Category: MOM Art Annex

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#GivingTuesday: Mothers Give Everyday: what Rosalynn Carter said about caregiving

“There are only four kinds of people in the world—those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.” Rosalynn Carter.

What is a m/other, if not someone who sees to the wellbeing of her family whenever and if-ever possible? From birth on, the person who both gave us life and also the person who often sees to our care and upbringing are forever linked through body, mind, and psyche to the one’s whom they are connected.

Through our biologies, our relationships and our care-work, we are all connected in unfathomable ways

Our children’s cells live on in our brains. Whether we are caregiving forward towards our offspring or adopted children, or our neighborhood, or caring backward for a parent or grandparent , the circle of life involves constant attention to our collective well-being.

Research shows women who live near each other affect the other’s reproductive cycles. It is also scientifically proven that we share more than just our pregnant bodies with our offspring. “Women have microchimeric cells both from their mother, as well as from their own pregnancies” (Link). These remain in our bodies throughout our lives. We are indeed present in not only our physical reality but also our energetic one.

We honor the work of Rosalynn Carter and of all the mothers and others who have devoted large portions of their lives to caring for others: this can mean mental health care, infant care, healthcare, domestic care, professional care, partner care, community care, parent care and even environmental and pet care.

MoM needs your help as we nurture the nurturers and empower the future caregivers of the world

At the Museum of Motherhood we work everyday, round the clock to share the art, science and herstory of mothers. In September, we moved to a new 1,000 sq. ft venue in the arts district of St. Petersburg, Florida!

With over a dozen volunteers who reach thousands of individuals each month, we require the dollars to stay open, accessible, and free to the public.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Fundraiser Museum of Motherhood end of year 2023

Our ‘Mothers Give Everyday’ Campaign is a call to raise $30K:

Can you help us pay the rent and utilities in 2024 at our new venue?

Can you help us make our website ADA compliant.

Will you add a name to our Tribute page?

MAKE A LEGACY DONATION IN THE NAME OF SOMEONE YOU LOVE ON OUR TRIBUTE PAGE! Donate here [Link at bottom) or on our GoFundMe page!

Join this campaign in memory of your mother, grandmother, and those people you hold near & dear: the blended families, the non-traditional families and the individuals that have nurtured you. Or, honor a professional who has impacted your life by taking care of your reproductive health: the midwives, obstetricians, nurses, doulas, and pediatricians. The teachers, aunties, and other mothers who have and are impacting the future leaders of our world!

After 20 years of creating conferences, working with students around the world, mentoring young women (and men), and creating a safe and then significant space for family members, we have landed:

HELLO ST PETERSBURG WE HAVE JOINED THE CITY OF MUSEUMS!

Make a tax deductible donation in any amount to the MOM Art Annex 591c3 for the Museum of Motherhood .

MoM loves you and values your participation.

Remember there is only one degree of separation between YOU and MOM.

DONATE NOW / Honor Somone on our TRIBUTE PAGE (optional)
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Membership and Year-End Donation Drive – the Museum of Motherhood Needs You!

Greetings Friends – MoM wants you to be part of this significant, empowering, and impactful outreach initiative. Help MoM build on our successes with you as our partner. Now is the time for our year-end membership and donation drive. Your memberships and donations are our main source of income, keeping us free and open to the public throughout the year. Because of you, we continue to reach people from around the world with this important project.

Significance: We are the first and only Museum of Motherhood in the world, elucidating the art, science, and herstory of women, mothers, and families inclusive of all reproductive identities.

Empowering: We connect with students, travelers, and families reminding them of our collective shared status, our origin stories, and the inherent creativity of the human experience for the empowerment of all.

Impactful: We are devoted to educating the world about the contributions and experience of m/others both historically and in contemporary culture. We intend to fill a longstanding void by focusing on the many roles of women and mothers through our exhibits, events, resource center, scholarship, and educational partnerships. We are taking our rightful place in the museum world.

WE NEED YOUR HELP MORE NOW THAN EVER

We are a grassroots non-profit that has been devoted to the art, science, and herstory of women, mother’s and families since 2003. We have exhibited in the City of Seneca Falls (where the Suffragettes marched for the vote) the UES of New York City, and in multiple universities.

