Category: health

Mapping Resilience: Stories of Young Motherhood Exhibition Opens April, 2026

Post author By MOM
Post date April 6, 2026

PLEASE JOIN US FOR AN OPENING RECEPTION AND A MEET & GREET

Join us for the Grand Opening Reception: Friday, April 10 | 7–9:30 PM I Hear from young moms and community stakeholders! Join us for libations and conversation.

Where: Gallery at the Museum of Motherhood 2606 Fairfield Ave S in The Factory Building 7 St Pete

Please join us at MoM with Healthy Start. This lovely mix and mingle will feature stories (and results from the researchers and the mothers themselves), with refreshments, presentations and conversation. This will be followed by Second Saturday Art Walk April 11 5-9PM on April 11th.

Objective Young moms in Hillsborough County were asked to draw journey maps and accompany them with photos (photovoice) to share their story and participate in a novel method that prioritized uninterrupted narratives/storytelling.

How: The exhibit includes the hand-drawn journey maps from ten moms and their accompanied photos, as well as an interactive audio portion where participants can scan QR codes and listen to some portions of their story.

Activities include: A table with “letters and advice for young moms” allowing visitors to write letters to young moms, which can then be distributed by Healthy Start/Healthy Families home visitors.

Curated by Mahir Rahman, NASM-CPT, AFAA-CGFI, graduate student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of South Florida, and a research intern with Healthy Start Hillsborough, has been leading a journey mapping and photovoice project with young mothers in the Tampa Bay community and across our programs. University of South Florida Website

Come and enjoy an immersive, audio-visual exhibit amplifying the real stories of pregnant and parenting adolescents in our community. Through powerful visuals and firsthand voices, this experience brings their journeys, challenges, and resilience into focus.

Questions call: 877-711-MOMS (6667) Lv message. We will call you back!

Museum of Motherhood, St. Petersburg (2606 Fairfield Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712)

Visit the exhibit now through the end of April.

A collage of various mothers and children, illustrating themes of young motherhood, with the title 'Mapping Resilience: In Our Own Words' prominently displayed.

SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OUR MOM CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS, ORGANIZERS and SPONSORS

Group of women celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Museum of Motherhood's Academic and Arts Conference, featuring Martha Joy Rose as the 2025 recipient of the Joy Award. — MoM Conference 2025- the ‘Joy Award’

Thank you all so very much for joining us for The Museum of Motherhood’s Annual International Academic & Arts Conference | Reproductive Identities & Resistance: Mothers and Others in Culture, Community & Collaboration. We couldn’t have done this without you!

A special thanks to our event sponsors, USF & St. Anthony’s Hospital BayCare Health System, and to our marketplace vendors: The Entourage Lab, PSI, and MoM bookstore. Thank you too, Dr. Aurelie Athan for your ongoing work. Congratulations on being awarded ‘The Joy Award’ 2026.

We look forward to sharing more of your work, distilling images and video – soon come. Until then, remember… MoM loves YOU!

LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER

This week I wrote about love. While museums are not generally in the business of ‘love’, the Museum of Motherhood is. While we are not always perfect, our aspirations are consistent. Our values are written into the fabric of the museum. We are women supporting women.

When I started the Museum of Motherhood in 2003 in Dobbs Ferry, New York I was a lupus survivor, recent kidney transplant recipient, mother of four children (under 12yrs), and newly divorced. My compassion for other people in my situation, was enormous.

Even more than that – I wanted to create CHANGE: social change, cultural change, and economic change. It was visceral for me because I was caught in the whirlpool of each of those problematic issues.

From women’s healthcare to the inherent creativity of M/otherhood– I initially vacillated between the work of Jane Adams (and Hull House), and resources for artists.

Many years later and many beautiful people down the road, MoM has morphed & changed, of course. Every Student, Intern, Volunteer, Friend, academic and community member who has invested time in MoM has helped to shape her.

No doubt she will continue to grow and change. Such is LIFE! However, we’re currently at a crossroads. While I continue to navigate major health issues, the team is continuing the awesome and important work of MoM. But we need help. We need people to take my place. All kinds of initiatives from a bonafide Executive Director in training to social media helpers to onsite docents. Some jobs pay. Some are volunteer. Either way, we hope you’ll consider getting involved!

I am confident that with LOVE as her core value, MoM will continue to succeed as a place of kindness, tolerance, and education in this world. ~ Martha Joy Rose

SUPPORT MOM – SO SHE CAN SUPPORT YOU

Promotional ticket for MoM's Escape Womb Experience at the Museum of Motherhood in St. Petersburg, FL, featuring booking information and a QR code. — MoM’s Escape Womb Experience Tickets

Tags anthropology, Healthy Start, Hillsborough County, young mothers

Activism Art Birth Blog breastfeeding Caregiving Conferences Digital Media Internships Education Escape Womb Experience Events Featured Featured Artists Feminism health History International Internships JourMS MOM Conference Mother Studies motherhood Opportunities Social Justice st petersburg The Factory, St Pete USF

March is Women’s Herstory Month! MoM Activates Community Through Arts, Advocacy, and Education!

Post author By MOM
Post date March 1, 2026

Museum of Motherhood Activates Community Through Arts, Advocacy, and Education This Spring – March is Women’s Herstory Month!

WOMEN’S HISTORY IS EVERYONE’S HISTORY

WOMEN SHAPE St PETE: Did you know, Sarah Williams is considered the ‘Mother of the City of St Pete’ after she persuaded Peter Demens to bring the Orange Belt Railroad to downtown St. Petersburg, instead of Gulfport. In 1887. Peter Demens, Russian railroad man, and John Williams worked together to bring the Orange Belt Railroad to what would become St. Petersburg, Florida. (named after Peter Demens’s hometown in Russia.) . Considered “Mother of the City,” Williams had two sons and even more husbands. (Founded 1888, incorporated 1892 (population approximately 300 people).

Women’s History Month is an essential acknowledgement that corrects an imbalance in how our national story has traditionally been told. For generations, the achievements of women—in science, politics, education, caregiving, civil rights, the arts, and industry—have been overlooked or minimized. Dedicating a month to women’s history ensures their contributions are recognized as central, not peripheral, to the American story.

A collage of historical photographs and graphics, including vintage images, a museum display titled 'Museum of Motherhood', and the seal of St. Petersburg, Florida. — Women’s History St Petersburg, Florida

We cannot change the future (for the better) without understanding our past. Women’s History Month encourages a more accurate and inclusive understanding of democracy itself—one that acknowledges both progress made and work still to be done in building a fair and equitable society.

To that end, The Museum of Motherhood (MoM) maintains a robust calendar of exhibitions, public programs, conferences, and partnerships that continues to deepen our role as a vibrant, community-centered, educational and cultural institution. Together we explore m/otherhood as a social, cultural & artistic force. Learn more at MOMmuseum.org .

