Monday, July 26, 2010
MAMA is Now Sponsored by the Victoria Regent Hotel
I'm happy to announce that the Victoria Regent Waterfront Hotel and Suites will be the main sponsor for the Victoria tour of the MAMA Project. It is sponsorships like this that allow me to bring this project on tour, and that allow the conversation it facilitates to continue. I am very grateful for the opportunity to do this important work. Thank you!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
What it's all about.
I interviewed 20 mothers of various descriptions, gathered their words and expressions, and put them together to form an installation of mothers' experience in sound and portraiture. Portraiture sounds so staid. They're not. They're moving emotional experiences on stained bedsheets. With the faces and gestures of real mothers.
When I began this project, over a year ago, it was about gathering the diverse experiences of motherhood for an open and honest exploration. I knew then that "the point" would change as the project grew, and it has.
By the time I had done a few interviews, I knew that the show was not about just being, but about growing. Every single interview was (for me) about exploring the journey between our pasts and our futures, and the reasons we choose the paths we follow. The history that makes us who we are, and how we come to value ourselves in the world we create.
Now that I've watched people's reactions to the installation, my experience of it has grown, again. I see people come in and take in each mother slowly, then stand gazing into the white spaces as the recorded voices speak. Some people spend 5 minutes in the gallery, most about 20 minutes to 1/2 an hour, and some spend more than an hour. Many also return, having thought about what they've seen, to sit quietly and process again. It's an individual journey, and most return alone. Of course I don't know what they're all thinking about, but a few have told me that they're getting to know their own mothers. These have mostly been young women without children, and older men. The ability to look into the experience of mothers in general connects us with our own mothers, of course, and I think that is a connection many of us are searching for. Some have been looking because their mothers are gone, and some are looking to deepen their understanding of women they still have in their lives. Some have shared deep, buried feelings with me, and shed tears they said had been hiding for many years.
I don't know how the project will grow and change over the years, of course, but the journey so far is amazing for me.
When I began this project, over a year ago, it was about gathering the diverse experiences of motherhood for an open and honest exploration. I knew then that "the point" would change as the project grew, and it has.
By the time I had done a few interviews, I knew that the show was not about just being, but about growing. Every single interview was (for me) about exploring the journey between our pasts and our futures, and the reasons we choose the paths we follow. The history that makes us who we are, and how we come to value ourselves in the world we create.
Now that I've watched people's reactions to the installation, my experience of it has grown, again. I see people come in and take in each mother slowly, then stand gazing into the white spaces as the recorded voices speak. Some people spend 5 minutes in the gallery, most about 20 minutes to 1/2 an hour, and some spend more than an hour. Many also return, having thought about what they've seen, to sit quietly and process again. It's an individual journey, and most return alone. Of course I don't know what they're all thinking about, but a few have told me that they're getting to know their own mothers. These have mostly been young women without children, and older men. The ability to look into the experience of mothers in general connects us with our own mothers, of course, and I think that is a connection many of us are searching for. Some have been looking because their mothers are gone, and some are looking to deepen their understanding of women they still have in their lives. Some have shared deep, buried feelings with me, and shed tears they said had been hiding for many years.
I don't know how the project will grow and change over the years, of course, but the journey so far is amazing for me.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Standing Women and MAMA Conversation
This Mothers' Day will be busy! Please join us in spirit or in person for these evnts:
Standing Women: I am organizing a STANDING WOMEN event, as there's been one (or more) on Bowen annually for the past few years. We will be standing for a better world on Mother's Day, May 9, at 1 pm local time, on the grass in Artisan Square. For more information, see http://www.standingwomen.org/
In 2007, Standing Women organized almost 4,000 events around the world, and brought together many thousands of people.
We'd love to have you participate. Take a look at the web site, and if you have the opportunity, please join us. If you like, you can register your participation here:
http://standingwomen.org/stand/page1.cfm?sy=2010
...or you can just show up!
We will stand on the grass in the middle of Artisan Square, on Bowen Island. Afterward we will head over to the MAMA exhibition at the gallery for...
