have never met Marina, but would like to. She has this incredible plasticity for moving one idea out through multiple mediums and it always remains cohesive. Additionally, she uses animation in a fine art context, which is something I have a deep appreciation for.
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
Growing culture without permission, and I don’t just mean in a petrie dish! We’re calling it “mother” but whoever the primary caregiver is, this person is in charge of shaping another person’s social and emotional development. We are more influential to the next generation than the richest corporation or the most militant government. Culture is literally the hardest thing to change- it’s like moving mountains. Of course, as moms we joke about how our childrens' therapists will probably inquire about us, but I am at least 55% who I am because of my parents. My mother is a textile artist with the Irish gift of storytelling. She went back to school and got a Masters degree as a single mother and figured out how to support us. I've always thought she could do absolutely anything. My father is a race car driving instructor. As a kid, if I wanted to talk to him, I had to get on the creeper and slide under the car where I'd hand him tools or bleed the brakes. He and my mother introduced me to the physical properties of materials. If something seemed mysterious, I learned it was still accessible, if you had the right tool.
You have an ongoing project called FOODSTORE(Y) that has been traveling around NY and NJ! Can you tell us a tiny it about it?
FOODSTORE(Y) is a three-part process: Performance Exchange, Animations, Podcast. Basically, I'm dragging my kitchen table to public places, asking strangers to sit down with me for a meal, and when we're sitting together, I ask folks to tell me a story. With their permission I record their story to use as a reference for animations I create that focus on the non-verbal communication of my storytellers. These intimate gestures are then exhibited publicly and the audio of their stories is archived in a podcast.
Following the isolation of Covid, and global tilt away from democracy and human rights, it felt really important to refocus on what gives us our humanity, and how we can use simple things like public spaces and food to care for each other and re-establish our baseline as a society. Cooking for someone, nurturing them, and breaking bread are often used to help groups bond and has been used as a relationship-building tool by diplomats and activists alike. Feeding a stranger creates vulnerability for the listener, which matches that of the person who has chosen to have their personal story recorded.
The performance is a gesture of trust and respect, the animation creates a heightened awareness of our common language of non-verbal communication, and can exist quietly in museums, or projected in the same public spaces where participants first exchanged stories over a meal with a stranger.
I'm asking: Can hospitality be radical? Can parenting? It sounds simple but in reality my work process involves researching with storytelling archivists, cooking and interviewing as performance (the performance is documented), months of intensive animation work, followed by podcast production of the story archive. Throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall of 2022 I’ve been recording stories this way, and as of this writing I am recording in Spain! For the winter months I will be cozied up indoors, animating. In May 2023 I will be ready to take my kitchen table around and record once again. If you have access to a public space that could be activated by FOODSTORE(Y) performance exchanges and recordings, please reach out to me via IG or my website.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
All of these -- of course! And this describes the power of motherhood. It’s very real. What is also very real is how people treat women, especially mothers, especially in the U.S. This is a country with no real national maternity policy and so as you can imagine, the stories around motherhood and the labor force, many of these stories are about women leaving jobs to have children or even not being able to work because they have children. Antiquated but pervasive non-labor views often center around the idea that our power is in our ability to attract men sexually, just the right amount and not to much. Therefore women who are pregnant, or spending all their attention on small children are seen as less desirable and therefore less powerful. Thankfully, this is changing somewhat. At my own job I was counseled by a male colleague to wait until I had tenure before getting pregnant, otherwise I might not be given the opportunity. This is the long way of saying that the obstacles to doing ANYTHING while being a female primary caregiver are external. They don’t have much to do with actually having, or using, a womb, but rather how people in power feel about you using your womb. See: American women's recent loss of abortion rights. So yes, lots of opposition. But. I was determined to prove myself. So when I was pregnant with my first, I made lots of artistic commitments. I think I had a major exhibition or performance every month during my son's first year of life. My stress about how others might react to pregnant artists moved me forward even faster than if I’d had nothing to fear. Additionally, motherhood has made me very conscious of what I’m modeling for my children, and while most of the time they are oblivious to my projects, they seem to be very curious about FOODSTORE(Y).