Last year, founder Martha Joy Rose featured exhibits and invited visitors into her domain post-covid and conducted 178 home tours along with sponsoring the work of artists in residence, while hosting free healthful community suppers with YesChefVillage, and creating volunteer and mentorship opportunities with local high school students throughout the semester.

During this time, many of you joined our campaign to purchase the Mother Tree for our permanent collection. Because of you, we were successful. The Mother Tree will be on exhibit at MoM beginning December 2023.

Now, we need you again! Please help us sustain our MOMentum by securing our overhead expenses from January through July 2024. Our rent total is $24 K. Help us keep the doors open, the lights on, and meaningful engagement opportunities happening. These operational expenses must be met in order to continue our work. We believe that together we can do it!

MoM opened its doors at the Factory St. Pete in the warehouse arts district this September. We currently serve 1,200 visitors each month, maintaining our mission of being free and open to the public for those most in need of support, information, conversation, and inspiration.

MULTIPLE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Donation: Make a donation to MoM in any amount. No amount too small. DONATE

Membership: Join MoM with a membership. Multiple levels of participation are available. JOIN

Membership/Partnership: New Member Sign Up at the FairgroundsSt. Pete use code: MOM23 for free game add on at Fairgrounds St. Pete, as well as a free Activity Map at MoM. Or sign for a new MoM Membership for for add on experience at Fairgrounds! Sign up here with membership at MoM and/or follow links to Fairgrounds St. Pete Memberships.

Conference: Participate in our Annual Academic and Arts Conference. Call for participation is here. Early Bird Conference participation is: $150. SUBMIT

Shop: Go to our store to see new products! Order something online or come by our museum store in person. SHOP

Buy and Activity Map and Tour MoM: $11.50 PURCHASE

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE – STAY BLESSED – WE ARE GRATEFUL TO YOU THIS SEASON!

JOURNAL OF MOTHER STUDIES, CFP MoM CONFERENCE ’24, PODCASTS

The Journal of Mother Studies is now up online at JourMS.org. This 8th edition of the Journal elaborates on Maternal Landscapes from a variety of perspectives including the creative and the clinical. LINK TO JOURMS

Threads of Connection–Sorry/Not Sorry: Confronting mother (and other) blame–healing & resistance in contemporary culture and beyond

St. Petersburg, Florida & Online * March 22-24, 2024 * CFP – Deadline, Dec. 15th. Calling all scholars, artists, and community members for presentations and papers on the subject of mother (and other) blame, shame and pain, with a focus on resistance and healing. This international call for papers invites artists, sociologists, maternal psychologists, philosophers, anthropologists, women’s sexuality and gender professors, masculinity studies experts, birth-workers, doctors, researchers, students, and lay-people to share their work. SUBMIT

Podcasts are up with MoM Talks with My Sister. Seven episodes are posted now on a wide variety of topics. This internship project with Bethanie Dell (and her sister) have proved to be much more exciting than we ever could have anticipated! PODCAST PAGE

Stylin’ with Thee Heiress: 4th Tuesday of each month (starting Nov 28th). Help with your child’s hair. Are you able to manage your natural curls? We are here to help. Open to the community with expert guidance. All materials are provided. $30 requested donation but no one turned away for lack of funds. Register in advance please so we know how many hair kits to bring. Call 877-711-MOMS (6667) or write: INFO@MOMmuseum.org. Registration: using this link! 

Herstory/History on a cushion: Last Saturday of each month, Join Donika Vlada for history/herstory on a cushion at MoM. Sessions are 2-3:30 with stories, games, art-making, and discovery. Hands on activities offer fun and learning for ages 5 +. Pre-register by filling out our online form, emailing: INFO@MOMmuseum.org or by calling 877-711-MOMS (6667). Donations welcome. Parents can hang out in a chill environment or poke around The Factory.

GO TO OUR EVENTS PAGE TO SEE UPCOMING HAPPENINGS AT MOM

Event Page with LOVE!

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Mother: the Job at MoM- featuring the art of Alexia Nye Jackson Nov 2023- Jan 24

We are pleased to announce our second quarterly exhibit at our new space in The Factory, featuring Mother: the Job by Alexia Nye Jackson.

From the artist: We at Mother: the Job knows that Mothers are the mighty engine behind the human workforce that fuels the economy, as well as the nucleus of our society’s integrity. We embrace mothers in the workplace and mothers at home, advocating change in social policy and in the corporate culture so that mothers and their families can thrive. MTJ shows the undeniable social and economic value of the care giving work and labor of mothers. We know that by raising her child from infancy to adulthood, and that child’s productivity in the marketplace and in society thereafter, she is a producer of “human capital” and of the good citizen as well.

