MOM Welcomes Guest Artist Andrea M. Williams

Artist Andrea M. Williams

We are excited to announce our newest Guest Artist, Andrea M. Williams. A visual artist and mother of two, Andrea knows all too well the toll that motherhood can take on one’s own body, mind, and spirit and she has turned to her art as a way to heal and find peace. Andrea’s fascination with the body has led her down innovative pathways considering new ways to represent the body and its various functions.

During her guest artist residency, Andrea will continue to develop her artwork focusing on her explorations of motherhood. Continue reading to learn more about Andrea’s life and her artistic journey and about our interview with her:

Parenting is hard work. 

Becoming a parent is a profound physical, mental and emotional experience. Before I became a mom, I studied figurative art at academies in Chicago, Florence, and New York. I love the figure but more than that, I am interested in depicting the human body itself. In graduate school I discovered printmaking, which quickly became my passion. 

After graduate school, I underwent treatment for some stress-induced medical issues. I began considering the organs and systems underneath the body’s exterior. I had lost regular access to a printmaking workshop, and began carving and hand-printing relief prints at home using linoleum blocks. My work became smaller in scale. I started experimenting with chromatic inks. I drew images of organs layered with abstract linear elements. I left behind the fussiness of registering plates and printed several linoleum blocks together. I cut up prints and glued them back together in layers, adding graphite and watercolor. 

This process of assemblage has become a kind of meditation. Instead of starting with a carefully prepared drawing, I head in a direction, unsure of where I will end up. For my guideposts, I use photos of forests taken in upstate New York. Frozen cattails clustered overgrown next to a bank parking lot. Gnarled tree bark. Videos of new spring leaves softly shifting in the breeze. I think about living plants and living bodies and the connection between them. I consider what a body can do, how a body can give life, how a body can deteriorate. 

Each of my daughters was born in traumatic circumstances. My first was born 6 weeks premature and my second was born in mid-2020 during the height of the first Covid wave. Each time after giving birth, I experienced postpartum depression. My body had done incredible feats, but it now felt foreign. Over time I realized I needed to regain a balance between caring for my daughters and caring for my mental health. My art practice has become an outlet to cope with, at times, crippling anxiety. It is a meditation on what it means to be an artist, a parent, a woman.

-Andrea M. Williams 

About Andrea M. Williams

Andrea Williams is a visual artist whose mixed media works explore motherhood, birth, and the female body. During her time at the M.O.M. residency, she plans to create a suite of works on paper that join elements of relief printmaking, collage, drawing, and painting. 

Andrea received her MFA in Painting with a Printmaking concentration from the New York Academy of Art and her BFA from the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Her work has been shown in New York and Chicago. She lives and works in northwest Indiana with her patient husband and two rambunctious young daughters.

If you are interested in applying for a guest residency here at MOM, please go to our website HERE: https://bit.ly/3uRgugm  to find out more. BE SURE TO HURRY! Spots have been filling FAST! We hope that future tours of the space will be available soon, but they are by appointment only in Artist Enclave Historic Kenwood: “where art lives.”

What Makes Us Stronger

Hello World. Read here: New podcast, MOM Conference, Acquisitions, and the Feminist Playhouse!

We continue to keep our focus high and our voices strong here at MOM. To that end, we had a beautiful weekend in St Petersburg filled with art and celebration as people from all walks of life and far-ranging geographies came to enjoy the MOM Art Annex gardens (featuring art by Luci Westphal from the AEHK neighborhood and in our online store), exhibits, as well as the Feminist Playhouse, where Martha Joy Rose lectured widely on womyn, equality, and mother Studies, while making lemon art.

Special shout out to our Remote Residency Participant Rebecca Louise Clarke (Monash University, Australia), who is completing her PhD as well as a book on maternal objects and museums for Routledge Press. Her recent feature on cardiCast episode 84 podcast was a marvelous and generous sharing of our work here at the Museum of Motherhood and her time studying with Martha Joy Rose. It is a marvelous listen and well worth tuning in (link is above and here).

This weekend, MOM hosts its Annual Art and Academic MOM Conference in person and on Zoom. Only registered participants may attend this two-day activity. Our topic this year features Creativity for a Cause with luminaries, activists, and professionals from around the world. You must be a member of our new Community Page to attend and be pre-approved due to Zoom limitations.

