Author Talk with Hettie Judah
How to enter the art world after...
An "After Session" author talk Hettie Judah, featuring a Q&A and Artist Presentations
Join us for an informal, intimate event centered on art, conversation, and community, in conjunction with the Stand4 Gallery exhibition And I am aware of my heart, it opens and closes, which features artists exploring transformation, grief, and empathy in motherhood.
The session will open with short presentations from Mother Creatrix Collective artists, each of whom will talk about their work in the show, including experiences entering or reentering the art world after becoming caregivers, sometimes later in life.
Hettie Judah then takes a seat at the center for an open, hour-long conversation, taking questions about the art world, about her work, and about navigating a creative life.
Hettie will also be selling and signing copies of her new book, How to Enter the Art World... AFTER a late start, a first career, illness, raising children, a crisis of confidence, leaving it in disgust, a myth-busting guide for artists whose lives are complicated and human.
Bring whatever's on your mind. Afterwards, stay for refreshments and a chat.
Purchase your tickets (via Eventbrite) below. See you there!
Closing Reception & Viewing of IVF Documents by Tamar Ettun
Join us for the closing reception of And I am aware of my heart: it opens and closes.
As night falls, Tamar Ettun's IVF Documents will be projected onto the outside wall of Stand4 Gallery.
We'll have light bites and warm drinks to share. Come say goodbye to the show with us. See you there!
'And I am aware of my heart: it opens and closes' Opening Reception
And I am aware of my heart: it opens and closes
An exhibition by Mother Creatrix Collective
Stand4 Gallery, 414 78th St, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Gallery Hours: Saturdays 12-3pm
or by appointment: mothercreatrixcollective@gmail.com
Exhibition dates: October 24-December 5, 2026
Opening Reception:
Saturday, October 24, 2-5pm
Curators’ Hours 1-2 pm
Performance by Kim Hopson 4:30-5 pm
(in the backyard gallery)
Nobody watched me before, now I am watched.
The tulips turn to me…
And I am aware of my heart: it opens and closes
its bowl of red blooms out of sheer love of me.
- Excerpt from Tulips by Sylvia Plath
This exhibition, inspired by Sylvia Plath’s Tulips, features artists exploring transformation, grief, and empathy in motherhood: how we as mothers, like tulips, die off and regrow each year, tending to the tulips that will extend beyond us. Exhibiting artists explore the inextricable link between their personal identities and their children’s, or of other parents–approaches range from incorporating their children in their work to drawing inspiration from their parental experiences for community-based art and activism, considering caregiving as social practice. The exhibition also includes artistic collaborations inspired by childbirth and parenting experiences. Like Plath in Tulips, these artists incorporate specific symbols and materials from the natural or domestic world, with many embracing costume, props, and traditional or invented rituals to process different transitions, find solitude or repose, or connect with others.
In 2024, the former Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, emphasized the need for a shift in society to help combat parental isolation. Cultural stigmas surrounding pregnancy loss, reproductive choice, family structure, postpartum depression and anxiety and other realities of parenting often silence honest conversation.This exhibition acts as a response, with a space for parents and non-parents to engage in the layered realities of caregiving through themes of matrescence, grief and renewal to spark open dialogue about how we value care in our society.
Participating Artists: Shweta Bist, Alexandra Carter, Courtney Dudley, Tamar Ettun, Kim Hopson, Caroline Holder, Las Hermanas Iglesias, Jess Levey, Caroline McAuliffe, Coralina Rodriguez Meyer, Rose Nestler, Jocelyn Russell, Nina Wood. (MCC Members)
Curated by Mother Creatrix Collective Members Caroline McAuliffe, Katherine Gressel and Shweta Bist.
Kim Hopson: Opening Reception Performance
Sideshow Mama is Houston/NYC artist Kim Hopson's ongoing project rooted in her experience as a disabled parent. Caregivers' stories, submitted at kimhopsonstudio.com/sideshow-mama-project, become poems and videos; volunteers cold-read the poems live as the videos play behind them.
Accessibility: Caption description documents available. For accommodations, email mothercreatrixcollective@gmail.com.
And I am aware of my heart: it opens and closes is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council.
Opening Reception: Rooted Resistance
Celebrate the opening of Rooted Resistance, an exhibition exploring the vital intersections of art, caregiving, and climate activism. Join us for an evening with 18 artists reimagining environmental futures through creative practice and communal care.
Rooted Resistance: Art, Care, and Environmental Activism
This thought-provoking exhibition investigates how artists navigate the overlapping demands of creative labor, caregiving responsibilities, and environmental stewardship—transforming these tensions into visions of hope and systemic change
MAMA NEEDS A RAISE! Opening Reception
Contemporary art exhibit, MAMA NEEDS A RAISE! Toward a “Utopian” Care Economy will be on view at Old Stone House March 24 through May 12, 2024.
This group exhibition in partnership with the Mother Creatrix Collective addresses the needs and wants of caregivers. MAMA NEEDS A RAISE! builds upon both Mother Creatrix’s previous exhibitions on the unique challenges (and strengths) of artist mothers, and OSH’s ongoing Brooklyn Utopias series that invites artists to envision ideal communities. Exhibiting artists consider such questions as: What do artists/caregivers most need and want? What would comprise a “Utopian” society that better recognizes and supports both caregiving and art-making?
Join us for the opening reception on March 24, at 3:00 pm. And follow along for more information on public programming and the featured artists.
Curated by Katherine Gressel, and Shweta Bist (artwork featured), Kim Hopson and Jocelyn Russell of the Mother Creatrix Collective.
Read more about the exhibition here.
Labor
The transformative power of labor, which brings new life into the world, can be an inspiration to explore new ideas, experiment with different techniques, and give birth to innovative artistic expressions. The labor involved in both motherhood and artistry can intertwine, creating a rich tapestry of experiences. The profound love, joy, and sometimes even pain that accompanies both motherhood and the artistic process can be a source of inspiration.
Ultimately, as artist mothers, our unique blend of experiences empowers us to approach our creative work with a deep sense of empathy, understanding, and purpose. We have the capacity to create art that reflects the complexities of life, evokes profound emotions, and resonates with others who may share similar experiences. Our art becomes a testament to the strength, resilience, and transformative power of labor, showcasing the beauty that emerges from the intersection of motherhood and artistic expression.
Labor features work by Shweta Bist, Kim Hopson, Caroline McAuliffe, Jocelyn Russell, and Nina Wood.
Labor is on exhibition Sept 10- October 25th.
If you are interested in purchasing artwork, or wish to book a private viewing: contact Elise Long at (718) 408-3234.