Mother: The Job – Building Human Capital, Building Human Beings is a multi-media exhibit, quite likely the first of its kind that includes a short black and white film of mother’s hands at task. Black and white photos of the sixteen main jobs mothers perform, writings by mothers and children, and other integrated art forms. These combine to portray the day-to-day life of a mother and her intricate relationship with her child. By recognizing the passion, intelligence and intuition that goes into Mothering, the world’s most important job, we exalt nurturing and care giving to an art form. That art form gives way to a final understanding of the highly evolved skill set needed to ultimately raise a child to maturity – physically, mentally and emotionally- prepared to enter into society as a productive worker and citizen.  The absurd question, “What did you do all day?” becomes the mascot question for today’s revolution – the unfinished business of balancing the playing field for all “working” mothers and the economics of doing it.

The driving force behind the artifacts is in the form of quotations. Each piece is assigned a quote borrowed from the top scholars in economics, child development and related fields, as well as Mothers and recognized personalities. Within this format the viewer quickly comes to realize that the powerful and intense job known simply as “mother” is consistently devalued in both the economic and social arenas, and that the call for a shift in our thinking and in our actions is urgent work.

MoM is thrilled to bring this exhibit to our new location at The Factory – here in St. Petersburg, FL. Join us on IG Thursday Nov. 2nd for an interview with the artist 5PM (EST) as part of our ‘Women in the Arts’ series.

Call for Community Action: What care-work looks like for you? Who does what for whom? Sometimes it takes multiple family members to provide for a loved one. MoM invites you to share your pictures either on our IG, FB or email us: INFO@MOMmuseum.org and we’ll share your experiences as part of this show. We’d love to feature your art: photos, sketches and stories as part of this ongoing exhibit. We can’t wait to hear from you!

MoM will be closed through Tuesday October 31 while we prep for this show.

Threads of Connection–Sorry/Not Sorry: Confronting mother (and other) blame–healing & resistance in contemporary culture and beyond

St. Petersburg, Florida & Online

March 22-24, 2024

CFP – Deadline, Dec. 15, 2023

The Museum of Motherhood is calling all scholars, artists, and community members for presentations and papers on the subject of mother (and other) blame, shame and pain, with a focus on resistance and healing. This international call for papers invites artists, sociologists, maternal psychologists, philosophers, anthropologists, women’s sexuality and gender professors, masculinity studies experts, birth-workers, doctors, researchers, students, and lay-people to share their work. Read full CFP and Submit!

Joy Rose, Founder of The Museum of Motherhood and former Rock & Roller, To Appear on The Naaman Creative Show on November 15! The Naaman Creative Show is a podcast produced by local marketing agency, Naaman Creative, where they interview brilliant minds, explore fascinating journeys, innovative ideas, and impressive accomplishments from the captivating worlds of business, art, music, science, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Listen: https://www.naamancreativeshow.com/

New Member Sign Up at the Fairgrounds St. Pete use code: MOM23 for free game add on at Fairgrounds St. Pete and free Activity Map at MoM. Or sign up here for a new MoM membership for the same perks! Sign up for MoM Membership here and/or follow the link to Fairgrounds St. Pete Memberships. Your pick! We all benefit.

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Call For Papers MoM Conference 2024 /The JourMS 2023 is Published & Welcome to our New Intern

Threads of Connection–Sorry/Not Sorry: Confronting mother (and other) blame–healing & resistance in contemporary culture and beyond

St. Petersburg, Florida & Online

March 22-24, 2024

CFP – Deadline, Dec. 15, 2023

The Museum of Motherhood is calling all scholars, artists, and community members for presentations and papers on the subject of mother (and other) blame, shame and pain, with a focus on resistance and healing.

Blame and shame can be self-imposed or projected by dominant social narratives that hyper-focus on the performative nature of motherhood as reinforced by unrealistic hegemonic constructions. This can be true for adult children reviewing familial relationships as well.

This international call for papers invites artists, sociologists, maternal psychologists, philosophers, anthropologists, women’s sexuality and gender professors, masculinity studies experts, birth-workers, doctors, researchers, students, and lay-people to share their work.