What are you currently reading and/or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
I just bought On Whiteness because Nell Painter is in it and I think she’s just marvelous. My favorite podcast is Scam Goddess. Lacey Mosely has the energy I wish I had but I feel it transferring to me when I listen. When the pandemic first started I temporarily lost the ability to read long form anything. Books I’d already read and loved became an easier to read and Anne Patchett’s THE DUTCH HOUSE was my go-to. Other things I like to reread periodically: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and a compilation of essays called Don’t Leave Your Friends Behind; Concrete ways to Support Families in Social Justice Movements and Communities by Victoria Law and China Martens.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
My kids are 8 and 11. I just figured out something that other moms probably already know: There’s chunks of demand on your productive time/headspace and they change! When the kids are 1-7, don’t expect to be able to give too much time. 7-14 feels like a different world, where you have much more time, and maybe 14-21 will be when you have even more? I don’t know, I'm not there yet. More importantly, there were so many other moms who helped me: first a group that I met through my husband’s band, then just two women at my job, then a group of writer moms and now The MAMAs -- it’s amazing! Other trailblazing art-parents are incredible resources. Even though we’re sometimes invisible, we’re actually quite powerful. If you don’t have a Mom+Artist group, go find another mom with a creative practice and help her. The rest will be magic.
Best links to find you and FOODSTORE(Y)?
annlepore.com
PHOTO CREDITS!
Ann LePore (in the red dress), visual artist and creator of FOODSTORE(Y):
Serving Gazpacho and bread, collecting stories at the Hoboken Museum;
Serving Butternut Squash soup, collecting stories at Healing Space, Newark, NJ as part of the Newark Arts Festival;
Serving icy strawberry soup, collecting stories in front of the Lanape Gallery, Staten Island, NY;
Animation of storyteller gestures exhibited at Kresge Gallery, Mahwah, NJ
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Ann!
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BMPFest is happening now!
For a BMPFest pass and all festival details, please click HERE!
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Hey, MAMArtist* MELISSA MOSCHITTO
Where do you live and what are the ages of your child(ren)?
My children are 8 ½ and 10. I live in Upper Manhattan, NYC.
How do you describe your art practice?
I am a director, writer and producer who makes research-based investigative theatre. I am also entering a new artistic chapter as a creative writer. As a storyteller, I revel in excavating and uplifting lost and hidden voices.
Who is your artistic crush?
I absolutely adore Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien. They are hosts of a fantastic podcast called The Spark File AND they are creative coaches who have built an incredible community of artists across the United States and beyond. They have skillfully and intentionally built a space - virtually and now in person - that is wildly supportive of artists of all disciplines. Their coaching and approach to living a creative life and to art-making is so powerful; it’s given me a wealth of tools to persist along this beautiful and unpredictable path of the artist. It’s the most remarkable artist community I’ve ever had the good fortune to belong to.
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
Scheduling?! That’s my cheeky answer - because time is so valuable now, in all aspects. From the cost of childcare to the ability to muscle in creativity into the smallest increments of “free” time. My deeper answer is that being a mother has made me more responsive and curious about the world.
You have a tour coming up! Congratulations! Can you tell us a tiny it about it?
I am the Artistic Director of The Anthropologists, a theatre company dedicated to creating ensemble devised investigative theatre. The Radicals Tour unites two of The Anthropologists’ most electrifying plays: No Pants In Tucson and Artemisia's Intent in a three-city celebration of historical figures who defied the gender standards of our times, no matter the cost. We’ll be starting in NYC, October 13-15 and then traveling to Hartford, CT and Hofstra University, in Long Island, NY.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
Being a mother has definitely informed the creation of these plays and has given me extra motivation to bring them out into the world and to continue putting them in front of audiences. Both of the plays are about the politics and policy of gender. I want my children to live in a culture in which equal rights for all genders is a given and where gender identity is celebrated, rather than politicized. I see it happening in little pockets of places which makes me hopeful, and I remain deeply aware of the challenges ahead.
What are you currently reading and/or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
Lisa Donovan’s memoir, Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger. I found her journey to claiming her space as a chef and restaurateur while being a mother in a male dominated industry to be incredibly powerful. There are so many parallels between her path and those of so many women directors I know, including my own. It was frustrating (though not surprising) to read about the misogyny and sexism in the food industry and also deeply refreshing that ,yes, women can indeed be empowered and empower themselves to transform the status quo!
