MICAfest The M/others’ View Art Exhibition at BOMBYX Center for Arts and Equity.

MICAfest The M/others’ View Art Exhibition at BOMBYX Center for Arts and Equity.

by | Mar 16, 2024

.The visual art exhibit at BOMBYX is featured in the Peacock Gallery. Art reception on 5/25. Art can be seen during events at Bombyx and by appointment.

If you would like to see the art outside of events and meeting times, please contact the artist or hello@experiencemica.org and we will arrange with BOMBYX for a private showing. Private showings are by appointment only and must be arranged several days before.

The exhibit runs from May 2, 2024 -May 29, 2024

Open hours will be updated soon! 

Wednesday, May 22,  from 11:00 am-5:00 pm

 BOMBYX Center for Arts and Equity
is located at 130 Pine Street, Florence, MA.

Artist Reception May 25th from 2:00- 4:00.

Help celebrate the artists on May 25th. Artist receptions are free, but we encourage you to RSVP so we can plan accordingly. With poetry by Roxanne Neiman. 
Special treats are available to purchase from Wake the Dead Donuts!
Please RSVP on the reception page.

Visual artists exhibiting at BOMBYX Center for Arts and Equity

Elena Allee | Christina Balch | S.T. Gately | Robin Griffith | Barbara Hageman Sarvis | Amy Kotel | Lyza Fennell | Sarah Marquesen | Matthew Mattingly | Ellen Pollock  | Alyona Skripka | Michelle Vigeant |

A Gallery Sneak Peak

process painting of a fetus growing inside a woman's womb. Sunshine and clouds. By Ellen Pollock.

Ellen Pollock, Untitled

34 x 34, Tempera paint on paper.

red multimedia painting Hardened Ace Bandages and Acrylic on Canvas.

ST Gately, Wound Care

2023, 24″ x 30″, Hardened Ace Bandages and Acrylic on Canvas.

Michelle Vigeant, Maternal Instinct

11 x 14, Digital Art (Photoshop).

Barbara Hageman Sarvis, Goddess with Birds Beyond Barbed Wire

24X36, Oil on Canvas.

Alyona Skripka, What am I leaving behind

48×24, collage, mixed media.

Painting of green water with yellow lily pads and three kids looking into the green water.

Elena Allee, They Felt They Had Been There Before

48” x 48”, Oil paint and alkyd resin on canvas. 2022.

The art exhibit and reception are free events. Please contact us or the artist if you would like to view the art outside of public hours.

M/others Institute for Collaboration and Art (MICA) is a mother-led, Western Massachusetts organization strictly dedicated to supporting m/other artists. Your contributions as a paying ticket member are a ticket to saying, yes, I support artist m/others. As a small organization, we appreciate the support of people like you. We thank you for making a tax-deductible donation to MICA to support m/other artists.

This festival is a truly unique celebration. If you know of anywhere else doing a month-long festival supporting, spotlighting, and bringing into the conversation 80 m/other artists, please let us know! Seriously.

MICAfest The M/others’ View Art Exhibition at NEVAmuseum at AHOA

MICAfest The M/others’ View Art Exhibition at NEVAmuseum at AHOA

by | Mar 16, 2024

Visual Artists Exhibition at New England Visionary Artists Museum at Anchor House of Artists.

On view May 1, 2024 -May 31

Art reception on 5/10

  • Passway Gallery
  • Bumpus Gallery
  • Experimental Performance Arena

Celebrate the artists during Arts Night Out on May 10th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Twenty m/other artists are participating with their art on view at NEVAmuseum at Anchor House of Artists. You’re in for a special performance by Stefanie Weber of MOTHERLESSSHIP during the art reception!

This is a free exhibition. Please consider donating to MICA  to support m/other artists. We have a crowdfunding campaign with perks for MICAfest, through May 31, 2024.

A Painting of "A Mother's Tears" by Lisa Andrews.

Visual artists exhibiting at Anchor House of Artists

Lisa Andrews | Laura Dickstein Thompson | Jasmine Errico | Paulina Fuenzalida-Guzman | Reshma Gorde | Ruby Henry | Juli Kirk | Amy Kotel | Tony(a) Lemos | Gena Mavuli | Laura Moorehead | Amy Nolan | Elizabeth Menges | Terre Parker | Amber Scoon | Ellen Shattuck Pierce | Mollie Thonneson | Mary Warren Foulk | Ellen Wetmore | Sam Wilde |

Image: Lisa Andrews, A Mother’s Tears, 24” x 36”, Acrylic on Canvas.

