MamaBlogger365 - The Power Of A Woman by Joy Rose

Last week Mindy Stokes sent me a link to an MP3 radio broadcast of her The Clothesline Project, which brings awareness and voice to the virtually taboo topic of domestic violence. Whether praising Eve Ensler's work, or citing other feisty feminists like dear ole' Gloria, one thing is clear - there is still much work to be done.

March is Women's History Month and March 8th was International Women’s Day, a time for hope, activism and personal empowerment. Since 82% of the female population will go on to have children, events like these must also mark the value and importance of mothers and the work they do.

D. Bocanegra

Exhibits like Alexia Nye Jackson’s ‘Mother The Job‘ encourage us to actively evaluate the hidden costs of parenting, and ask questions like: how do we, as a nation, provide health care, maternity leave, paid parental leave, breast feeding and childcare at the workplace? Dylan Bocanegra's work, newly mounted in the M.O.M. lobby, focuses on mother activists like Maria Shriver and Elizabeth Taylor.

Promoting the health, well-being, information, education and connection for individuals and collectives around the area of mother studies and family, benefits everyone. To that end, ongoing groups, researchers, activists, artists, thought-leaders, social change-makers, like Jill Starishevsky, write books that empower our children to know and understand the phrase 'My Body Belongs To Me'. Jill is a child abuse and sex crimes prosecutor in the Bronx, NY, and is doing her best every day to inform and educate families on their rights, and children on how to be self-aware enough to protect themselves from these crimes.

Women in business and the newly formed Women's High NETwork have been gathering at the Museum Of Motherhood (M.O.M.), in New York City each month for incubator groups focused on personal, financial and social good. This month we move to Donnetta Campbell's 'Wings Of Change' event in Stamford on the evening of March 29th. (Some seats are still available if you want to mingle with a business-savvy, movers and shakers in the Connecticut/New York area). I'll even be speaking that day, on the subject of the 'Value Of A Woman' in the afternoon.

D. Whitefield

At the M.O.M. space we talk about hyper-local activism, working with people like owner/Gymboree Franchisee, Debra Whitefield and Barry Hanson, about the importance of exercise and body-arts awareness from a young age. Their commitment to teaching children how to interact through healthful activities reverberates throughout communities in Manhattan, Long Island and more. Their model for engagement permeates the museum, as children and families engage in dialogue, interactive play and education, before toddling off to the Gymboree space around the corner on First Avenue and Eighty Fourth St., where activities progress to a higher level of coordination and music-play from infancy on.

Learning to understand our bodies and minds in healthy ways from an early age, helps to empower us as adults. As we move through March and celebrate women in history, with events like Amy Simon's play 'She's History', coming to the Museum Of Motherhood Theatre on Saturday, March 31st, let's take time to acknowledge the people who are making history in their own ways, by doing good work everyday. I am personally grateful to each of them.

Joy Rose, The Media Mom, is the founder and executive director of the Museum of Motherhood.

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

MamaBlogger365 - Finding Yourself Amongst the Masters by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

I need beauty in my life.

I need it for inspiration, for relaxation and for rejuvenation.

I need beauty to satisfy my creative soul and soothe the savage Mama’s-over-tired-can-you-please-leave-me-alone-for-more-than-10-minutes beast. More often than not, I get no such respite.

But this weekend with the bizarrely perfect near 60 degree late Winter weather in the East, the muses beckoned and my honey, hearing the siren song, set plans in motion, providing all of us with a much needed soulfully satisfying family excursion.

Before going any further, I’m only a tad bit ashamed to admit something that precious few know about me; I have never been to one of the world’s greatest museums: New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. My formative years were spent in Pennsylvania and California. What’s a girl to do? I’m not from here!

Click here to read more!



BIO: By day Shira Adler is a cantor, spiritual vocalist, certified pastlife regressionist, voice-over artist, producer, performer, writer/blogger and mompreneur and by night... well, she is actually the same person at night though she does admit to wearing fuzzy socks when no one can see her and hiding a secret stash of Mallomars somewhere near her writing desk for those late night pick-me-ups. In, around, and between her various work activities, she is raising two beyond-the-spectrum children as a single mom (though lovingly gives a shout out to her best friend, editor and soulmate whom she considers the bees knees). Is it any wonder her website’s tag line is One Voice Many Paths? Seriously, look up the definition of a multi-tasking Mama and you will find her picture there. But when it comes to living a life of connection, faith and consciousness Shira is the gal to call -- or if you’re fresh out of Mallomars -- she’s always happy to give you one. For more information visit: ShiraAdler.com, read her blog at Diva-Mama.com; Social: Twitter (1DivaMama), Facebook (DivaMama1), Tumblr (not really sure, but the name is cute) and LinkedIn (because doesn’t everyone?).