FILM FESTIVAL ROCKS EQUITY IN SARASOTA AND STREAMING

Graphic for the 27th International Film Festival titled 'REEL EQUALS', produced by 'Through Women's Eyes', taking place from March 5-10, 2026, in Sarasota, FL, with the tagline 'Advancing Gender Equality Through Film'. — Reel Equals – Through Her Eyes Film Festival

FILM FESTIVAL SARASOTA: March 5 – 10 with a Spotlight on Diverse Voices: Reel Equals International Film Festival Shines in Sarasota in a community collaboration with the Museum of Motherhood and the internationally recognized educational & arts conference with two decades of impact. In person and streaming: ThroughWomensEyes.org.

TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL ACADEMIC & ARTS CONFERENCE MoM & USF

An illustration featuring diverse women's faces, promoting the Museum of Motherhood's academic conference titled 'Reproductive Identities & Resistance,' scheduled for March 27-29, 2026. The event focuses on themes of motherhood, culture, community, and collaboration and will take place both in person and online via Zoom.

March 27-29The Annual International Academic and Arts MoM Conference 2026 in partnership at USF, St Pete features panels and presentations focused on reproductive identities, maternal experiences, and the intersections of motherhood with art, policy, healthcare, education, and social justice. Offered both in person and online, the conference is designed to be academically rigorous while remaining accessible to students, professionals, and community members alike. Open to the community with advance registration: JourMS.org

NEW ART EXHIBIT COMING. SAVE THE DATE

Promotional poster for the 'Mapping Resilience' exhibition at the Museum of Motherhood, featuring stories of young motherhood, running from April 6-26, with an opening party on April 10th. — Mapping Resilience with young mothers exhibit at the Museum of Motherhood

NEW EXHIBIT: Mapping Resilience- Stories of Young Motherhood

When: April 6 – 26, 2026

Where: Gallery at the Museum of Motherhood 2606 Fairfield Ave S in The Factory Building 7 St Pete

Official Opening Reception April 10^th 7-9:30PM (Stakeholder Day): Please join us at MoM with Healthy Start. This lovely mix and mingle will feature stories (and results from the researchers and the mothers themselves), with refreshments, presentations and conversation. This will be followed by Second Saturday Art Walk April 11 5-9PM on April 11th.

Curated by Mahir Rahman, NASM-CPT, AFAA-CGFI Graduate Student, Applied Anthropology University of South Florida Website

SUBMISSIONS FOR A ZINE AS PART OF MOM CONFERENCE

SHOUT OUT~!

Our friends at Sunday Assembly be eatin’ nearby on March 14th in Gulfport during the day. Second Saturday Art Walk in the evening at MoM and beyond.

Promotional poster for the Soul Food Festival, featuring colorful graphics of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and other dishes, with event details including date, time, and location at Trolley Market in Gulfport, Florida. — Sunday Assembly

Tags Bad mother myth busting, Mapping Resilience, MOM Academic Conference, Soul Festival, Sunday Assembly, Through Womens Eyes International Film Festival, Womens Herstory Month, womens history month, Young Motherhood

Activism Art Blog Caregiving Classes Education Featured health History International MaMaPaLooZa MOM Conference Reel Equals, Film Festival, Through Womens Eyes The Factory, St Pete

February is for Loving Our History & Our Herstory

Post author By MOM
Post date February 12, 2026

Speaking Truth to Power in Challenging Times

When I was a little girl, adults sometimes dismissed my voice. When I was a young woman I was told to ‘be nice’ and ‘smile’. Oftentimes other people in positions of power tried to convince me what I was experiencing was not real– even though I knew it was.

Now, more than ever before, I remind my friends, children and family that speaking up and out, and that speaking truth (from my experience) is as important as listening to other people’s perspective. Whatever the case, it is never acceptable to promote people, parents, politicians, or posses whose aim is to suppress. oppress or make invisible another human or segment of the population either through force, finances or purposeful distortion of factual evidence.

M. Joy Rose 03/12/26

A diverse group of people celebrating Black History Month at the Museum of Motherhood, with a vibrant backdrop featuring historical images and text about empowerment and community. — Black History Month at MoM

Refusing to Disappear/ Refusing to be Disappeared

Its Black History Month! Even though the ‘Black History Matters’ mural was removed by state crews on August 29, 2025 and the on year ago that the Smithsonian Institute was mandated to review and change exhibits deemed to be promoting “divisive, race-centered ideology” by the current political administration.

Facts are not ideology. Black history is real. The only people who can tell the story of the families, experiences, histories and realities of Black Americans are the ones whose lives were impacted. We are fortunate in St Petersburg, FL that Carter G. Woodson African American Museum is on mark for big plans for future development and we are encouraged and lifted by their successes. Carter Woodson championed Black History month because of his singular devotion to “Negro Life and Culture,” and the formation of an organization whose goal was to make Black history accessible to an audience beyond college campuses and academic texts. His passion resulted in the formation of Negro History Week in 1926, which eventually came be what we now know as ‘Black History Month‘.

ORDER TICKETS NOW: Through Women’s Eyes – Film Festival

This spring, MoM will be visible in partnership with REEL EQUALS International Film Festival Spotlight on Diverse Voices: Reel Equals International Film Festival Shines in Sarasota: ThroughWomensEyes.org

2026 REEL EQUALS: Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival

REEL EQUALS 27th Annual Festival In-theater screenings, Sarasota, Florida March 6-8 Virtual screenings March 5-10 Featuring 25 films from 11 countries!

March 5 – 10 (in person and streaming)

Buy tickets: HERE

Opening Night Celebration, Friday, March 6 th

College of Art + Design auditorium.

Reel Equals 2026 festival themes include:

An entertaining opening night film that uses comedy to address a universal topic, human anxiety, opening a door to a mental health issue everyone knows about.

The need for diverse stories; female filmmakers from 12 countries reveal topics ranging from stand-up comedy to elephants in India, motherhood to the war in Ukraine. We examine how media portrayals shape beliefs and opportunities; films reflect and reveal how influential media is on creating the ways we talk, think, and act and underscore the need for diverse voices in visual media. Changemakers; narratives that challenge stereotypes and elevate inspiring lives are central to the festival.

Feb/March Press Release

Promotional graphic for the 13th Annual Localtopia event at Williams Park, featuring vibrant colors and text announcing the date, time, and location of the celebration.

MoM will be at Localtopia this Saturday, Feb 14, 2026. Our location at The Factory will be closed during the day and reopening 5-9PM For Second Saturday Art Walk – Karaoke is for lovers. Come sing with us!

Download our most recent Press Release

A cheerful woman singing into a microphone, wearing oversized glasses, with a colorful backdrop decorated with hanging art, surrounded by heart graphics. The text displays information about being closed Saturday, inviting visitors to a local event for Valentine's Day.

Press Release

Workshop announcement poster for the Museum of Motherhood, featuring two events: 'Empower Yourself: Create a Mom Mission Statement' and 'How the Words We Use Impact Our Kids'. Includes date, time, pricing, and location details.

A black and white QR code featuring a star shape in the center. — QR Stripe

HOLD THE DATE– MoM Conference 2026 is coming March 27-29th

Promotional graphic for the Museum of Motherhood's Annual International Academic & Arts Conference titled 'Reproductive Identities & Resistance', featuring diverse speakers and event details. — 2026 MoM Conference

EVERYONE MUST PRE-REGISTER –SPONSOR A STUDENT/ARTIST

Donations optional but you must let us know you’re attending!