We encourage presenters to unpack the sociocultural domain of mother (and other) blame and the psychological, personal, professional, and media environment within which this topic is situated. Who is harmed by blame, and whom does it serve? How are oppressive systems reinforced or even sustained? How can we resist or dismantle these systems in large and small ways? What forms of resistance, peace-making, and healing can help improve our relationships?

The conference will serve as a site of resistance and empowerment as we deconstruct, reframe, and affirm the complex landscape of care-work and the ongoing labor within family systems everywhere. We recognize the scale, variance, and duration of these passionate debates and hope to this conference will contribute to the body of knowledge on this subject.

CFP/SUBMIT

Journal of Mother Studies 2023 is Up and Online

Last year’s Annual Academic (and Arts) MoM Conference yielded a marvelous distillation of journal entries on the subject of Reproductive Landscapes, and more. The Journal is now posted online with videos coming soon. MoM’s mission is to serve at the intersection of the arts, scholarship, and the general public, reaching as many women, mothers, academics, and life-long students as possible. We hope you enjoy this year’s edition.

Read the 2023 Journal

Welcome Our Newest Intern

— BIO:
Hello! I’m Lera, a high school graduate from Rostov-on-Don, Russia. I aim to further my studies in college with a minor in Women’s Studies. My heart is set on social justice, art history, creative practice, Ed-Tech, and women’s rights. I am a designer and an artist, and my passion lies in the social application of my skill set. Last year, I began my internship at Borderless, an international Ed-Tech company that democratizes study abroad. I also co-founded She Exhibits, a non-profit gallery that counters gender-based discrimination in art. Additionally, I designed a social zine for an organization protecting women in the North Caucasus. Through these roles, I’ve learned a lot about the challenges women face daily. I’m particularly concerned about how women’s rights are being eroded in contexts of wars, authoritarian regimes, and government policies, such as those in Russia that affect reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights. Now, joining MoM as a Graphics & Research Intern, I’m thrilled to deepen my understanding of sociology, women’s rights, and motherhood through working in the vast specter of projects. During my journey at MoM, I’m eager not only to contribute to the women’s rights movement with my expanding skill set but also to further the conversation on motherhood as a daughter of a single mother!

— PASSIONS FOR MOM:
I am eager to spend a fruitful year with MoM, engaging with a broad range of projects, intertwining research and art! My contributions to MoM will include graphic content creation, and enhancement of the visuals of different initiatives. I’m also looking forward to conducting research endeavors and taking on creative projects to serve MoM’s community!

We Love Our Volunteers!

Wanna Join Our Team? Write Us Here

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Interview with the Artist, CFP 2024, and JourMS

OUR FIRST MONTH AT THE FACTORY

Wow, what a great and busy month its been! As Second Saturday Art Walk approaches on Saturday, October 17th, MoM celebrates our first thirty days at our new location. We’ve enjoyed international visitors, travelers from around the state of Florida, and families of all ages. We hosted our first baby shower, featured the tours and talks of Sierra Clark (every Tuesday 12-6 and Wed 4-6). Sierra broadcasts live on FB during her last hour at MoM on Wednesdays. If you can’t make it by to visit her in person, look for one of her livestreams 5 PM weekly. Our schedule is shaping up. We’ve put some weekly events on the calendar – some require pre-booking – and some are just walk-on-in. MoM is free and open to the public, by donation. Some events require a pre-payment and it is possible to book out our space on Sundays for private events. We hope to see you soon!

AMY WOLF IG LIVE -Thursday 5:30 PM (EST) @MuseumofMotherhood

We are pleased to announce an ‘Women in the Arts’ interview with Amy Wolf on Thursday, October 5th 5:30PM. We aim to share this live on on IG through @MuseumOfMotherhood. Amy is currently the featured artist at MoM through October. Her ‘wearable artwork’ collection’s theme of “reincarnation/transmutation” is based on her practice of transforming found, reclaimed and ordinary materials into something unexpected. She has shown her work both locally and nationally since 2018 and was a 2023 Creative Pinellas Emerging Artist grantee, as well as a 2021 emerging Florida CraftArt artist. In 2022, she was the recipient of both an individual artist grant from The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and a Gobioff Foundation microgrant. Finally, we are happy to share the news that Amy has been selected to be our Artist in Residence beginning October, 2023- Spring 2024 at the MOM Art Annex. Amy pictured left – performance “disassembled”.