MICAfest The M/others’ View Art Exhibtion at NCFA

MICAfest The M/others’ View Art Exhibtion at NCFA

by | Mar 16, 2024

MICAfest Visual Art Exhibit in the Split Level Gallery

On View: May 3, 2024 to May 31, 2024.

Location: Northampton Center for the Arts.

The visual art exhibition is featured in the Split Level Gallery at Northampton Center for the Arts 33 Hawley on the ground floor and the Mezzanine.

An art reception will be held on 5/10 from 5:00 to 8:00.

The exhibition will be celebrated on Arts Night Out, with featured musical guest MICA artist Elena Ciampa.

Visual artists at this location will be announced soon!

This is a free exhibition. Please consider donating to MICA.

A Gallery Sneak Peak

Bronze sculpture of a largely pregnant woman hanging upside down, called, Carried Away by Ellen Wetmore.

Ellen Wetmore, Carried Away.

Bronze hanging sculpture, 2009, 8x8x16. Image courtesy of the artist.

Lyn Horan, The Watchers and the Weepers

35” (W) x 47″ (H), Watercolor and ink on paper.

Photograph of profile of pregnant woman, with a half slip and a bare torso, holding white flowers in front of her.

Nancy Bulma Fields, MOTHERHOOD, Haley Meara

16″ x 20″, 2023, digital print.

Juli Kirk, Mother and Child

46″x58″, Oil on Canvas.

Colorful hand-tufted rug with circles.

Eva Pushkova, Beacon View

Wool hand-tufted rug, 2024.

Mayté Castillo, Untitled

2023, 18″x24″, Gouache + Acrylic on Paper.

Catherine Lecomte-Lecce, Aftermath

2024, acrylic panels suspended from the ceiling in a line.

Colorful old-fashioned painting with a collage effect, with a woman (mother) lying back on the couch dresses in '50s style.

Cynthia Zeman, Woman on Couch

Oil, 52×58.

hold me_14x18

NilouM_TheSacredStrandsofContinuity_Install

NilouM_TheSacredStrandsofContinuity_FatemaSuitcase

Painting by Cynthia Zeman, Woman on Couch, 52x58, Oil.

Visual artists exhibiting at Northampton Center for the Arts

Myrrh Brooks | Nancy Bulma Fields | Mayté Castillo | Jill Danenberg | Helen Ellis | Laura Green | Jane Hesser | Lyn Horan| Jane Keddy | Catherine LeComte-Lecce | Lynn Lovell | Isabelle Marantz/IzzyLightScapes | Nilou Moochhala | Emily Mulder | April Powell | Eva Pushkova | Carla E. Reyes | Jamie Tara | Ellen Wetmore | Esther S. White | Cynthia Zeman |                

Image: Painting by Cynthia Zeman, Woman on Couch, 52×58, Oil.

Arts Night Out: Art Crawl MICA Edition at Northampton Center for the Arts

Arts Night Out: Art Crawl MICA Edition at Northampton Center for the Arts

by | Mar 15, 2024

Celebrate MICA Artists during Arts Night Out Northampton!

Join us for a vibrant evening of art and music celebrating the creativity of MICA artists. In a special reception at Northampton Center for the Arts and Anchor House of Artists, discover diverse and captivating works. Special performance by Elena Ciampa and Friends.

Read below about our special evening at Northampton Center for the Arts. Click here for the Anchor House of Artist’s Arts Night Out event.

Motherhood Unbound: Navigating Identity, Ambivalence, and Resilience

This exhibition challenges the sanitized image of motherhood, revealing a complex spectrum of emotions, experiences, and transformations. The artists confront themes of loss, self-sacrifice, societal expectations, physical and mental strain, and the struggle to maintain personal identity amidst the all-consuming role of mother.

The artworks range from intimate reflections within a handmade book to bold sculptures exploring the impossible demands of motherhood. We encounter explorations of postpartum mental health, critiques of domesticity, surveillance of mothers, and the blurred boundaries between self and child.