Your PAID registration free includes breakfast & lunch Friday and Saturday, light snacks in the afternoon, and access to all panels, workshop, and the keynote address. Those registering with no payment are welcome to attend and BYO..

QUESTIONS? CALL US and LV a MESSAGE – We’ll CYB: 877-711-MOMS (6667)

Tags black history month, Museums, Smithsonian, Woodson Museum

Activism Art Birth Blog Caregiving Education Escape Womb Experience Featured Feminism Fundraiser gender health home International JourMS MaMaPaLooZa Media MOM Art Annex MOM Conference Mother Studies motherhood Opportunities Sociology Spiritual Motherhood st petersburg The Factory, St Pete

Meet the Future at MoM

Post author By MOM
Post date December 17, 2025

STAY IN THE LIGHT

You might not always feel like it, but the future is looking bright. “How so?” you might wonder? Well, the truth is that light is everywhere—even in the darkness. Now that the season of light is upon us, we are pleased to welcome new initiatives, new interns, new solvency strategies, and the same ole sense of love and compassion that MoM musters in every circumstance.

At the Museum of Motherhood, we do not measure brightness by ease or comfort. We measure it by resilience, by care, and by the quiet, radical persistence of families who keep showing up for one another—even when systems fall short. And there are real reasons to believe the future of health, wellness, and education for families in America is bending toward something more humane.

Across the country, we are seeing renewed attention to maternal mental health, long overlooked and underfunded, now finally entering public conversation, clinical practice, and community-based solutions. Peer support models, trauma-informed care, and culturally responsive services are gaining traction—not because they are trendy, but because families have demanded better. Knowledge is catching up to lived experience.

In education, learning is expanding beyond classrooms and credentials. Intergenerational education, museum-based learning, and community storytelling are increasingly recognized as legitimate, powerful ways people grow and heal. Families are reclaiming learning as something that happens through curiosity, creativity, and connection—not just compliance. Museums like MoM are uniquely positioned to hold this work: part classroom, part commons, part sanctuary.

Health and wellness, too, are being redefined. More families are questioning productivity-at-all-costs culture and returning to basics: rest, touch, creativity, food, movement, and meaning. Caregiving—once invisible—is becoming a subject of research, advocacy, and art. While this shift is far from complete, the cracks in the old model are letting light in.

At MoM, we see hope in the next generation. Our interns arrive not just with skills, but with clarity: they understand that care is infrastructure, that history shapes health, and that equity is not optional. They are asking better questions—and insisting on better answers.

We also see hope in sustainability: in new funding models, shared resources, and collaborative strategies that allow cultural institutions to survive without abandoning their values. Solvency, when grounded in ethics, becomes a form of care itself—ensuring that spaces for truth, tenderness, and transformation remain open.

The future will not be bright because it is easy. It will be bright because people continue to choose love, compassion, and responsibility for one another—especially in hard times. That is the work of m/otherhood. That is the work of this museum. And that is the light we are committed to tending, together.

YEAR END FUNDRAISING INITIATIVE

As our team celebrates the season of gratitude – I am thankful for a great year, awesome accomplishments, & for you!

MoM reaches people where they live, work and play through our family-friendly exhibits and education. We are Tampa Bay’s first and only women’s museum, devoted to the art, science and herstory of American women, mothers and families.

If you haven’t visited us yet, please do. We are virtual and in real time offering tours, exhibits, conversations, education, friendship, community, cultural connections and more since 2003~!

Martha JOY Rose, Founding Director

2025 MoM HIGHLIGHTS

Welcomed new board members: Amy Collins, Libby Hopkins, Meagan Welch, Regan Moss, and Tracie Williams to the MoM Executive Board.
Expanded our program team to include Jamika Rollins, Karimah Henry, Rachael Somerman, Dre Marie, LouAnne Hardtke, Amanda Bartles, Darlene Ceron, Lizzie Zacharis, and Susie Beltran.
Offered weekly free lactation consultations with Baby Café for breastfeeding support, advice, tools and conversation.
Partnered with Tampa Bay Period Pantry and Mutual Aid Choices Pantry to make products available to those seeking information, education, and free accessible items related to periods, birth control, and women’s health.
Produced Black Maternal Health mini-conference, addressing Black maternal health disparities and bringing together over 60 providers, birth workers, and funders to rally around community-led solutions.
Rocked out at Mamapalooza Family Festival with over 500 attendees and performances by local woman-founded and woman fronted bands.
Convened over 70 academics, artist, and students at the 20^th Anniversary Academic & Arts Conference, hosted at USF St. Pete.
Implemented two photography and sculptural exhibits by local artists and welcomed two international artists, Julienne Doko and Raisa Nosova, for performances and mural works. (Huge gratitude to both amazing women) as well as student exhibits about ‘Caring St Pete’.
Secured over $50,000 in NEW grant funding through Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Foundation for Healthy St. Pete, and the City of St. Pete.
See more about our programs via our updated online calendar.

MoM is celebrating a highly successful 2025, and we are on track to reach an annual fundraising goal of $100,000. This fundraising goal not only supports the ongoing work of MoM but makes it possible for our team to secure a permanent home in Tampa Bay and bring on paid staff members to expand our footprint as the one and only international destination museum devoted to the art, science, and history of women, m/others & families.

I hope you will consider making a tax-deductible year-end gift. 100% of your gift supports the longevity of the first and only museum of motherhood in the world. Our year-end giving campaign builds on all the success of 2025, see our donations and progress in real-time here.

SUPPORT MOM – YEAR END TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION – CLICK HERE!

WAYS TO SUPPORT MoM

Make a tax-deductible donation online, via check, Donor Advised Fund, or wire transfer

Mailing Address: MoM Art Annex, 538 28th St. N. St. Petersburg, Florida 33713

Make checks payable to “Museum of Motherhood”

Email mary@mommuseum.org for DAF and wire transfer details

Forward this email to a family member or friend to make a donation to MoM

Pledge a corporate sponsorship for one of MoM’s events

Renew your membership to MoM

Secure an employer matching gift when donating to MoM

Host a fundraiser to benefit MoM

WELCOME Zixin Shang (Cassie)

This project focuses on the intersection of reproductive technology and cross-cultural perspectives, exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping future experiences of “procreation” and “motherhood.”

As an artist and curator from East Asia now living in the United States, I aim to reflect on the different understandings of the female body and reproduction in Eastern and Western societies .And I will consider whether the intervention of AI technology may shift these cultural differences.

Through collaborations with artists of diverse nationalities, I will explore how humanity’s understanding of “motherhood” and “identity” evolves artistically when technology intervenes in the creation of life and the construction of identity. These artworks will employ varied materials and techniques to depict artists’ visions of future reproduction, presenting abstract perspectives on the possibilities of human evolution. They will amplify the reproductive relationship between motherhood and living organisms for the audience.

This project aims to connect individual memories with global shifts, inviting audiences to reconsider: In an era of rapid globalization and artificial intelligence advancement, are the identity and meaning of motherhood also undergoing transformation? How do people confront the long- standing biological relationships of life being overturned amidst the relentless march of evolutionary progress?