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

MamaBlogger365 - Mamapalooza Takes Sydney!

Mothers of the world take note! Sydney will be on the map in 2012 with a great Festival of Arts celebrating Mamapalooza "the Aussie way!"

Join us at Tap Gallery -- 7th-13th May, 2012!

Vee Malnar, artist/writer and event co-ordinator for Mamapalooza Sydney 2012, together with gallery manager and artist Lesley Dimmick (along with a host of many talented volunteers) will pave the way for thousands of Australian mothers and grandmothers to create a lively festival of highly talented, inspirational and knock 'em out sensational acts! Musicians, magicians, poets, singer-songwriters, visual and performance artists and commediennes will grace the Sydney stage in May 2012, and create herstory!

"There's a bit of complacency in Oz," says singer-songwriter (and mother of three) Kathy Cox, "particularly around women's talent. I think a festival like this will place a wonderful variety of talent under one roof, and it'll be a hoot!"

"We need to bring together the extraordinary talent of so many mothers in this country and showcase it under the same umbrella – audiences will be enthralled!" says Vee.

So don’t miss this wonderful week of arts and entertainment starting on the 7th of May at Tap Gallery. We will have an art exhibition, an original songwriter night with awards, stand-up comedy and much much more!

For those who would like to contribute and participate; if you’re a mother, a woman, a person with an idea about ‘motherhood’, come and join this group and help in the collective collaboration of a fantastic festival!

It starts now with you!

Contact us:

Vee Malnar
Mamapalooza Australia Co-Ordinator
veemalnar@gmail.com
mob: 0402036082

Lesley Dimmick
Tap Gallery
178 Palmer St. Darlinghurst, NSW 2010
info@tapgallery.org.au
ph: 0393610440


Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our autumn POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood

NOW OPEN in NYC! Tues-Sun, 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Breastfeeding Mermaids of Bologna, part 2 by Elena Skoko

Click here to read part one of Elena's essay.

This scene reminds me of a teenage mother who came to visit me in Bologna with my sister on their graduation trip. She was seventeen and already a mother of a toddler. Her graduation trip was one of the few occasions she could still enjoy as a simple teenager. I was so moved by seeing her spending her week of freedom lying on the couch in front of our big TV. She had all my sympathy. During one of her few escapades outside the idle zone, she went with my sister and my sister’s boyfriend on a public bus. There was an old grumpy couple somewhere in front of them. “Bet I can sprinkle them with my milk right in the face!”, the teenage mother challenged playfully. She pulled out her breast, squeezed it and centered the old man right on the spot in a few meters distance without the victim noticing where it came from. I found the gesture hilarious. The mermaids of the Fountain of Neptune reminded me of her ever since.

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our fall POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.


The Museum of Motherhood is NOW OPEN in NYC! Come visit us!

401 East 84th St. (at 1st Ave.), New York, NY | Tues.-Sun., 10:45 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Photo by Patrick Clenet

MamaBlogger365 - Breastfeeding Mermaids of Bologna by Elena Skoko

Mermaids, mythology, motherhood and more... part one of a two-part mini-series by the creative and ever-fabulous Elena Skoko:

The mermaid of the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna (photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto) is the image I recall when I’m concerned about my milk supply. I visualize it vividly, my breasts start to tickle and I feel the flow reaching my nipples. I breathe a sigh of relief: everything’s fine, my baby, you’ll have enough food, as much as you need, whenever you wish.

One day, while I was living in Bologna, my friend Vlatko came to visit me. We went for a nice walk across the city ending up in Piazza del Nettuno. The city of Bologna is in shape of a star and Piazza del Nettuno is right in the middle, next to the main square. The little square is named after a fountain dominated by a massive statue of ancient god of all seas. Neptune is standing on top of a pedestal that is held by four magnificent mermaids. These mermaids are sitting on waves with their split fish tail spread. Their hands are offering abundant breasts sprinkling water from their nipples.

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our September POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.


The Museum of Motherhood is NOW OPEN in NYC! Come visit us!

401 East 84th St. (at 1st Ave.), New York, NY | Tues.-Sun., 10:45 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

MamaBlogger365 - Why M.O.M. Matters by Joy Rose

 Make history with M.O.M.