Yet, amidst these challenges, a powerful thread of resilience emerges. Artists find their voices through painting, mixed-media, photography, and installation work. They offer unflinching honesty about motherhood’s complexities, fearlessly exploring the ambivalence that society often silences. Ultimately, they celebrate the creative power that thrives despite, and even because of, the transformative journey of motherhood.

Key Themes:

  • Loss and Longing: Artists grapple with loss – loss of self, loss of a past life, and the profound fear that accompanies pregnancy and motherhood.
  • Ambivalence and Societal Pressure: The exhibit exposes the conflict between the idealized image of motherhood and the raw, often unspoken, emotions surrounding it.
  • Physical and Mental Strain: Artworks visualize the toll of pregnancy and postpartum mental health struggles, highlighting the lack of societal support.
  • Transformation and Resilience: Despite the challenges, artists assert their creative voices, exploring motherhood as a catalyst for personal growth and defying unrealistic expectations.

This visual art exhibit features artists from across the United States, including Boston, Springfield, Northampton, Kansas City, and California.

Painting by Cynthia Zeman, Woman on Couch, 52x58, Oil.

Visual artists exhibiting at Northampton Center for the Arts

Myrrh Brooks | Nancy Bulma Fields | Mayté Castillo | Jill Danenberg | Helen Ellis | Laura Green | Jane Hesser | Lyn Horan| Jane Keddy | Catherine LeComte-Lecce | Lynn Lovell | Isabelle Marantz/IzzyLightScapes| Nilou Moochhala | Emily Mulder | April Powell | Eva Pushkova | Carla E. Reyes | Amber Scoon | Jamie Tara | Ellen Wetmore | Esther S. White | Cynthia Zeman |                

Image: Painting by Cynthia Zeman, Woman on Couch, 52×58, Oil.

Elena Ciampa side view, sitting with arms crossed on legs

Featured Live Music: Elena Ciampa

Experience the soulful sounds of Elena Ciampa, a pillar of the MICA community since the inaugural MICAfest. Her thoughtful songwriting, melodic arrangements, and expressive jazz vocals will transport you on a captivating musical journey.

A MICA Success Story

Elena’s artistic dreams were given wings at the first MICAfest, where she shared the stage with her 8-piece jazz band. Celebrate her continued growth and be inspired by her dedication to her craft as she shares new music from her current collection, “A Wind in the Door.”

Explore Unique Visual Art

Mingle with fellow art enthusiasts as you explore the work of featured visual artists. Discover a range of styles and mediums that showcase the breadth of MICA’s artistic talent.

[The] inaugural MICAfest was the lever that lifted my dream (8 musicians heavy!) through my mind and out into the world, onto a beautiful stage and into a loving arts community. What more could an emerging artist ask for??!

—Elena Ciampa

Visual Art Exhibition

A Gallery Sneak Peak

Colorful old-fashioned painting with a collage effect, with a woman (mother) lying back on the couch dresses in '50s style.

Cynthia Zeman, Woman on Couch

Oil, 52×58.

Bronze sculpture of a largely pregnant woman hanging upside down, called, Carried Away by Ellen Wetmore.

Ellen Wetmore, Carried Away.

Bronze hanging sculpture, 2009, 8x8x16. Image courtesy of the artist.

Lyn Horan, The Watchers and the Weepers

35” (W) x 47″ (H), Watercolor and ink on paper.

Photograph of profile of pregnant woman, with a half slip and a bare torso, holding white flowers in front of her.

Nancy Bulma Fields, MOTHERHOOD, Haley Meara

16″ x 20″, 2023, digital print.

Catherine Lecomte-Lecce, Aftermath

2024, acrylic panels suspended from the ceiling in a line.

Mayté Castillo, Untitled

2023, 18″x24″, Gouache + Acrylic on Paper.

Colorful hand-tufted rug with circles.

Eva Pushkova, Beacon View

Wool hand-tufted rug, 2024.

Juli Kirk, Mother and Child

46″x58″, Oil on Canvas.

picture of Mother and Daughters raincoats, upcycled materials.

April Spring Powell, Snack Attack Apparel

Mother and Daughters raincoats, upcycled materials.

This is a free event. Let us know you’re coming by RSVPing below.

M/others Institute for Collaboration and Art (MICA) is a mother-led, Western Massachusetts organization strictly dedicated to supporting m/other artists. Your contributions as a paying ticket member are a ticket to saying, yes, I support artist m/others. As a small organization, we appreciate the support of people like you. We thank you for making a tax-deductible donation to MICA to support m/other artists.