Tags Internships, Martha Joy Rose, Mother Studies, Mothers are making art, museum of motherhood, students, volunteers, Zixin Shang (Cassie)

Activism Art Blog Caregiving Classes Conferences Escape Womb Experience Events Featured Featured Artists Feminism health International MOM Art Annex MOM Conference Mother Studies motherhood Opportunities Queering Parenting Residency Social Justice st petersburg The Factory, St Pete USF

Mess House at MoM

Post author By MOM
Post date November 18, 2025

The Mess We Live In: What Clutter, Kids, and Culture Wars Reveal About Family Life

The notion of a “messy home” might conjure up images of toys strewn across the living room, dishes piling up in the sink, or laundry spilling out of baskets especially at times of duress. But the reality of mess is deeply tied to the internal worlds of families, to stress, identity, and even to the cultural divides that shape our society. At the Museum of Motherhood, exploring the messy intersections of parenting, culture, and mental health can be a powerful lens into what family life really feels like.

Mess Isn’t Just Physical — It’s Psychological, Social and Cultural

Evidence that women experience chronic stress not because the home is messy, but because society holds them responsible for preventing mess is a recognized truth.

Mess House – Courtesy Batya Weinbaum & Demeter Press
The Founder’s Bed – 2025
Tara Blackwell – MoM Residency 2019
Museum of Motherhood – NYC 2012
Martha Joy Rose – Grad School Mother Studies CUNY circa 2014
Debra Knox – TV Collage, CA circa 2008
Museum of Motherhood, NYC 2012
Spilt Milk – USF WGS Exhibit 2020
Emily at MoM, NYC 2013
Arlene’s Grocery, NYC 2008

Personal values — about lifestyle, morality, and behavior — can become battlegrounds for the debate about parenting styles and what constitutes a “good home”. This can be tricky territory. These debates can reflect broader cultural divides: who is responsible for domestic labor, how children should be raised, and what order or rituals define a “proper” family.

In a sense, the cluttered living room isn’t just a mess — it’s a battleground of values. Who gets to decide what “clean” means? Whose routines are prioritized? And how do power and labor dynamics play out in the seemingly mundane fights over tidying up?

Who cleans, who organizes, and who nags about mess often isn’t neutral territory. There’s emotional labor involved in maintaining a home, and that labor frequently falls disproportionately on women. For some, the answer is to simplify. For others the answer may lie in leaving the mess for another day.

What’s most important is feeling loved, safe and protected. Does your environment do that for you and how much control do ‘we’ actually have? What are the implications when we free ourselves from the mess or conversely embrace the mess?

At its heart, the reality of mess is a story about family, vulnerability, and power. Clutter isn’t just junk — it’s emotional freight, a signal of how we live, what we value, and how we struggle to balance the competing demands of parenting, culture, and self. In exploring mess through a psychological and cultural lens, the Museum of Motherhood can invite deeper conversations: not about being “better” mothers, but about being more honest, more human, and more connected to the complexities of our lived lives.

About the Exhibit

Mess House: A New Photo Exhibition by Martha Joy Rose MA Mother Studies. This exhibit wishes to gratefully acknowledge The Factory LLC organization for the use of wall space in Building 7 to explore archived photos from her personal collection. Exploring the compelling idea of a ‘Mess House’ is a somewhat universal theme. As humans we seek to create order (oftentimes ineffectually), confront our wildness and occasionally find acceptance and peace within the chaos of daily life and family.

Batya Weinbaum received her doctorate in English at University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She founded and edits the journal Femspec available at femspec.org. She was an artist in residence at the Art Annex of the Museum of Motherhood in St. Pete FL where she installed a mural of a fertility goddess, and she volunteers for the Museum in the winter. She is the mother of one and stays in Gulfport, FL several months in the winter where she shows her art.

From the Chapter Mess House, by Batya Weinbaum- Demeter Press 2025

When are we feral, self-expressive, and untamed to the degree that we throw out the baby with the bathwater so to speak in our revolt against traditional concepts of femininity and motherhood represented in conventional markers and paradigms of domestication—the swept, mopped floor, the uncluttered shining feng shui of spaces, the organized linen cabinets, the bare countertops in the spotless kitchens?

Those born into female bodies get the most pressure from society to meet unrealistic expectations of physical beauty. These unrealistic expectations of their bodies are parallel to the unrealistic expectations women are encouraged to have about their domestic space.[1]

Flo Kennedy noted, in her essay on “Institutionalized Oppression of the Female,” that “Women are dirt searchers; their greatest worth…” being “eradicating rings on collars and tables” (442). In doing so, and maintaining organization, they are keeping wildness at bay. (1. According to Women and Naturism: The Naturist Living Show (Mar 17 2010)

Resources:

Aviv, E., Waizman, Y., Kim, E., Liu, J., Rodsky, E., & Saxbe, D. (2024). Cognitive household labor: gender disparities and consequences for maternal mental health and wellbeing. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 28(1), 5–14.

This study empirically measures the “cognitive labor” (planning, delegating, anticipating) that mothers do, and finds that mothers bear significantly more cognitive labor than their partners (~72% of it) even after controlling for physical tasks.
Importantly, the authors show that this disproportionate cognitive labor is strongly associated with higher stress, burnout, depression, and worse overall mental health in women.
Relevance: This offers direct evidence for your claim: the stress comes not just from “doing the cleaning,” but from being responsible for organizing and thinking about the household — and society (or their partners) expects women to carry that burden.

Ciciolla, L., & Luthar, S. S. (2019). Invisible Household Labor and Ramifications for Adjustment: Mothers as Captains of Households. Sex Roles, 81(7–8), 467–486.

This paper examines how the “invisible labor” (mental, emotional) related to managing the household is disproportionately carried by mothers.
They find that mothers who feel solely responsible for organizing schedules, maintaining order, and keeping family routines report role overload, lower life satisfaction, and strain in their relationships.
Relevance: Demonstrates that the expectation that women “manage the mess” — not just physical cleanliness but mental oversight — has measurable negative effects on their wellbeing.

Systematic Review: Gendered Mental Labor

Review article: Gendered Mental Labor: A Systematic Literature Review on the Cognitive Dimension of Unpaid Work Within the Household and Childcare.
This review analyzed 31 peer-reviewed studies and found a consistent pattern: women perform a significantly larger share of mental labor (planning, scheduling, organizing) and this labor is associated with stress, lower life satisfaction, and negative career impacts.
Relevance: Supports the broader claim that this kind of labor is well-recognized in academic literature as gendered, burdensome, and harmful — not just “messy house, messy brain.”

Applied Research in Quality of Life:

Study: Is Paid Inflexible Work Better than Unpaid Housework for Women’s Mental Health? (2022)
The authors argue and provide evidence that unpaid housework (which includes domestic tasks and more than just physical chores) is negatively linked to women’s mental health, partly because these efforts are culturally undervalued and invisible.
Relevance: This supports the idea that society often fails to recognize or reward invisible domestic labor — reinforcing that the stress women feel is not just from physical mess but from societal expectations.