Amy Wolf Wearable Art Fashion Show

WELCOME NEW VOLUNTEERS

Welcome Natalia Malysheva. Natalia was born and raised in Russia. Now she lives in Barbados. Natalia earned a master’s degree in cultural science, is specialist in Russian art, and she graduated the NNGASU university in Russia.
She has worked in museums and art-galleries. Her drive and passion for shooting and editing videos have brought her to MoM as a volunteer. We can’t wait to see what we might co-create together. Stay tuned!

We hosted our first baby shower this week! If you are interested in having your event with us, then please get in touch. Baby showers, period parties, menopause or red tent, just get creative and we’ll facilitate. We can host small circles of just a few people or up to thirty comfortably. Call us at 877-711-MOMS (6667) or use the form at the bottom of the page here. $50 per hour space rental. MoM Loves YOU!

The Journal of Mother Studies (JourMS) will be published online Oct. 15th

The Journal of Mother Studies will be published online October 15th. Look for the amazing artists and academics featured in this year’s digital humanities project.

CFP – Annual Academic MoM Conference 2024 – Please Circulate Widely

Threads of Connection–Sorry/Not Sorry: Confronting mother (and other) blame–healing & resistance in contemporary culture and beyond

St. Petersburg, Florida & Online

March 22-24, 2024

CFP – Deadline, Dec. 15

The Museum of Motherhood is calling all scholars, artists, and community members for presentations and papers on the subject of mother (and other) blame, shame and pain, with a focus on resistance and healing.

Blame and shame can be self-imposed or projected by dominant social narratives that hyper-focus on the performative nature of motherhood as reinforced by unrealistic hegemonic constructions. This can be true for adult children reviewing familial relationships as well.

This international call for papers invites sociologists, maternal psychologists, philosophers, anthropologists, women’s sexuality and gender professors, masculinity studies experts, birth-workers, doctors, researchers, and lay-people to share their work.

We encourage presenters to unpack the sociocultural domain of mother (and other) blame and the psychological, personal, professional, and media environment within which this topic is situated. Who is harmed by blame, and whom does it serve? How are oppressive systems reinforced or even sustained? How can we resist or dismantle these systems in large and small ways? What forms of resistance, peace-making, and healing can help improve our relationships?

The conference will serve as a site of resistance and empowerment as we deconstruct, reframe, and affirm the complex landscape of care-work and the ongoing labor within family systems everywhere. We recognize the scale, variance, and duration of these passionate debates and hope to this conference will contribute to the body of knowledge on this subject. LINK TO FULL CFP Submissions: https://jourms.org/submit/

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MoM is Open at The Factory in St. Pete

We are thrilled to open our doors at our new location in the arts district of St. Petersburg, Florida. Make sure to plan a trip to The Factory and schedule your visit today! Our doors are open to everyone – by donation~ Some events are pre-registration only. They are notated below.

Monday: 5-10 PM Motherhood in Motion; The Mother Founders marching from the past towards the future. Sign up for a class $25. Special film screenings, and private group tours (Pre-Registration Required)

Tuesday-Saturday: 12 PM – 7 PM (See our schedule to determine which hours require pre-registration)

Tuesdays: 11 AM – 12:30 PM Empowerment for All- Mothers Club. Join the Mothers’ Club / 4-7 PM Neurodiverse-friendly for those craving a quiet, low-stimulation experience. (Pre-Registration Required)

Sunday: Book your private event with us!

Monthly

First Thursday: 6-7 PM Women in the Arts (week before Second Saturday (Pre-Registration Required)

Fourth Thursday: 12-2 PM Book group/collage making (Pre-Registration Required)

First Saturday: 12-2 PM Birth Cafe (Every month – Pre-Registration Required)

Second Saturday: Art Walk 5-8:30 (Every month – open to all) 

Third Saturday: 2-3PM History on a cushion for ages 5-up. Spend an hour learning about herstory + playtime (Pre-Registration Required)

A Year’s Worth of Exhibits

Sept- Oct 2023: Motherhood in Motion; action & embodiment – featuring the art of Amy Wolf. The seesaw; practicing balance & cooperation in a civil society, and the Founding Mothers (of sociology and beyond)

November -Jan 2023: Mother The Job; 1950’s to Present– featuring the works of Alexia Nye Jackson along with multidisciplinary community narratives.