MAMA Conversation: a group story and poetry gathering for anybody who has ever had a mother. We'll introduce ourselves, drink tea, talk about our own mothers and our mothering thoughts and experiences, and we'll do a couple of group exercises around mothering story and poetry. We'll end with an easy spiral dance.
Both are Standing Women and MAMA Conversation are free and open to the whole community.
Please join us if you can, or stand with us in another location, wherever you are.
Standing Women: I am organizing a STANDING WOMEN event, as there's been one (or more) on Bowen annually for the past few years. We will be standing for a better world on Mother's Day, May 9, at 1 pm local time, on the grass in Artisan Square. For more information, see http://www.standingwomen.org/
In 2007, Standing Women organized almost 4,000 events around the world, and brought together many thousands of people.
We'd love to have you participate. Take a look at the web site, and if you have the opportunity, please join us. If you like, you can register your participation here:
http://standingwomen.org/stand/page1.cfm?sy=2010
...or you can just show up!
We will stand on the grass in the middle of Artisan Square, on Bowen Island. Afterward we will head over to the MAMA exhibition at the gallery for...
MAMA Conversation: a group story and poetry gathering for anybody who has ever had a mother. We'll introduce ourselves, drink tea, talk about our own mothers and our mothering thoughts and experiences, and we'll do a couple of group exercises around mothering story and poetry. We'll end with an easy spiral dance.
Both are Standing Women and MAMA Conversation are free and open to the whole community.
Please join us if you can, or stand with us in another location, wherever you are.
Monday, May 3, 2010
SuperMAMA Encore!
The first performance of SuperMAMA went wonderfully!
It was sold out (more than 100 people), people were standing all over the place, and we've had nothing but wonderful feedback. People keep telling me they wish they'd been able to go, so... we're doing it again!!
SuperMAMA Encore:
Saturday May 15th, at the Gallery in Artisan Square.
Doors at 7PM. Performance starts on time at 7:30.
Tickets will be available tomorrow at Cates Pharmacy, Phoenix, the Gallery, and as of Thursday at BC Playthings in North Van.
Coming from the mainland?
Ferries from Horseshoe Bay to Bowen:
--Arrive in Horseshoe Bay at 6PM latest for the 6:30PM ferry.
--The show finishes at approximately 8:30PM - just in time to catch the 9PM ferry home, or stay a while and catch the last ferry home at 10PM.
It was sold out (more than 100 people), people were standing all over the place, and we've had nothing but wonderful feedback. People keep telling me they wish they'd been able to go, so... we're doing it again!!
SuperMAMA Encore:
Saturday May 15th, at the Gallery in Artisan Square.
Doors at 7PM. Performance starts on time at 7:30.
Tickets will be available tomorrow at Cates Pharmacy, Phoenix, the Gallery, and as of Thursday at BC Playthings in North Van.
Coming from the mainland?
Ferries from Horseshoe Bay to Bowen:
--Arrive in Horseshoe Bay at 6PM latest for the 6:30PM ferry.
--The show finishes at approximately 8:30PM - just in time to catch the 9PM ferry home, or stay a while and catch the last ferry home at 10PM.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Ready to go!
Shirts are available to buy at BC Playthings in North Vancouver, Phoenix on Bowen, and at the Gallery in Artisan Square. The book is available to buy online, and on the MAMA project website, in the "media" section.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Two weeks to Go!
Only two weeks until the superMAMA performance, and I just feel totally energized, and thrilled to be working with this group of passionate and gifted women. Not only are they extremely talented, but they are all endlessly compassionate, patient with me and my many foibles, and committing an extraordinary amount of time and energy to this project, for which none of us are receiving a penny. It never was about money, though, of course -- just the fun of it, and I must say it IS fun! For some of the pieces it is going to be extremely difficult to continue singing while certain bizarre and hilarious activities are going on in shadow, behind me. Well we have a few rehearsals, before the show, so hopefully we can get our sillies out a bit, by then. :--))
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
...still painting...
99% of my time is now filled with the management of this show; the t-shirt printing, promo materials, proposals, etc. And phoning. SO much phoning! No wonder people have managers!! But last night I did paint another sheet; here's the main detail:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