Offer, S. (via summary in Smithsonian article).

Relevance: Demonstrates that the stress is not about amount of time thinking about family, but about how that thinking is gendered and emotionally taxing for women.

According to research by Shira Offer (Bar-Ilan University) reported in the Smithsonian, women and men spend equal time thinking about family matters, but women report significantly more negative emotional effects (stress, depression) from that cognitive labor.

How Do You Identify? Passion, Protest, Reproductive Identity, Mess & More? Submit Your Ideas, project, paper, art, proposal, research now thru 12/1/25. Don’t Be Afraid – Put Your Ideas Into the World w/MoM at USF.

A colorful poster for the Museum of Motherhood's conference titled 'Reproductive Identities & Resistance', featuring a diverse group of illustrated women. Details include dates of March 27-29, 2026, and the conference's online and in-person participation options. — Annual Call for Papers MoM Conference 2026

Attend Our Workshops, Book the Escape Womb Experience, Tour MoM

Mother Tree

More Submissions

"Bad Mother" Myth Busting event poster featuring a soft watercolor background with red text outlining the theme, date, and invitation to the Museum of Motherhood's arts-based project. — Bad Mother Myth Busting Project

Holiday Giving- Merchandise That Moves You As A Thank You For Your Donation at MoM! Memberships, Guest Artists, Tee Shirts, Books & More: Visit Us at The Factory, St Pete 2606 Fairfield Ave. S St Pete

Support the Mural – Aging Women All Around the World Starts in St Pete!

Tags Batya Weinbaum, Demeter press, Gone Feral, Martha Joy Rose, Mess House, New Exhibit, Photography

Activism Art Birth Blog breastfeeding Caregiving Classes Conferences Education Escape Womb Experience Events Featured Featured Artists Feminism health International MOM Conference Queering Parenting Sociology The Factory, St Pete USF

Call for Papers & Art with Gratitude From the Mother-Land

Post author By MOM
Post date October 30, 2025

Gratitude from the Mother Land — As autumn paints the world in shades of pumpkin and pink, the Museum of Motherhood reflects on gratitude. We give thanks for the stories, events, and collaborations that continue to nourish the collective journey.

We honor the abundance of care and creativity that define the term Mother-Land. We identify with a grand imperative that encourages reflection on what is good and possible in a world united by love and rooted in empathy. In that spirit, not the spooky one, we say YES to health, wellness and connection at MoM:

SUBMISSIONS OPEN: Call for Papers and Art: Annual International MoM Conference 2026 at USF (See Call for Submissions)

NEW EXHIBIT COMING TO FRONT OF MoM SPACE: First Series- Mess House, opening first week of November, followed by Bad Mother Myth Busting (Submit Responses Here) in the new year).
WHOLE GIRL: This is Me – ongoing health series with information for adolescents (Link). With take-home gift pack!

SEMINARS – Nourish & Flourish with Dre Marie as part of the Radiant Alignment series for women online and in-person especially reflecting on self-care during the busy holiday season. Ages 20-80 yrs. (Link). With take-home gift pack!

SUPPORT & PUT MoM ON THE MAP with the work of Spanish artist and muralist Marina Capdevilathe with her documentary and mural “Viejas Glorias” —Celebrating the Power and Beauty of Women Aging (Link)

CALL FOR SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY & MURAL MAKING

Emmy Award-Winning Documentarian Brings Global “Viejas Glorias” Project to St. Petersburg—Celebrating the Power and Beauty of Women Aging

St. Petersburg, FL — [October 24, 2025] — St. Petersburg selected as U.S. kickoff city for groundbreaking international documentary series challenging how society views aging women!

Spanish artist and muralist Marina Capdevila is bringing her internationally acclaimed Viejas Glorias (Glorious Old Women) project to the historic Princess Martha in St. Petersburg as part of a five-city global documentary series. St. Petersburg has been selected as the U.S. launch city, joining host cities in China, Spain, Peru, and Ghana in a transformative exploration of how women—particularly mothers and grandmothers—are perceived as they age.

The project requires $30,000 by December 1, 2025, to cover artist materials, labor, and the professional film crew’s travel and production costs. In these uncertain times, when many are navigating financial challenges, every contribution—large or small—makes a meaningful difference in ensuring this important story is told. Limited exclusive sponsorship opportunities are available at various levels.

This is more than a mural project—it’s a movement to reshape how we see and value women as they age. It’s an opportunity to position St. Petersburg on the international stage as a city that champions inclusive representation and celebrates the fullness of women’s lives. See the full PRESS RELEASE.

Viejas Glorias (Glorious Old Women) Donation Link

HAVE YOU MET US YET?

A diverse group of five smiling individuals stands together, waving at the camera. They are positioned against a background featuring autumn leaves and the text 'Team MoM' in a stylized font. — *Pictured left to right: Jamika Rollins, Dre Harsany, Lizzie Zacharis (and Julian), Darlene Ceron*

Jamika Rollins: Scheduling@MOMmuseum.org – Logistical Coordinator, event scheduling and calendar

Dre Harsany: Program Manager, Store and Seminars

Lizzie Zacharis (with Julian): USF intern, student of Public Health, content creation and Whole Girl coursework

Darlene Ceron: Volunteer, translations to Spanish, special projects

REGULAR HOURS AND EVENTS

Monday Pink Fitness | 6:00 PM Tuesday • Pink Fitness | 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Thursday
Pink Fitness | 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Saturday 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM Contact: louannehardtke@pinkfit.org

Wednesdays 1:30 Baby Cafe – lactation and food support for infants. Just show up!

Thursday-Sunday Regular Hours and Activities

Escape Womb pre-book please

See you at MoM! For Love! For Life! For Fun & Education!

FUTURE EXHIBIT FEEDBACK: MYTH BUSTING

Click the pic to add your rant.…

Tags Adolescence, Ambassador Barb, barbara Lynch, Darlene Ceron, Dre Harsany, Jenee Priebe, Lizzie Zacharis, Marina Capdevilathe, Martha Joy Rose, Mother Studies, No Good Deeds Art, Nourish & Flourish, Puberty, Public Health Education, Radiant Alignment, Seminars, ViVejas Glorias, Whole Girl Health, Women Aging

Activism Art Blog Caregiving Classes Education Events Featured health International JourMS MOM Conference Social Justice Sociology st petersburg USF

Free Museum Day 2025, Black Maternal Health & MoM Conference CFP

Post author By MOM
Post date September 17, 2025

YOU ARE INVITED! Free Museum Day is September 20th, 2025 in St Petersburg, FL. Together we are making love happen all around the Sunshine City. We will be open 12-6PM with fun activities for all. Just show up. Directions to MoM are here. Take the bus, the car or walk – we can’t wait to see you.

Then, Sunday Sept 21st is Black Maternal Health mini-conference with brunch and learn. We are grateful to our entire team for making this event possible. Thanks to our sponsors, organizers, speakers, audience members and all those people who are interested in this essential subject matter because together we rise!

