with apologies for cross-postings...

Reconciling Art and Motherhood

For centuries, mother artists were an oxymoronic concept. And yet, they
existed, carving out unique spaces for themselves in an often
unwelcoming profession, amid social pressures and financial hardships.
Long denigrated as a viable topic for artistic practice, motherhood is
gradually gaining credibility and increasing its visibility in
contemporary art. Mary Kelly, Sally Mann, Renée Cox, and many others
in recent decades have paved the way to combining this life-altering
social role with a successful career. Institutions, however, are so
slow to change that, as in centuries past, motherhood can still serve
as a detriment in both the art world and academic communities.

Submissions are sought for an anthology to be proposed, tentatively
titled Reconciling Art and Motherhood. Essays by artists and art
historians will explore how individuals have integrated experiences of
motherhood within their work. While recent related anthologies, such
as Bee Lavender and Maia Rossini's excellent Mamaphonic (2004), most
often have favored writers over artists, this anthology seeks to
highlight exclusively a range of visual artistic practice. The
following topics, among others, are encouraged: readings of the
maternal body in contemporary art; historical examinations of
artist-mothers; artistic documentation of aspects of motherhood and/or
childhood; the embrace of motherhood in artistic/art historical
practice; the problematics of motherhood as a theme; the delicate
balance of maintaining family and producing / writing about art;
making motherhood a "legitimate" topic for artistic production; issues
of motherhood and family leave in the artist's workplace; the
implications of intentionally avoiding motherhood or mothering-based
art; artist "success stories" in the face of adversity.

If you are interested in submitting to this anthology, please send an
abstract by September 1, 2008.

Submit to: Rachel Epp Buller, Bethel College, rachelddtr.net
Subject line: Artist Anthology Submission
Deadline: September 1, 2008, for initial abstract
Include: Title, Abstract (250-500 words), Name, Institutional
Affiliation, Address, Phone, Email Address, Brief Bio (50 words)

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