This festival is a truly unique celebration. If you know of anywhere else doing a month-long festival supporting, spotlighting, and bringing into the conversation 80 m/other artists, please let us know! Seriously.

VIP Tickets and Monthly passes are also available.

Support artist m/others. Please consider donating to MICA.

MICAfest: The M/otherlode Closing Celebration

MICAfest: The M/otherlode Closing Celebration

by | Mar 15, 2024

MICAfest: The M/otherlode Closing Celebration

MICAfest: The M/otherlode Closing Celebration

Join us for an unforgettable night of art, connection, and celebration as we bid farewell to MICAfest 2024!

Experience the magic one last time:

  • Last Chance to View Art: Explore the captivating visual art exhibitions before they’re gone.
  • Moving Poetry: Immerse yourself in powerful poetry readings by Jen Jabaily-Blackburn and Toni Rose.
  • Interactive Conversation: Engage in a thought-provoking discussion about motherhood, art, and collaboration.
  • Live Music:Toe-tapping beats to the soulful sounds of Christa Joy and the Honeybees.

This is your final opportunity to celebrate the diverse voices of m/other artists and the transformative power of art. Don’t miss out!

Schedule:

6:30 PM: Doors Open for Art Showcase

7:00 PM – Performances Begin

Come celebrate the end of a fantastic festival, connect with the vibrant MICAfest community, and support the important work of m/other artists!

Artists in Conversations:

Vanessa Adel, Haile Eshe Cole, and more!

M/otherhood in Motion: Dance and Theatre Dance, performance, and a staged reading with our visual art exhibition May 11, 2024 | 7:00 PM | Location: Northampton Center for the Arts Haile Eshe Cole, Kelly Silliman, Jessica Roseman, and Laura Sánchez. Featuring visual art at the Split Level Gallery at 33 Hawley. Part of #MICAfest2024 Top left and clockwise: Haile Eshe Cole, Laura Sánchez, Kelly Silliman, and Jessica Roseman, Art pictured by Esther S White.

Toni Rose (aka Toni ‘Blue’ Rose)

Experience raw and powerful poetry from an artist and activist who paints heart-wrenching truths with words. Toni Rose shares unflinching poems about the challenges of raising a black man as a single mother, the fight for survival, and the power of healing through art.

M/otherhood in Motion: Dance and Theatre Dance, performance, and a staged reading with our visual art exhibition May 11, 2024 | 7:00 PM | Location: Northampton Center for the Arts Haile Eshe Cole, Kelly Silliman, Jessica Roseman, and Laura Sánchez. Featuring visual art at the Split Level Gallery at 33 Hawley. Part of #MICAfest2024 Top left and clockwise: Haile Eshe Cole, Laura Sánchez, Kelly Silliman, and Jessica Roseman, Art pictured by Esther S White.

Jen Jabaily-Blackburn:

Prepare for a journey of transformation and myth as Jen Jabaily-Blackburn shares poems from her forthcoming collection, “Girl in a Bear Suit.” The collection explores motherhood through personal reflections and reinterpretations of the Callisto myth.

Five adults posing for a photo in a monochrome setting. They are closely positioned together, smiling subtly, with one woman in a floral dress at the center surrounded by four men.

Christa Joy

Immerse yourself in the vibrant Americana sounds of Christa Joy and the Honeybees. Their music blends classic honky-tonk with soulful ballads, creating a captivating soundtrack for this celebratory evening. Get ready to tap your toes and feel the energy as you experience their critically acclaimed album “Get On, Heart!” and a sneak peek at their upcoming work.

Questions about tickets?

For ticketing support, please email us at hello@experiencemica.org.
Tickets Now Available on Eventbrite

MICAfest is a truly unique celebration. If you know of anywhere else doing a month-long festival supporting, spotlighting, and bringing into the conversation 80 m/other artists, please let us know! Seriously.

M/others Institute for Collaboration and Art (MICA) is a mother-led, Western Massachusetts organization strictly dedicated to supporting m/other artists. Your contributions as a paying ticket member are a ticket to saying, yes, I support artist m/others. As a small organization, we appreciate the support of people like you. We thank you for making a tax-deductible donation to MICA to support m/other artists.