The CFP for our MoM Annual Academic & Arts Conference March 27-29, 2026 in St Pete and online is posted. Please join us by submitting your art, academic research, authoethnographic work on the subject of Reproductive Identities and Resistance: Mothers and Others in Culture, Community and Collaboration. The full Call for Submissions is at JourMS.org and on our museum site.

New programming at MoM aims to our ongoing work in the realm of health, wellness and education with new seminars coming soon supported by Community Empowerment Leader Sierra M. Clark and Radiant Dre Marie. Registration is here! Questions: write INFO@MOMmuseum.org or call 877-711-MOMS (6667) and leave a message.

Upcoming Seminars at the Museum of Motherhood

A promotional poster for the event '33 Days of Self Talk Transformation' featuring candles, glass jars, and decorative elements, with text detailing the event schedule. — Seminar Series with Sierra M Clark

Illustration of a woman in a yoga pose with two dogs, surrounded by stars and a crescent moon, promoting a holistic transformation service. — Seminar Series with Sierra M Clark

A promotional flyer for the Museum of Motherhood seminars, featuring details on the 'Total Alignment Seminar' and 'Nourish & Flourish Seminars,' including timings, topics, and benefits for women and children. — Radiant Alignment with Dre Marie

Promotional poster for the 'Radiant Alignment Life' seminar at the Museum of Motherhood, featuring illustrations of women, children, and various symbols of nourishment and flourishing. — Radiant Alignment with Dre Marie

Thank you to our Black Maternal Health Brunch and Learn Sponsors

Huge gratitude to FloridaRAMA and all our sponsors, presenters and organizers with a special shout out to Jill M. Wood for serving as conference chair and Mary Havlock of Little House nonprofit for organizing.

MoM Conference Flyer

Tags Annual Academic & Arts Conference, Black Maternal Health, Dre Marie Radiant Seminars, Healthy Coalition Pinellas, Interdisciplinary Conferences, International Conferences, Jill M. Wood, little house non profit, mary havlock, Orlando Health, Radiant Seminars, Sierra Clark 33 Days to Transformation, Sponsorship at MoM, St Anthony's Hospital, st petersburg, Unlimited Pediatrics, Wellness Seminars

Birth Caregiving Events Featured Fundraiser health MOM Conference Mother Studies motherhood Social Justice Sociology The Factory, St Pete

You Are Invited: Motherhood Matters: Black Maternal Health Lunch and Learn

Post author By MOM
Post date August 21, 2025

PURCHASE TICKETS

JOIN US ON SEPT 21st, 2025 10:30AM-1PM with the Museum of Motherhood at FloridaRAMA

Black Maternal Health Brunch & Learn, Mini-Conference

Logos of sponsors for the Black Maternal Health Brunch & Learn event, including Orlando Health, Bayfront Hospital, St. Anthony's Hospital, and FloridaRAMA. — Black Maternal Health Sponsorships at the Museum of Motherhood

Sponsored by FloridaRAMA

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States spends more per birth than any other similarly industrialized nation in the world, yet maternal morbidity and mortality rates in the US are far worse than in any other peer nation. US maternal death rates have risen substantially among all US women in recent years, but maternal death rates are the highest for Black women living in the Southern US.

The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health reports that in 2024, Florida’s rate of maternal death was more than 3 times higher for Black women (50.5 deaths per 100,000 live births) as compared to white women (14.5 mortality rate).

Maternal death rates, and associated racial disparities, are expected to worsen in the near future amidst proposed cuts to Medicaid that will drastically impact both maternal and infant healthcare. Nearly 40% of all births in Pinellas County were paid for by Medicaid last year. Black women and their babies will undoubtedly suffer the most from Medicaid cuts with both maternal and infant mortality rates expected to rise as a result of funding cuts to these programs.

The fate of Black women and their families does not have to be predetermined; the purpose of Black Maternal Health Brunch & Learn is to collaborate with local birth workers and healthcare professionals to understand the causes and correlates of challenges to Black women’s maternal health in order to implement changes in Pinellas county.

To improve Black maternal health, health care itself must make institutional and structural changes to transform the delivery and quality of care. Decision makers at all policy levels must establish comprehensive policy change to address the social drivers impacting health, such as the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that also affect a wide range of quality-of-life outcomes.

WE ARE HARD AT WORK SEARCHING OUT VIRTUAL OPTIONS FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA. STAY TUNED. ALSO, YOU CAN MAKE JOIN OUR MEMBERSHIP DRIVE TO SUPPORT THE WORK.

LET US LIFT EACH OTHER UP – TOGETHER WE RISE

Even if you can’t join us in person, you can support the cause!

PURCHASE TICKETS

Presentation Panelists

Courtney West is a proud St. Petersburg native and the owner of 3 Gems Birth Services where everyone deserves care. Courtney is a full spectrum doula, doula educator, and a licensed practical nurse with a background in pediatric home health, and mental health nursing. Courtney has led several initiatives at MoM.

Shamella “Mel” Joy is a trauma-informed therapist, her background includes working with veterans and refugee families, providing her with extensive experience in helping clients process and heal from past traumas and PTSD. Mel’s passion lies in supporting new parents grappling with the challenges of postpartum life, as well as those facing the uncertainties of fertility struggles and perinatal loss.

Presentation Panelists

Tracie Williams is the proprietor of The Natal Network and the founder of Jehovah Rapha-Jireh Transformation Health Inc. She serves on the Health, Wellness and Education Committee at MoM. She established The Natal Network, a Tampa Bay-based maternal wellness doula service, to enhance maternal-fetal outcomes.

Tracy Cook-Person is a hoodoo practitioner, doula, folk Herbalist, educator, lecturer, professional storyteller and a published poet. She has been an Assistant Professor at LIU in the School of Education and Technology as well as an Instructor of Pedagogy and Clinical Practice for the TR@TC2 program in the Office of Teacher Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Black Maternal Health Facts
Black Maternal Health Facts
Black Maternal Health Facts
Black Maternal Health Facts
Black Maternal Health Facts
Black Maternal Health Orlando Health
Black Maternal Health Sponsor St Anthony’s Hospital

Promotional graphic for a Black Maternal Health Brunch and Learn event featuring four panelists: Shamella 'Mel' Joy, Courtney West, Tracie Williams, and Tracy Cook-Person. Details include the date, time, and location of the mini-conference sponsored by the Museum of Motherhood and FloridaRAMA. — Black Maternal Health brunch and mini-conference MoM

DRAFT! For Immediate Release: August 20, 2025

Brandy Gottlieb, Director of Communications and Marketing

Champions for Children

Bgottlieb@cfctb.org

(813) 673-4646 ext. 1114

Champions and Museum of Motherhood announce their partnership in support of moms

(Photo c/o Regina Roig-Romero)

Tampa Bay, FL – August 20, 2025– Champions for Children (CFC) and the Museum of

Motherhood (MoM) are pleased to announce their partnership in support of mothers seeking breastfeeding support.

Champions for Children’s abcProgram, licensed by Baby Café USA, will provide free lactation consultation and breastfeeding support services, beginning September 3, at the Museum of Motherhood, 538 28th St N, Saint Petersburg, FL 33713. MoM will serve as the program’s new Saint Petersburg location.