Feb-April 2024: Threads of Connection- MoM conference featuring: I’m sorry/not sorry; confronting mother blame and healing in contemporary culture and beyond– featuring the Mother Tree by Helen Hiebert & Madison Hendry.

May- July 2024: Interiors – Goddesses & the Geography of a Woman: featuring Christen Clifford and the Goddesses of Malta.

Write us: INFO@MOMmuseum.org with any questions!

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Grand Opening MoM at The Factory

PRESS RELEASE

WHO: The Museum of Motherhood (MoM) – empowering women and mothers to take their rightful place in the museum world.

WHAT: Motherhood in Motion; embodiment in action- One of four quarterly exhibitions featuring the art, science, and history of women, mothers, and families inclusive of all reproductive identities at our new space in the Warehouse District.

WHERE: The Factory, 2622 Fairfield Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712

WHEN: Grand opening September 9th, 2023 (Second Saturday Art Walk) 6-8PM

HOURS: 12-7 PM (last visitor 6:15PM) Monday-Saturday. Sunday by appointment only.

PH: 977-711-MOMS (6667). INFO@MOMmuseum.org. MOMmuseum.org

Motherhood In Motion; embodiment in action- presents interactive installations that celebrate the transformative journey of women, m/others, and families reimagining women’s place and progress in society.

MORE ABOUT MoM: The Museum of Motherhood (MoM) is the first and only exhibition and education center devoted to the art, science and history of women, mothers and families inclusive of all reproductive identities. MOM is organized and activated by our community. We support evolving, interdisciplinary perspectives within the field of mother studies while working with partners around the world. The MOM Art Annex 501c3 non-profit serves as the incubator for increasing the footprint and impact of MoM in St. Petersburg, Florida. We celebrate the complexities and joys women and mothers as they take their rightful place in the museum world.

Please join us as we celebrate the power and resilience of mothers, others, and families embracing the complex web of interconnectedness that binds us all. Motherhood In Motion beckons visitors to explore, learn, and participate in new narratives that forge a collective future that embodies the values of education, compassion, and care for our planet and for each other.

We are especially pleased to highlight the works of Amy Wolf as our featured artist. Her ‘wearable artwork’ collection’s theme of “reincarnation/transmutation” is based on her practice of transforming found, reclaimed and ordinary materials into something unexpected. She has shown her work both locally and nationally since 2018 and was a 2023 Creative Pinellas Emerging Artist grantee, as well as a 2021 emerging Florida CraftArt artist. In 2022, she was the recipient of both an individual artist grant from The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and a Gobioff Foundation microgrant. In addition to art exhibits, MoM will feature women in history, the science of motherhood, a discussion area, special programming, interactive exhibits, a film by founder Martha Joy Rose, sculptures by Sallie Hackett Brown, and a library as well as a vibrant store focused on MoM’s mission.

DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE

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Great Things Coming!

We have been working over the past few weeks to make the transition from our offices- where our permanent collection has lived for the last seven years at the MOM Art Annex to our new location at The Factory in the Warehouse District in St. Pete.

Only a mile from our current spot, heading south on 28th St., take a left at the decorative art pole on Fairfield Ave, and go a few hundred yards to a small parking area where a rainbow sidewalk appears. Walking through the double doors at 2622 Fairfield Ave., the Fairgrounds and Daddy Cool Records are on your left – then, to the right and up the ramp is the new Museum of Motherhood location! Whoo hoo.

This move signifies a huge leap for MoM in the state of Florida. As a woman-owned organization focused on art, community, culture, and education in a climate that holds so much potential, we aim to cultivate relationships based on inclusion, love, and empowerment. This means holding space that is both safe and welcoming.

We do our best, all the time.

We invite you to participate in this new grand experiment in St. Petersburg, Florida (and online), as the Museum of Motherhood explores women’s place and progress in Western society. Together, we will collectively develop new notions of what it means to grow and collaborate together while celebrating our shared legacy of birth, life, and death on this planet.

Join us in our unwavering journey to inform and inspire!

Welcome Please Our Newest Intern

Graziella Pierangeli s a senior English/Museum studies major at Bryn Mawr College. She is passionate about recognizing the academic and personal achievements of women throughout history. She has worked on projects highlighting the important work done by women scientists, on the role of motherhood in ancient Greek tragedies, and the unique perspective of lesbian authors. When she isn’t working at MoM, she can be found tutoring at the Bryn Mawr Writing Center, taking long walks around campus, or reading a science fiction novel. She is so excited to be included in the founding mothers project!