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
If there’s one gift I could give my past self it would be the knowledge that becoming a mother would not diminish my identity as an artist. I want future mothers, and mothers of young children especially, to know that you will still be an artist even after having children. It was hard to believe this when I had an infant and a young toddler who were so dependent on me, and I was so isolated. I spent many hours - overtired and alone at home with babies - worrying that I would never be able to make art anymore. It made it difficult to live in the moment, to fully appreciate and be present to the miraculous evolution of my children. But children grow, and your seasons as both a parent and as an artist will change; you will absolutely find your way back to art-making.
Best links to find you and The Radical Tour?
www.theanthropologists.org/falltour2022
PHOTO CREDITS!
Top R: No Pants in Tuscon, photo by Jody Christopherson
Bottom L to R: Artemisia's Intent, photo by Jody Christopherson; Melissa at work!
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Melissa!
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Hey, MAMArtist* STELLA FIORE
Where do you live and what are the ages of your child(ren)?
Stella Fiore, mom to our precious one and only, a 7-year-old girl. We live on Staten Island.
How do you describe your art practice?
My writing practice is the art of choosing. I have to keep choosing writing. Over and over.
Who is your artistic crush?
As a kid, it was the Brothers Grimm. Now, Elena Ferrante. Never considered the connection there until just now…I also love Garth Greenwell.
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
I didn’t come into my own as a writer until I became a mother. The stakes got higher. My time became incredibly limited, so I had to buck up and write something good or just give it up. But, really, the transition into becoming a Mother+Artist was about becoming courageous. I think the superpower is finally witnessing and owning our power as women, and I wasn’t aware of myself as a force until I gave birth. Motherhood was the refining fire for my soul, which means that it was the refining fire for my work.
You have an exhibition opening at the Rutan-Becket House! Congratulations! Can you tell us a tiny it about it?
Using sound, installation, photography, collage, and selected excerpts, “Working Title” will be an immersive literary exhibition that brings the world of my novel-in-progress into physical space. It’s a world of the divine feminine and of mortal longings, of love and grief, cathedrals and skyscrapers, ocean crossings decades apart, and Southern Italian folklore and magic, all woven together by Venus who speaks in poems scattered throughout the text from her floating scallop shell in Botticelli’s pagan Renaissance artwork. The private, unseen, years-long process of writing a novel will also be made visible in the show, located in the gallery of a historic home on the grounds of Conference House Park in Staten Island.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
Motherhood has made me keenly aware of my own history. It has helped me to set my story into a much wider context, and deeply connect with my maternal lineage and all my ancestors. It deepened aspects of my book I was only skimming over before, and then all these physical objects I’ve saved and collected over the years became important accessories to the writing, talismans, even, and I thought they should be given time and space to be seen and honored.
What are you currently reading and/or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
Body Work by Melissa Febos and The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr. I also love the podcast This Jungian Life.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
Keep choosing your creative work!
Best links to find you and "Working Title"?
http://www.fiorestory.com/working-title
PHOTO CREDITS!
Images of Stella Fiore, writer-in-residence at The Rutan-Becket House, and her ongoing creative research.
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you Stella!
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Reproductive Justice Resources
The last two The MAMAs First Friday (virtual) MOMS COFFEES have focused deeply on questions of reproductive justice, body autonomy and health care access. The following is excerpted from an ever-evolving and list of resources for solace, solidarity, thinking and action.
Reproductive Justice, An Introduction by Loretta J. Ross & Rickie Solinger
Hood Feminism, by Mikki Kendall
We're not going back to the time before Roe. We are going somewhere worse, by Jia Tolentino.
The Limits of Privilege, by Rebecca Traister
Citizens No More, by Tressie McMillan Cottom
Michelle Goldberg Grapples with Feminism after Roe
If you are feeling overwhelmed about Roe, read this, by Katherine Goldstein
Women, The Game is Rigged. It's Time We Stopped Playing by the Rules, by Lux Alptraum
https://www.culturedmag.com/article/2022/05/03/the-artist-guide-to-supporting-womens-rights The Artist Guide to Supporting Women’s Rights by Molly Wilcox in CULTURED lists artist-led organizations and individual artists working for reproductive justice.
https://www.aisfor.org/
Mission: A is For amplifies art and artists that work to end the stigma against abortion.