The abcProgram offers International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs), credentialed through the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE). IBLCE is the gold standard in clinical lactation care.

Families can access English and fully Spanish support services free of cost and without any eligibility requirements. While registration is encouraged, walk-ins are also welcome. Families should register at cfctb.org/abcprogram.

“We are grateful to the Museum of Motherhood for their partnership. Together, we look forward to providing compassionate, supportive expertise to families who need help to reach their breastfeeding goals with confidence.” says Regina Roig-Romero, program manager for Champions for Children’s ABC Program.

Of the partnership, Martha Joy Rose, MoM Founder and Executive Director says, “We are thrilled about this new partnership with Champions for Children. Their abcProgram speaks to the heart of what we do — working in community to foster compassionate, inclusive environments that uplift individual stories and celebrates women’s vital role in our cultural narrative. By partnering, we are fostering a stronger support system for mothers in the region.”

MoM has been serving the community through its programing, exhibits and collaborative platforms in Pinellas County since 2019 and is Tampa Bay’s first and only women’s museum.

CFC’s ABC program offers breastfeeding support at 10 community locations in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Hillsborough County services are made possible by the generous support of BayCare, REACHUP, Inc. and the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. Pinellas County services are made possible by the generous support of BayCare.

For more information on CFC’s free breastfeeding support services, the abcProgram, Baby Café or free lactation consultation services, visit cfctb.org/abcprogram.

About Champions for Children:

CFC’s mission is to build stronger families with thriving children throughout the Tampa Bay area through child abuse prevention and family education programs.

CFC has served the Tampa Bay area since 1977 and envisions a world free from child abuse and neglect. The work follows a proactive, prevention-first model that is committed to building strong families as support for thriving children. Through nationally accredited programs, CFC provides parents and other supportive, caring adults with education, support, and resources. CFCTB is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization, supported by the generosity of funding partners and private donors.

For more information about CFC, please visit cfctb.org or contact championsforchildren@cfctb.org.

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Tags Black Maternal Health, Courtney West, Education, florida, floridarama, health, maternal health, museum of motherhood, Shamella Joy, st petersburg, The Natal Network, Tracie Williams, tracy cook-person, Wellness, you are invited

Activism Art Birth Blog Caregiving Education Events Featured Featured Artists gender health Living Board Announcements Media Mother Studies motherhood Social Justice Sociology st petersburg The Factory, St Pete

Community Foundation Tampa Bay Awards Grant to MoM

Post author By MOM
Post date June 9, 2025

We are thrilled to share HUGE NEWS: Community Foundation Tampa Bay awards the Museum of Motherhood a 25k grant to continue work in the area of Health, Wellness and Education.

We are incredibly humbled and grateful for this recognition. Our team has been relentless in our volunteerism and hard work facilitating free and open spaces for individuals and families from all walks of life, including those at risk and in-need as well as people seeking connection to resources and inspiration.

This grant will help us move forward and keep the lights on at MoM.

We have so many people to thank including our grant writer Samantha Church (SDC Strategies) whose time with us is made possible through a grant with Hypatia Collaborative. Team-wise we owe gratitude to our fierce fundraiser Mary Havlock and our committed Board of Directors as well as our Health, Wellness and Education team championed by Sierra Clark (Community Empowerment Facilitator) and associates Amanda Bartles (Lactation Loop), Courtney West (3 Gems Doula Services), Sara Hunter (Birth Photographer), Jill M. Wood (Penn State), as well as our We Build Tampa Bay partnerships for special events. Please watch our Team page as we welcome new members for workshops including Unlimited Pediatrics, Embracing Joy Perinatal Wellness, The Natal Network, and Keesha Brundridge; This is Me – Whole Girl Summer Camp, to name a few. Press Release to come. (Special thanks to Jesse English for beautiful music during our Board Building Event!, Mother Kombucha for beverages and 15th St Farm for cake!))

Scenes From Our Board Building Event and Barbara Birthday Party

Board Building Party at MoM

Graphic featuring the Health, Wellness & Education Committee of the Museum of Motherhood, with a pink heart and butterfly design, promoting empowerment for mothers and others to access community tools. — Health Wellness and Education at the Museum of Motherhood

We Are Pleased To Announce New Programming at MoM

Health, Wellness and Education Committee — Health, Wellness, Education Committee MoM 2025

The Fourth Trimester: with Rachael Somerman, Founder of Unlimited Pediatric and a Child Development Therapist. This Monthly Group is for pregnant people and those post-natal moms looking for support during this time of vulnerability, recovery and rapid growth. Rachael will be onsite at MoM to answer your questions and to support your physical and emotional journey. Bring you bellies! Bring your babies! Adoptive moms welcome too! We will make sure you have a safe and inclusive space to share your questions, concerns, milestones and emotional & developmental needs. Free with a suggested donation of annual MoM Membership in the Mothers Club $30.

Thursday 6/26 & 7/24 10-11:30 AM. SIGN UP HERE or CALL 877-711-MOMS (6667)

Embracing Joy – Perinatal Wellness and Maternal Mental Health with Shamella (Mel) Joy. Mel is a licensed therapist and certified perinatal mental health specialist. Her personal and professional experiences have shown her there is a dire need for humans to come together and relearn what it means when we say “it takes a village” to bear and raise a child. Mel wants to be a part of your support system to ensure confidence in yourself, remove the guilt and actually enjoy the experience of parenting. She is excited to embark on this journey with you, and hopes the connections we forge will be helpful as they are informative, empowering, and a catalyst for positive change. Mel will meet bi-weekly alternating a week at MoM followed by a virtual meet up. Dates TBA. Free with a suggested donation of annual MoM Membership in the Mothers Club $30. SIGN UP HERE or CALL 877-711-MOMS (6667)

The Natal Network – Loss, Grief and Resiliency – Knowledge is Power: The Natal Network launched in 2024 by Tracie Williams who is a Licensed Practical Nurse as well as certified doula with sixteen years of healthcare experience. Tracie has rendered care to different age groups from birth to geriatrics. With a strong background in direct care and management she decided to navigate her critical thinking skills towards helping others have healthier outcomes with growing their families.

Outside of professional passions she has had her own journey with motherhood which has anchored her in compassion for families. Her first pregnancy resulted in preterm delivery at 19 weeks. Williams’ gave birth to a daughter she would never have the oppourtunity to raise. Babies are not viable outside of the womb until around 24 weeks. Thankfully motherhood became sweeter and she was able to have her rainbow baby in 2012 along with another addition in 2023. Tracie will be creating content for MoM through our social media connections that aim to elucidate the joys and pain of m/otherhood, backed by science and herstory. In-person and virtual groups begin taking place monthly in June. ree with a suggested donation of annual MoM Membership in the Mothers Club $30. SIGN UP HERE or CALL 877-711-MOMS (6667)

This is Me – Whole Girl Summer Camp; A Body Education Program for Learning, Growing, and Thriving From the Inside Out.