Call to Action

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Up, Down and In-Between

Hello friends-
Happy July! I am sharing some wonderful news.

The Museum Of Motherhood is moving to The Factory in the warehouse district this August in St. Petersburg, Florida. From that new location we plan on executing quarterly exhibits. The first, which runs August 28-Oct., is titled ‘Motherhood On Motion’ curated by Liliana Beltran in collaboration with me, Martha Joy Rose.

Additionally we anticipate sharing aspects of our herstorical exhibitions permanently throughout the year, along with a compelling ‘Futurisms’ exhibit, interactive opportunities,  and we will have a vibrant store onsite.

We are looking to work with partners who wish to create events within the space and are as excited by this new location as we are. Internships and residencies at the MOM Art Annex are ongoing.

On a personal note, as the museum founder and as a kidney transplant survivor, I have recently and unexpectedly come up against a physical impediment, which has been most inconvenient. I have been hospitalized with a bronchial infection- no doubt exacerbated by the Canadian fires and am currently in recovery which is why communication has been slow. It has been a long time since I have been brought this low by a physical limitation, and while I feel confident about moving forward, I anticipate another few weeks of recovery. 

Lilliana, Beltran, curator, and I have been able to collaborate in terms of written curatorial statements and organizing art exhibitions, work that was begun over a month ago. I was able to ask a local artist to put signage up at the new location so second Saturday visitors this month would see our new spot (Thank you Paul Leroy), which is all good.

Because of this most recent development in my health, I am reaffirming the need once again for activate our Living Board. The Living Board is not a governing board but rather intended to keep MoM’s initiatives active and ongoing in the community even in the event of my unavailability. It is crushingly clear to me over the past several weeks the manner in which the blog has not gotten written, the newsletter has not gone out, the physical space which needs attending to has not been attended to, that every endeavor requires a team beyond the team, which means backup. The community-needs of MoM require local hands-on coordination. My ability to navigate on the phone amidst coughing fits has been impossible. To that end, I will re-initiate this community aspect when I return in August.

As we rapidly move towards our ‘soft opening’ date of August 28th, which is also the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights March on Washington – MoM will work with The Factory Team to fashion a press release and make plans for the ‘official’ opening of Sept. 9th, Second Saturday Art Walk.

Artwork will begin going up during the first two weeks of August. For those of you who wish to help, volunteering time, posting social media, and circulating news of our new space – we appreciate all the help we can get. We aim to create a generous, supportive, and creative space. AEHK are invited to share their work- we can produce gift cards for the store for example- with any themes relating to embodiment, motherhood in motion, or procreative or feminist endeavors. People who are looking to get involved can write with their ideas, proposals, or just sign up for potential volunteer hours, etc., using this online form: https://mommuseum.org/volunteer-mom/

In the spirit of progress and purpose, we now also put ourselves in in the capable hands of our strategic advisors who have been diligently working towards crafting a compelling narrative for potential funders and donors and to Connie B for her work on Salesforce & Quickbooks bringing us ever closer to fiscal well being, accountability, and preparation for MoM’s next great leap forward. We enthusiastically thank everyone who has been part of MoM over the course of the past year or so.

We are grateful to Maggie Duffy & Leonora Anton of the Tampa Bay Times, our St Pete High School volunteers & local teachers, Jeff Herman and Creative Grape, Gloria, Munoz, and Tombolo Books, SpaceCraft, Marcile Powers, Maureen McDole of Keep St Pete Lit, Yes Chef Village, our mothers groups, Batya Weinbaum for her onsite mural work, social media manager Margot Pomeroy, Empowerment Coordinator Sierra Clark, Hannah Brockbank, Larry & Cathy Dillahunty Law, Paul LeRoy, Dwayne Shepard, Nick Ribera, Jim Woodfield, Liam and Kristen Lansing, Olga Bof and Localtopia, Historic Kenwood, Neighborhood Association, and Artist Enclave of Historic Kenwood, all those who donated towards the purchase of the Mother Tree, and everyone who toured MoM or took an interest in our initiatives as well as our new partners at The Factory!