Vision: A world in which every person has access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare free from judgement, scrutiny and obstruction.
www.publicwise.org Persistent and unyielding in our commitment to a just multiracial democracy, Public Wise fights to secure a government that reflects the will and protects the rights of the people. We accomplish this through education, research, organizing, funding, and partnerships that support more voting and more equitable representation
https://www.votemama.org/com Elect Moms. Vote Mama is the first PAC in the country dedicated to increasing the political power of Democratic moms by disrupting the systems that hold women back through direct financial support, mentorship, and endorsements
https://www.sistersong.net/ Sister Song Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective is a Southern based, national membership organization; our purpose is to build an effective network of individuals and organizations to improve institutional policies and systems that impact the reproductive lives of marginalized communities.
https://abortionfunds.org/ Find and support your local abortion fund.
https://nwlc.org/issue/abortion/ National Women’s Law Center. Fact sheets, community information, and legal information.
https://www.ifwhenhow.org/ If/When/How envisions a transformation of the legal systems and institutions that perpetuate oppression into structures that realize justice, and a future when all people can self-determine their reproductive lives free from discrimination, coercion, or violence.
https://blackrj.org/ In Our Own Voice: The Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda.
https://eukiapp.com/ -- Period tracking without being tracked.
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Hey, MAMArtist* AYA OGAWA
Where do you live and what are the ages of your child(ren)?
Kids age 9 and 12 (very soon 10 & 13)
Brooklyn, NY
How do you describe your art practice?
I'm a theater-maker. I make plays in collaboration with people through a generative process. I write, direct, perform and translate plays from Japanese to English.
Who is your artistic crush?
That's a difficult question! I love Lynda Barry (graphic novelist). I loved Cathy Park Hong’s Minor Feelings. I loved Harmony Becker’s Himawari House. I have so much love for the playwrights I mentor and am mentored by: Julia Izumi, Kathy Ng, a.k. payne.
What is a superpower Mother+Artists have?
I think mother+artists have the profound potential to time travel and nurture their micro and macro perspectives on life.
You have a show opening August 1 at Lincoln Center Theater! Congratulations! Can you tell us a tiny it about it?
I began developing The Nosebleed days after the 2016 presidential election through an exploration of failure. Eventually I turned to focus on what I consider to be one of the greatest failures of my own life, which was failing to honor my father’s life when he passed 15 years ago. My play is about coming to terms with both that failure and my difficult relationship with my father, in light of being an immigrant and a mother.
How did motherhood directly, indirectly, oppositionally or integrally influence this project?
I definitely would not have written this play had I not become a mother! The Nosebleed is autobiographical so there’s a lot of it that expresses and explodes the joy, chaos and frustration of the motherhood experience. The title comes from a particular nosebleed event of my younger son when we were visiting Japan that precipitated the emotional process of questioning my cultural identity, what I inherited from my parents, and what I owe my heritage in raising my children.
What are you currently reading and/or listening to that is giving you thoughts, feelings and reactions?
Lynda Barry’s book on writing “What It Is” and I’m stuck in the middle of “The History of Love” by Nicole Krauss.
Any message for Mother+Artists reading this?
Time is not linear. Identity is not singular. Ease comes when we can recognize the interconnectedness of the past and future and all of our selves and lives together. Also, it is ok to hire a babysitter just so you can take a nap. Your mental, physical and emotional health is as important as your child/children’s. Also, this time will pass.
Best links to find you and The Nosebleed?
http://ayaogawa.com/
https://www.lct.org/shows/nosebleed/
PHOTO CREDITS!
Top R: Aya Ogawa as their youngest son Kenya in The Nosebleed. Photo courtesy of LCT3 by Julieta Cervantes
Bottom L: From L to R Ashil Lee, Saori Tsukada, Drae Campbell and Kaili Y. Turner in The Nosebleed. Photo courtesy of LCT3 by Julieta Cervantes
Bottom R: Aya and their partner Irwin
*Each month The MAMAs features a Mother+Artist and their work in the world. Thank you AYA!
#themamas#Mother+Artist#AyaOgawa#LCT#LincolnCenterTheater#PhysicalTheater#TheNosebleed#MotherArtistsMakingArt
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moon goddess = mother goddess = mother+artist = magic
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Tools for Mothering: A Still Life is an Oxymoron / Hallie, MAMA
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