This camp balances empowerment with body-knowledge, appealing to 12–16-year-old girls by emphasizing confidence, familiarity, and control over their own health.Each day has a theme, a mix of interactive activities, reflection, and safe space discussions. It blends science, self-awareness, and practical tools with creative, age-appropriate learning. Limited to 12 per session. Led by Keesha Brundridge – Science Teacher middle school & the MoM Team. Sessions are:

July 14-18th -1 week 12-2:30

August 4-8th -1 week 12-2:30

$125 for the week

SIGN UP HERE or CALL 877-711-MOMS (6667)

Become a Mentor at MoM — Mentorships at MoM

SUMMER CAMP FOR GIRLS

Activism Birth Blog breastfeeding Caregiving Conferences Dads Education Events Featured health History International JourMS MaMaPaLooZa MOM Conference Mother Studies motherhood

Health, Wellness & Black Maternal Health Week at MoM

Post author By MOM
Post date April 2, 2025

We finished an awesome month of Women’s Herstory activities in March, culminating with the 20th Anniversary MoM Conference (supported by USF) and the MoM Art Auction in partnership (with OXH Gallery).

Our impact over the course of five days was 200 + American and international guests that began with a tour with Girls Rock on Thursday, March 13th at MoM and ended with the MoM Art Auction on March 18th in Tampa.

MoM Art Auction

The Auction remains LIVE through April. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PROMOTE: People can ‘buy now‘ or bid’ as the fundraising continues.

*Thanks to everyone who helped, attended, contributed, and supported. Thanks to our various, hard-working committees. We appreciate our partners and contributing artists especially.

MoM Art Auction in partnership with OXH Gallery

St Pete is continually impressed with our dynamic team. Everywhere I go now, I hear the same thing: “What an amazing team MoM has.” TRUTH!

Congrats are in order for two highly successful networking events organized by Mary Havlock with Hypatia Collective and Working Women Tampa Bay, and attendance at Nerd Nite promoting MoM’s Escape Womb Experience. Meet Mary at monthly play dates. See our Events Page.

Kudos to Sierra for her March Women’s Herstory Events celebrating local she-roes and for bringing CONA(Council of Neighborhood Associations) to the space on March 25th from 6-8PM. Sierra is up to great things in April, kicking off April 8th with an evening of financial awareness for kids and families. Flyer is on the events page and below.

Sierra Clark hosts Health, Wellness and Education workshops at MoM as our Community Empowerment Facilitator

April also brings Black Maternal Health Awareness Week. MoM will host an event organized by USF that involves our Health, Wellness and Education committee members: doula Courtney West as well as award-winning photographer Sara Hunter on exhibit at MoM April 10th 5-8PM with a DJ and refreshments.

Sara Hunter, award-winning photographer on display at MoM

Thanks to Amanda Bartles for her lactation groups on Sundays at noon. We are hoping to replace this activity while Amanda goes on maternity leave. Yay, Amanda!

Barbara Lynch continues to network on our behalf and leveraged another encounter with 16th St Farms for a collaboration while also bringing a book club to MoM.

A University of Tampa Senior, Mary-Margaret Russo has approached us about doing a short documentary on MoM with filming taking place in April. We hope to film all April events culminating with MaMaPaLooZa on Sunday May 4th!

MaMaPaLooZa is Sunday, May 4th in partnership with FloridaRAMA.

We welcome returning sponsor BayFirst Bank.

We still need more volunteers onsite at MoM and we need a bigger board. Cast your nets. We will be focused on a board-building event leveraging the contacts we amassed for the art auction. This will be held in June. Think who you might want to invite or if you wanna join!

A renowned artist from NYC- Raisa Nosova (who contributed to the MoM Art Auction) has asked The Factory owners if she can paint a mural for MoM. The owners said YES – now we are figuring out timing! See her gorgeous design here.

The Journal of Mother Studies (JourMS) is open for submissions through May 31. Submit Now!

Currently we have rent paid through August when our lease is up!! This is a HUGE accomplishment. Thank you to all our contributors!

If we could miraculously raise $15k towards next year’s rent in the next 3 months, we will renew the lease for 2026.

Also, I am so grateful for being presented with the ‘Joy Award’ for 20 years of MoM Conference organizing. Thank you Courtney, Brittany and Meagan! This will be my last time leading the conference planning.

From left to right: Beth Charles, Brittany DeNucci, Barbara Lynch, Meagan Welch, Martha Joy Rose, Courtney Kessel

I thankfully gave my notice so that a new team can RISE and is empowered for next year’s academic and arts conference. I will stay on as an advisor only. New Team: Brittany DeNucci, Meagan Welch (also serving as editor to JourMS), Jill M. Wood, Beth Charles, Sonia Meerai, & Batya Weinbaum, Courtney Kessel with Michelle Hughes Miller, Aurelie Athan and myself in advisory roles and Hannah Brockbank advising on the Journal of Mother Studies (JourMS).

Health Wellness and Education at the Museum of Motherhood

April 8 (Tuesday 6-7:30PM

EVENT DETAILS: April observation of financial literacy SHEENA QUALLES Founder/CEO/owner at Kidzonomics LLC “Stacks & Future Facts”.

A budgeting workshop that frames financial literacy as a game plan for future success. Helps young people see money as a tool for building the life they want rather than something just for spending.

Kidzonomics mission- cultivating children, understanding of money management to strengthen their financial wellness as adults for program coordinators. Organized by Sierra Clark, Community Empowerment Coordinator. Questions call: 877-711-MOMS (6667)

Thursday, April 10th, 2025

Raising awareness and advocacy for the improvement of maternal health outcomes for Black women, their infants, and families—not just in Tampa Bay, but throughout Florida. We have a fun and informative week of events planned, starting with our Photography Exhibit and Showcase Kick-off Event at the Museum of Motherhood in St. Petersburg, FL, with USF.

Organized by Courtney West, facilitated by Sierra Clark featuring the award-winning birth photography of Sara Hunter.

#BMHWofTampaBay2025

Skills Drill with the Rainbow Midwife and Escape Womb Visit

April 18 5-7PM Sills and Drills with The Rainbow Midwife. The Skills and Drills for birth workers and the people who love them with a tour of the Escape Womb after.

You Must Pre-Register: Call 877-711-MOMS (6667) and leave a message.

May 4th, 10-4PM at The Factory in St Pete

MAMAPALOOZA St. Petersburg 2025 offers a diverse lineup of activities and entertainment for attendees of all ages. Highlights of the event include:

Interactive art installations celebrating the creativity and resilience of mothers with a marketplace featuring local vendors offering handmade crafts, jewelry, and other unique items. Join us as we come together to celebrate the strength, love, and resilience of mothers everywhere. MAMAPALOOZA is a day to honor the past, embrace the present, and envision a brighter future for all families.

CONFIRMED BANDS WITH GIRLS ROCK, ST PETE: Hex Appeal & Anarkitty along with The Rum Syndicate!

Tags Annual academic mom conference, art of motherhood, family, Florida museums, health, journal of mother studies, mamapalooza, Martha Joy Rose, Mother Studies, Motherhood Studies, museum of motherhood, Odeta Xheka, procreate project, st petersburg, The Factory st pete, Women's History Month, womens museums