Can’t wait to be with you again soon,

Categories
Birth Blog breastfeeding Caregiving Education Fl gender health History International Medical MOM Art Annex MOM Conference motherhood Spiritual Motherhood

The Mother Tree Acquisition, Goddess Summary & Closing the Bones

MoM has acquired the Mother Tree for our permanent collection! Thanks to each of you who donated through our GoFundMe, our website, or by private contribution. Thanks too, artist Helen Hiebert, artist and creator for trusting us and for additional support. Thanks to all of you we have succeeded in achieving this wonderful milestone.

This purchase represents the culmination of two years of fundraising for our permanent collection and we couldn’t be more pleased to share this success with each of you. If you have been fortunate to have seen the Mother Tree at the MoM Art Annex or one of her other previous exhibitions spaces, lit up and beaming, then you join an exclusive group who have indeed been fortunate. Moving forward we look forward to future large scale exhibition spaces where we can share her for public display.

May has been an incredible month for forging new connections, completing projects, and travel. For those of you who have been keeping up with travel blog reports from founding director, Martha Joy Rose, travels to the Goddess temples of Malta have been transformational indeed. You can read more about the Goddess’s of Malta at our founder’s blog.

Throughout June, July, and August, operations will continue at the MoM Art Annex though outreach activities are paused. Our team will be busy strategizing a year’s worth of exhibits for our 2023-24 season which commences in September. During the summer, internships, grant writing, renovations, and curatorial activities will be in full swing.

Finally, we want to share news from our recent experience at the Modern Herbal Apothecary in Tampa for a ‘Closing the Bones Ceremony’. Lyani Powers, doula and owner of MHA presented at this year’s annual academic MoM Conference on ‘Maternal Landscapes’. This ritualistic ceremony can be traced to South America, Africa, and Asia, yet here in American this ritual is not common. Founder Joy Rose was graciously invited to Lyani’s studio post-conference.

During the conference, Lyani shared that she performed ‘Closing the Bones’ on her mother-in-law so it seemed the ceremony could work on new mothers as well as older mothers. Here at MoM we recognize the ways in which many women continue symbolically, and in real life, remain attached to grief, trauma, and even may stay stuck emotionally or become over-involved in their adult children’s lives. Could this be a way to honor those sacred bonds while allowing space for closure and release? We were hoping so.

Nestled into a residential neighborhood Lyani’s gorgeous space is stocked with teas, herbs, and scents that are both delicious and healing. The ceremony itself involved sage, touch, a holding of the body and swaying gently while being gently cradled. This was followed by a tight body- wrapping, a rest, and it concluded with a ceremonial tea and washing of the feet. There were low mutterings, incantations, and prayers for releasing old patterns and welcoming new energy and new ways of being.

This was all a marvelous closure to our founder’s extended trip to visit the Goddess Temples of Malta. The divine feminine has been with us and the world for at least five-thousand years BC. How do those threads get lost? How do the rituals that sustain us disappear? We must weave our way back in time together to activate the symbolic strength of women as respected and glorious members of society.

The Museum of Motherhood’s first online exhibition was in 2010. The launch featured a Sacred Feminine exhibit created Polly Wood online. Now, thirteen years later in 2023, Batya Weinbaum began work on the Goddess mural at the MOM Art Annex for her ‘Artist in Residency’ project. There is a lot of herstory in this world to be mapped – indeed, there is a link to all our shared legacies and experiences. We encourage you to do some research on ‘Closing of the Bones’ rituals. There is much to learn and much to celebrate if we can stay strong in our bonds to each other and continue to find ways to collaborate. Find our more at ModernHerbalApothocary.com or search ceremonies online. And, please, whatever you do, make sure to stay strong. You are beautiful!

  • Modern Herbal Apothecary
  • Herbal Tea Time
  • Delicious
  • The wrapping prep
  • Sage and Conversation
  • Lyani Leads
  • The Bone Closing Ceremony
  • Lyani Powers, Doula and Owner MHA
  • Flower Foot Bath
  • Mushroom Walls

The Closing of the Bones Ceremony brought a SONG to mind and is summed up well here:

I can’t really explain it
I haven’t got the words
It’s a feeling that you can’t control
I suppose its like forgetting
Losing who you are
And at the same time
Something makes you whole
Its like that there’s a music
Playing in your ear
And I’m listening, and I’m listening
And then I disappear (Lyrics from the song Electric- Billy Elliot, the musical )