Join us for our Gala Opening event, Sept. 16th

People keep asking me, a “Museum Of Motherhood” – what is that and how did you get to this point? What I tell them is, We have mustard museums, marble museums and car museums, but until now, there have been no museums dedicated to this all important job of creating the next generation of human beings. This museum is a living breathing social change museum that will give all of us an opportunity to study and understand this most important job of ”mother.”

I can think of no other single thing that has gone largely unexamined for so long. While we give credence, education and dollars toward all manner of education, the role of mother, “the job” is ignored. We have plenty of books on how to be a better parent and the psychology, health and well-being of children, while newly pioneered work on “the art of motherhood” and the experiences of women is largely new within the last ten to twenty years.

The work of the museum is to amplify and examine those voices while connecting the “cultural family.” What is the cultural family? It’s humanity. It’s generations and centuries of how, when, where and what is the role of birthers, caregivers and family, and how their creativity (or lack of it) has influenced and informed society.

M.O.M.'s home! 401 East 84th St. (at 1st Ave.) in NYC

This has been a project of a lifetime. It has been years in the making and there has been, at any given time, a small group of dedicated individuals who have given generously of their time to make this museum happen. This first exhibit, as part of our Pop-Up museum, brings home to New York City years of conferences, exhibits and festivals around the world that we have either participated in or created ourselves.

The Village of Seneca Falls, birthplace of the women’s suffragette movement and home to the National Women’s Hall Of Fame welcomed us with street exhibits in 2010. But the first Pop-Up for M.O.M. happened in 2003 in Dobbs Ferry, NY, as part of “Mommy Girl Go-Go.” In between, 501c3s were formed, research was conducted, relationships flourished, and this year Gymboree rented space to us, at a greatly discounted fee, and with a partnership in place to support one another’s endeavors.

In New York City, from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2011, we will take residence at 401 East 84th St. (at 1st Ave.) lower level and feature “Mother The Job,” an exhibit by San Francisco artist Alexia Nye Jackson, and on-going programming for school children through adults on “The Art Of Motherhood” with a healthy dose of ‘HER’-story and mother performance art. The space will feature a small boutique store of museum quality with a special emphasis on mom-made products and a ‘Grief-itti’ wall as a place to write your story – because motherhood is messy and not all our stories are happy ones. It is bookended with a play area where caregivers can enjoy the exhibit while their children explore in a safe space. M.O.M will also be available for event rental as well as parties, age 6 through adult. Other family adventures feature family yoga on Sundays with The Little Yoga Mat and book readings under the apple tree with Sitter Studios. Brooklyn’s Christen Clifford will curate art shows, featuring local mom-made art, each Tuesday. Saturday nights at 7PM, music, theater, poetry, film and performance art will be highlighted in the main space.

Workshops on the art of motherhood can be found online. Our Gala Opening Event is Sept. 16th, and Find Your M Spot Events happen throughout that weekend. Visit MOMmuseum.org

We truly appreciate your enthusiasm and accept press inquiries and online donations to support our work.

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our September POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.

MamaBlogger365 - Because I'm the Mommy by Amy Andrews

"Because I'm the Mommy... that's why."

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our September POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.

M.O.M. is now OPEN in NYC! Visit us -- MuseumOfMotherhood.org for details!

MamaBlogger365 - Saying Goodbye with Butterflies by Aiya Art

© Aiya Art; all rights reserved

Thank you so much to artist Aiya Art for sharing her encaustic work with us for the past ten weeks -- it's been moving and enlightening and something we've looked forward to every week!

Click here to view this week's full online art exhibit!

Bio: Though born in Germany to German parents, Judith Kuegler grew up among tribal communities in Nepal and Indonesia. Her interest in creating art began at a very early age and is profoundly influenced by her multicultural upbringing. After attending Art College in German she moved to the US to continue her studies in art and psychology. Judith works as an artist and writer specializing in global women’s issues, multiculturalism and anthropology. She lives with her two sons in North Carolina.

Her work has been featured in a variety of publications such as, Victoria Magazine, American Scientist, Motherverse, Juno, Journal of the Association for Research on Mothering and New Beginnings. Judith participates in group and solo gallery shows as well the Carrboro and Hillandale Art Walks, MOMart and Whimsical Women. Her blog about art, motherhood and everything in between can be found at http://judithkuegler.wordpress.com

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our September POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.

MamaBlogger365 - The Feminist Boudoir

MamaBlogger365 is thrilled to feature a virtual tour of The Feminist Boudoir, a M.O.M. Exhibit by Joy Rose and paintings by Jo Jayson. It was part of the M.O.M. Conference at Marymount Manhattan College, Mamapalooza Festival and MAMAExpo, May 23-25 2011. Read more...

