Last weekend I had the privilege of experiencing the Annual Academic MoM Conference in person at the Museum of Motherhood Art Annex in St. Petersburg, Florida. MoM was founded by Martha Joy Rose (MJR) with the mission to make a visible, solvent, celebrated international museum and teaching facility devoted to the art, science, and history of women, m/others and families inclusive of all reproductive identities.
Not only was I able to partake in the conference, but I was one of 35 individuals from around the world sharing on a topic of interest. (The conference was a hybrid model, allowing for people to attend virtually or in person.) I shared about the work I’ve been doing with my momma’s groups and guided the attendees in a mindfulness practice during my presentation, “Emotional Support and Mindfulness in Motherhood.”
The content of presentations at the conference was super engaging! From Katherine Nolan’s presentation, “Performing Miscarriage: Material Experiences of the Loss of Motherhood,” where she shared about her performance art on miscarriage to Lyani Powers’ talk on remembering postpartum rituals titled, “Traditional / Indigenous practices and ritual as postpartum care as an act of Remembering and Revolution,” people were sharing about the research they’ve been conducting to the art they have been making and everywhere in between. Outside of the formal event agenda I was able to connect with so many cool humans. And if you know me, you know I love meeting new people and hearing about their stories, like Sally Butcher, a momma of two and fine artist. She attended the conference in person to share about her PhD art practice on female subjectivity; identity, body, space & image during her presentation titled, “(In) Fertile Embodiment: Revealing the Invisibility of Infertility between the Medical and the Maternal through a Feminist Art Practice.“
I was able to sit down with MJR and hear about the future hopes and dreams for MoM to expand into a larger space. She shared how she believes a museum for mother/motherhood/maternal studies is a temple of knowledge of the experiences and lives of the women who went before her. She shared that by MoM expanding into a larger space it creates, “a place, a personal home, a permanent home, a shared collective that follows the threads of our lives so that others can find a place to listen, share, and learn— a place of transformation, of light, of nature, of visibility, of solvency, of celebration.“ If you’re interested in supporting MoM, consider making a donation here.
Warmly,
Brittany DeNucci
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