MaMaPaLooZa MC & Diva Christen Clifford Returns With a New Performance

Cancer: A Love Story

Written and performed by Christen Clifford

Directed by Lucy Sexton

Thursday March 21 7pm

Friday March 22 7pm

Dixon Place

161 Chrystie St

http://dixonplace.org/performances/cancer-a-love-story-2/

Christen Clifford

The Status of Mother Art Around the World

ProCreate Project is due to launch at the Women´s Art Library at Goldsmiths University in London, England on the 15th of December, 2015. Over 100 featured ‪#‎motherartists‬. #JoinMama Book your free ticket here [LINK]

Here is my personal statement regarding the current status of mother-art around the world by M. Joy Rose:

I’ve been organizing the Mamapalooza Festival (worldwide) since 2002, which was inspired by the adventures of my mom-rock band, Housewives on Prozac (1997-2008). The intention was to support a mother-made-arts-movement and to activate social change for women who were mothers because: a) mother-made art was not being encouraged, b) venues for maternally-inspired artistic expression were non-existent. Motherhood generates its own reasons for celebration as well as illuminating a unique set of challenges. It was my very strong feeling that women who were artists should not ignore the procreative and caregiving aspects of their new-found embodied existence and that opportunities for mother-made-art should flourish.

By creating an inclusive, large-scale platform, I licensed the festival to event organizers ultimately reaching four countries and twenty-five cities. Hoping to open the portals to individual (and family) creativity as well as call attention to the specific issues women who are mothers and caregivers face. The festival garnered millions of followers through media stories generated by local events. The issues we tackled were broadly related to everything from acknowledging the liberating power of creative self-expression amidst the self-sacrificing nature of motherhood, to enhancing community engagement, as well as educating families at risk in the health, economic, and the reproductive justice arena.

After years of organizing and promoting Mamapalooza through our non-profit Motherhood Foundation Inc. (2003-2010), the focus shifted to the long-term goal of having a physical location for the Museum of Motherhood. We procured a donated space in New York City from 2011-2014 where 60,000 people from around the world enjoyed our collaborative location. M.O.M. is currently online and conducts international academic conferences on the topic of mother studies (2005-ongoing). I got my graduate degree in mother studies in 2015 and am teaching through the museum portal, conducting classes in “families and social change” at Manhattan College, and writing about my experiences. Goals include continued international partnerships and a next-level space for exhibitions, classes, and archiving the science, art, and history of mothers, fathers, and families. The Mamapalooza Outdoor Extravaganza Festival continues to host approximately 10,000 families on the third Sunday of May each year in partnership with the New York Parks Department at Riverside Park South in Manhattan, USA.

I am thrilled to collaborate with the Procreate Project! Please stay in touch through MOMmuseum.org. See alsoMamapalooza.com #JoinMama @MarthaJoyRose @MOMmuseum @Mamapalooza

*DOWNLOAD A PDF VERSION OF THIS STATEMENT:
MJR Personal Statement (2015)

A Good Friend in Australia is Like Having a Sister in This World

I’ve known (and Loved) Vee Malnar ever since she made her way from Australia in 2008(?) to attend MaMaPalooZa in NYC. This woman is so brave, so strong, so talented; and I am thrilled that they are continuing a tradition of trans-continental collaboration all these years later. Proud to Announce:

PROJECT AFTERBIRTH – International Open Call for Artist Parents

Beginning Monday 6th April 2015, Project AfterBirth launches an international open call inviting professional contemporary artists of any gender working in any visual, performing, text, film or digital art discipline to submit work they created in response to their own or their partner’s pregnancy, birth and/or early parenthood experiences. Submission deadline is Friday 15th May.

By the end of June 2015, a dedicated panel of international arts professionals will announce a selection from submissions which will feature in an exhibition about the impact of early parenthood on the artist. This exhibition will launch at White Moose gallery in the South West

of the UK on 2nd October 2015 with the aim to tour to a number of UK, European and USA art spaces in 2016-18.

The Project AfterBirth selection panel comprises founding artists/curators Kris Jager & Mila Oshin (Joy Experiment, Exeter, UK), Stella Levy and Julie Gavin (White Moose, Devon, UK), Martha Joy Rose (Museum of Motherhood, New York, USA), Helen Knowles (The Birth Rites Collection, Manchester, UK) and Francesca Pinto (The Photographer’s Gallery, London, UK).

The panel will be looking for high quality and engaging work, reflecting a variety of personal perspectives on 21st century pregnancy, birth and early parenthood experiences by a mix of emerging and established professional contemporary artists working in traditional and new media.

Submitted work may also contribute to an interdisciplinary research initiative led by Project AfterBirth and a team of academics from the fields of obstetrics, mental health, midwifery, media studies, social justice, and women and gender studies, which aims to shed light on current Western pregnancy & birth practices, to investigate their impact on early parenthood experiences, and to inform their future. A further objective is to present submitted work on a new online archive dedicated to contemporary art, social activism and research on the subject of new parenthood.

For more information or to join the mailing list, visit: http://www.projectafterbirth.com.

Please also LIKE Project AfterBirth on Facebook and/or follow developments on Twitter.

For all PRESS ENQUIRIES please email projectafterbirth@lionartprojects.co.uk.