Share your art with us and support MamaBlogger365, a joint effort of Mamapalooza and the Museum of Motherhood to help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011!

MamaBlogger365 - Oh My Goddess, FeMail Online Art Exhibit by Suzi Banks Baum and Karen Arp-Sandel

FeMail closes our on-line exhibit on M.O.M. invoking the Divine Feminine in all of us.

© Suzi Banks Baum, All Rights Reserved

Over these past ten Tuesdays, Karen and I have shared with you some of the themes that run through the mail art that comprises FeMail. Our sisterhood chronicled in these postal cards made over the last four years traces our mothering and our friendship, our love of art making, and our fascination with pop culture. There are threads of inspiration, poetry and icons that we have imbued with spiritual meaning through the medium of these hand made and at times, rustic, small artworks that get handled by the United States Postal Service.

We have attempted to re-frame motherhood by parsing out what motivates us to share and support each other in this unique way. With the barest of art supplies, we cobble together missives while in the midst of our busy lives as mothers, partners, caregivers and breadwinners.

View this week's complete exhibit at the Museum Of Motherhood blog.

Come to FeMailArt.com to view an online gallery and discussion of the mail art collaboration between Karen Arp-Sandel and Suzi Banks Baum. You can also see more about this exhibit at MotherhoodMuseum.org.

MamaBlogger365 needs you! Tell us how you're re-framing motherhood and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011!

MamaBlogger365 - Metamorphosis of Motherhood, FeMail Online Art Exhibit by Suzi Banks Baum and Karen Arp-Sandel

Solitude, Sorrow and the Sacred Well

© Karen Arp-Sandel, all rights reserved

Motherhood is so often about the bittersweet sensation of separation and even loss. We give birth to children and they grow up, spread their wings, and fly. We are children ourselves and just when life is running smoothly, a parent gets seriously ill or passes away before we are ready. These are the milestones experienced by humans. I wonder if they are differently experienced by women, by mothers? The transformation of our mothering as we move through time traces deep tracks of joy and grief in to our souls. We have hoped and prayed, celebrated and wept over our parents and our children. And we stand strong with and for them as they create the future.

View this week's complete exhibit at the Museum Of Motherhood blog.

Come to FeMailArt.com to view an online gallery and discussion of the mail art collaboration between Karen Arp-Sandel and Suzi Banks Baum. You can also see more about this exhibit at MotherhoodMuseum.org.

MamaBlogger365 needs you! Tell us how you're re-framing motherhood and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011!

MamaBlogger365 - Magnificent Regions of the Heart with FeMail by Suzi Banks Baum and Karen Arp-Sandel

FeMail explores the magnificent regions of the heart, through the steady current of correspondence.

Poetry is the language of the Soul. Since April is National Poetry Month, we at FeMail thought we’d share with you some of our postcards adorned with poetry. Karen and I love wordplay and the imagistic inspirations that suffuse our art through poetry. We also use quotes as jet-streamed soul messages.

© Suzi Banks Baum, All Rights Reserved.

With this card, from the first year of our collaboration, I edged a torn paper composition with words by Stephen C. Paul. The conversation I have with myself as I create, especially using this technique that frees my hands from scissors, allows a freedom that I enjoy. It is just my glue stick and I composing with color. There in the center is a tiny painting of a woman’s hip. I am fascinated with the female form, with the curves that draw the eye towards a focal point. The reverse side is a composition using an image of a bowl of berries, gessoed over and a packing tape transfer title. In those days I was writing more, mixing my family and art life with stronger proportions of art. My journey as a full time Mother and Artist calls for stalwart discipline and a constant eye for what is playful in everything I do. This inner conversation has yielded my upcoming book, Laundry Line Divine: A Wild Soul Book for Women.

View this week's complete exhibit at the Museum Of Motherhood blog.

Come to FeMailArt.com to view an online gallery and discussion of the mail art collaboration between Karen Arp-Sandel and Suzi Banks Baum. You can also see more about this exhibit at MotherhoodMuseum.org.

MamaBlogger365 needs you! Tell us how you're re-framing motherhood and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011!

MamaBlogger365 - Women, Work, and Seductive Subversion with FeMail by Suzi Banks Baum and Karen Arp-Sandel

Tuesdays' FeMail postcard art exhibit by Suzi Banks Baum and Karen Arp-Sandel continues on MamaBlogger365 for the Museum of Motherhood. Today, Women, Work, and Seductive Subversion.

