Let's Be Real: Opening Reception

Friday January 31st, 2025

7-11 PM

On view January 31 - March 9

Artists: A. Martinez, Angela Lopez, Aubrey Ingmar, Bobbi Meier, Connie Noyes, Cydney M Lewis, Jenny Halpern, Jihae Park, Katie Kirk, Keeley Haftner, Noelle Garcia, Sarana Mehra, Tulika Ladsariya, Yemisi Oyeniyi 

Let’s Be Real...


Motherhood is messy, 

and cultural depictions fall flat from reality. 


Motherhood is some sort of messy beauty.

 

Motherhood is not made visible enough. 

 

No, we will not be hidden. We will show you who a warrior is. Let us show you the sublime. 

 

We can demonstrate to you our super powers of juggling everything all at once while navigating the chaos of life. Do you want to understand the secrets of the universe? Ask a mother. 

 

Let us give you a dose of reality, let’s get political, this is what motherhood looks like!

Let’s Be Real is a group exhibition featuring the work of 14 artists, all parents at various stages of motherhood or grandmotherhood. The artists include: A. Martinez, Angela Lopez, Aubrey Ingmar, Bobbi Meier, Connie Noyes, Cydney M. Lewis, Jenny Halpern, Jihae Park, Katie Kirk, Keeley Haftner, Noelle Garcia, Sarana Mehra, Tulika Ladsariya, and Yemisi Oyeniyi.

Drawing from diverse backgrounds, these artists offer a multifaceted, intimate exploration of the intersection between parenting and artistic practice, each providing a unique perspective. The exhibition showcases a wide range of media—fiber, ceramics, painting, video, and sound—while addressing powerful themes such as feminine myth, cultural memory, the body post-childbirth, rejecting domesticity, human connection, grief, humor, and self-discovery.

At its heart, Let's Be Real asks: How has parenthood shaped your artistic practice, and how has your art practice been shaped by your experience as a parent? In grappling with this question, the exhibition highlights the complexities of balancing family life with creative work. It creates a platform to explore the evolving relationship of motherhood by addressing a wide range of issues, from navigating the everyday mundaneness of parenting to the intricate processes of passing on values and culture. In its exploration of contemporary motherhood, often messy and never straightforward, Let's Be Real shows how creative practice and motherhood simultaneously challenge and nourish one another.