Finally, we have been slowly building our collections here at MOM. Our newest additions to the collection are Jo Spence, Remodeling Photo History: Revisualization 1981-82, black and white print (England). This photo serves as a study in deconstructing breastfeeding, asking us to interrogate deeply held assumptions (with a totally punk rock spin).

Also new to the collection is Sallie Hackett Brown’s sculpture Tender or Threat. Sally is an AEHK icon. The sculpture’s movement of the wood and metal is evocative of a figurative male/female dance, with all its complexities, though the sculpture itself is quite simple.

The Mother Tree is on loan from artist Helen Hiebert. Helen is a nationally recognized paper artist and a friend of MOM since the museum days in New York City. This seven- foot-high sculpture is intended to invoke the way in which nursing mothers nourish the world. The long silken tendrils cascading from her chest lead towards a collection of hand crocheted yarn collected around her feet which reach into the community connecting all our best intentions. (Also pictured in the background, ‘In Black and White’, photographs by Alexia Nye Jackson for Mother the Job).

Our online fundraiser is ongoing. Please consider joining us by adding your name to our Mother Tree Fundraiser. The link to our GO FUND ME is here!

GO FUND ME / MOTHER TREE FUNDRAISER

#MOMmuseum #Mothers #MarthaJoyRose #HelenHiebert #MotherTree #JoSpence #LuciWestphal #MOMConference #MuseumofMotherhood #Feminism #AnnualMOMConference #Collections #HistoricKenwood #AEHKstpete #Women #Womyn #Florida #Museums #Art #MotherTheJob

TWO UPCOMING EVENTS: AEHK Artists Studio Tour & Annual Academic MOM Conference

The Artist Enclave of Historic Kenwood is proud to announce its 2022 “Artists at Work” Studio Tour 
 
Sat. & Sun. – March 19th & 20th – 10 am to 5 pm/ This tour is free, self-guided and open to the public.

Enjoy two days exploring the Art & Culture filled neighborhood of Historic Kenwood while you view the exhibits of 24 artists at 17 different stops. You will experience a variety of work ranging from emerging artists to internationally recognized professionals. The self-guided tour will include work by ceramicists, sculptors, jewelers, photographers, mixed multi-media artists, fine art painters and
performance artists.

Museum founder and artist Martha Joy Rose will be onsite in her Feminist Playhouse unveiling new works focused on lemons (It’s been a rough couple of years) and breasts (m/others nourish the world). Also onsite, local performance artist and author, Crazy, Sexy, Magic Elsie giving “Free Hugs“.

For information and maps for the studio locations: https://www.historickenwood.org/artist-tour

What is the Artist Enclave and why is it so unique? In 2014, the St. Petersburg City Council unanimously approved an Artist Enclave Overlay District in the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood. The special distinction allows a limited amount of commercial activity to take place. Artists can create artwork, teach students and sell their creations from their own homes. These special accommodations encourage a thriving arts community. Only two of these special artists’ overlays exist in St. Petersburg. 

Come and experience the Historic Kenwood neighborhood where Art Lives! Historic Kenwood is nationally recognized for its charming early 1900s historic bungalows. A detailed map, along with our Sponsor information, will be provided for those who want to walk, bike, or ride through the studio tour. They can also be found and printed in advance by clicking the link above or by going to:  https://www.historickenwood.org/artist-tour/
Then, the following weekend, MOM opens its doors onsite and virtually to our 2022 annual Arts and Academic MOM Conference. March 25 – 26th. The schedule will be posted online here the week preceding the event. Look for updates. All are welcome!

This year’s subject matter is about Creativity for a Cause! How do we move forward in the midst of pandemics, wars, and personal hardship? Here at MOM, we believe that art can save the world. Please JOIN us by joining our online Community. The conference will be live streamed. We request donations be made for daytime attendance in the amount of $25 per day. LINK is here to the Community. LINK to donations will be posted online for the conference there as well.

#AEHKstpete #HistoricKenwood #AEHKStudioTour2022 #MOMmuseum #Mothers #Womyn #FeministPlayhouse #MarthaJoyRose #JoinMama #Florida #Museums #Arts #Conference #AcademicConference #CreativityForACause #ArtCanSaveTheWorld #MuseumOfMotherhood

Join Us in Welcoming MOM’s New Living Board President Zabrina Shkurti

Zabrina Shkurti

Hello Mom Family! We ask you to join us in welcoming our new incoming Living Board President for 2022-2023 Zabrina Shkurti! We can’t wait to see all she will bring in her new position here at MOM.