© Karen Arp-Sandel, all rights reserved

As Artist Moms, Karen and I are constantly in the act of choosing how to stay in the moment, no matter if that moment finds us in our studios making art or elbow deep in macaroni and cheese preparations. Who doesn’t balance numerous responsibilities that feel at times distracting from our primary spiritual aims? Business development can often feel like an imposition, doing things that don’t necessarily seem to further our careers feel like a chore, and anything that diverts us from caring and nurturing our selves, our families and art making can make us downright mad!

This dilemma is as perennial as the seasons and as heart-breaking as the greatest losses because while our work is the expression of our souls, so is our mothering -- how can we weigh one against the other? Click here to read more and view this week's full exhibit online.

MamaBlogger365 needs you! Tell us how you're re-framing motherhood and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011!

MamaBlogger365 - Labelography, a FeMail Art Exhibit with Suzi Banks Baum and Karen Arp-Sandel

Image © Karen Arp-Sandel, All Rights Reserved.

Tuesdays' FeMail art exhibit by Suzi Banks Baum and Karen Arp-Sandel on MamaBlogger365 for the Museum of Motherhood - You ART what you eat!

This week, Suzi and Karen share how and why food and drink labels are used in their FeMail art: "It is so important to remember that as the beacons of Motherhood, we can nourish others and ourselves with the beauty of what we do."

View the full exhibit online at the Museum of Motherhood!

MamaBlogger365 - On the Road Map with FeMail, by Suzi Banks Baum and Karen Arp-Sandel

This week, Suzi and Karen discuss their travel dialogue from their FeMail Archive:

Why is it that women are the ones who can neatly return an unfolded map to its proper alignment, creases all even and the multiple folds bending in the correct direction? Some men do not need maps nor can they ask for directions. Is this true or just funny? Women seem to have a special relationship with maps, with routes and courses. Maps are a symbol and a tool of navigation. Women, moms in particular, are like sea captains: we navigate the waters of family life.

Here at FeMail, we share a passion for travel. We always pack our travel art kits as neatly and completely as our toiletries (Only heavier!). We are devoted to reuse and upcycling. Our Travel Kits are plastic zippered bags that once held holiday gifts or pillowcases. We need waterproof, tough containers that slip in to our suitcases and can be easily carried in a backpack once we arrive at our destination.

In our Travel Kits, we carry the bare necessities for making art in hotel rooms or other odd places. We always carry glue sticks, sharp scissors and a bone folder. Karen and I both love to draw and watercolor, so we usually have small travel size sets of paints and pen sets to suit the surroundings. We will show you our travel journals some other day. But here is our Mail Art, made on the road, with maps. Sending post cards to each other when traveling is almost like tearing a page from a travel journal and mailing it! It is a new take on the traditional travel post card, yet it always beckons, "Wish YOU were HERE."

Circus Boy FeMail by Suzi Banks Baum

Circus Boy, front; Image  © Suzi Banks Baum, All Rights Reserved.

Summer time and Circus Boy beer fueled this card made with a map of the East Burke area of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. I was traveling there in late August with my family. It also happens that Karen’s son went to college there, so references to the ‘Kingdom’ hold special meaning for her. Do you see the chicken feathers? Well, they hold another story having to do with my award-winning chicken calling. Between the circus ticket, the beer label, the bit of marbled paper we’d made together earlier in the summer, our summertime conversation is rich. The other side of the card is filled with the intense colors of a Cape Cod sunset. That dancing woman is balanced on the tip of the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, MA, another family trip for us. There is a tape transfer of a Milton Avery print of the beach from an art gallery guide of P’town. I love to use packing tape when I am on the road for an easy transfer of images or text on to a card.

Visit the Museum of Motherhood blog to view this week's complete exhibit, including “Where ever you are is the Entry Point” Kabir FeMail by Karen Arp-Sandel, Grand Island and DQ FeMail by Suzi Banks Baum, and more!

MamaBlogger365 needs you! Tell us how you're re-framing motherhood and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011!

MamaBlogger365 - How to Get Ahead in a MAIL Dominated World: Karen Arp-Sandel’s FeMail Manifesto

© Karen Arp-Sandel, All Rights Reserved.

 

 

MamaBlogger365's online FeMail art exhibit continues with Karen Arp-Sandel's postcard art to benefit the Museum of Motherhood, including her pieces Who is your DADA? and Aftermath of LIFE and Scavenger Art & Mona Lisa. View them all here.