Zabrina is a Florida native, part of the English Department at the University of South Florida as a PhD Student, and a mother of two boys. We celebrate the first official anniversary of the MOM Living Board and welcome her to the her new position as team member and President!

Q. What led you on your path toward becoming an educator, scholar and being interested in mother studies?

As cliche as it may seem, becoming a mother is what led me down this path! When I found out I was having twin boys, I started researching everything related to motherhood. As though the thought of having two new humans wasn’t overwhelming enough, the amount of literature, and conflicting literature at that, really ignited this scholarly interest. I wanted to know how women have been able to do it all through the years and as a literature scholar, I am particularly interested in how mothers are portrayed and treated in literature. 

Q. How did you find out about the Museum of Motherhood? 

I was attending the IAMAS conference in Fall 2021 and one of the speakers, Dr. Michelle Hughes Miller, brought up this organization. I immediately looked it up online and after perusing the site, I decided to reach out to see if there was anything I could do to assist with such an amazing mission. 

Q. What made you want to work with MOM? 

Mothers need a space to connect, reflect, and process with others who are familiar with the all-consuming pressures of motherhood. When I discovered this space, I quickly realized that this organization offered a community where women could do just that. For me, it is critical that mothers have the space to recognize their importance and their identities outside of motherhood as well and the residency program here gives women that chance to disconnect and focus on their own creations. 

Q. What are your plans for your time here at the museum? Or what are you most excited about to do in your new role here as Living Board President at MOM? 

I am most excited to be part of a community that offers support to other creatives and scholars–I hope that we can grow our community significantly so that the local area can come to recognize the important influence that the MOM organization can have not only locally, but globally as well. 

Q. What has been your most memorable experience through your work so far? Or what are you most proud of in your line of work up until this point?

I think the most significant aspect of my work thus far is really identifying a need in the world to help mothers recognize their own self-worth outside of just being moms. 

Q. What would you consider to be one of the most impactful moments of what you would consider to be the act of “mothering” in your life? Was it something you personally experienced or acted yourself? 

Connecting with other mothers who are also struggling with this notion of perfecting motherhood has probably been most impactful for me as a mother–I quickly realized that there is no such thing as perfection. We are all just trying to do the best we can, our kids as well, and if we just allow for a little space and a lot of grace, we’ll be able to make the most of this life together. Adopting this mindset has helped me enjoy the messy imperfection a little more.

Q. What would you consider to be one of the most impactful moments in HERstory that has impacted who you are today?

Just really starting to embrace this idea that as a woman, even though I can do it all, it doesn’t mean I have to. It is okay to ask for help from others and in fact, knowing when to spend time dedicated to yourself is a sign of strength and dare I say, wisdom.

Q. What would you consider to be a fun fact about you that you would want to share with the MOM family?  

I think I already gave this one away in an earlier question, but I am the mom of twin boys! 

 Q. What thoughts would you like to leave our MOM family with as you begin this new journey with them through your future work here at MOM? 

Honestly, the mantra I have tried to adopt and stick to since becoming a mother is to never let go of my own dreams–just because I became a mother does not mean I need to sacrifice everything else that is important to me. Hopefully one day my kids will look at me and the work I have done and think to themselves, damn that woman is unstoppable. 

Thank you for reading and getting to know our new Living Board President! Be sure to keep up with our blog and social media accounts as we prepare for Women’s History Month this March. Great things are to come!

Passionate about topics related to m/otherhood? Reproductive identities? Art? HERstory? Mothers Making Art? Mothers in Academia? Women and Gender Studies? Lifelong students can follow the Museum of Motherhood here, join our new ONLINE COMMUNITY, and we appreciate any and all support? Be sure to follow us on social media and check out our virtual storefront for merchandise!

If you have any inquiries regarding getting involved with MOM or are interested in being part of our Living Board, you can find out information about what being a board member entails under our About tab or clicking the link HERE: Living Museum Annual Volunteers – Join Us! – MUSEUM OF MOTHERHOOD (mommuseum.org)