Boston, MA – Monday, June 6, 2022 – The critically acclaimed exhibition, Designing Motherhood: Things That Make or Break Our Births, opens at the MassArt Art Museum (MAAM) this Saturday, June 11. Organized by a curatorial team that includes design historians, birth advocates, and medical and midwifery history experts, Designing Motherhood explores the arc of human reproduction through the lens of design and art from the 19th century to the present day. The display of nearly 200 works includes historic and contemporary breast pumps, baby monitors, forceps, and maternity clothes, alongside vintage advertisements, and contemporary art across media. The exhibition demonstrates the evolution of rights and societal norms pertaining to con(tra)ception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences over the last 150 years, highlighting that birth – and the material culture that surrounds it – impacts every living person. 

Designing Motherhood, on view at the MassArt Art Museum through December 18, 2022, will bring together, for the first time, the art and design works exhibited at two previous venues in Philadelphia last year and will incorporate work by six additional contemporary artists – Joan E. Biren, Jess Dugan ‘07, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Ani Liu, Tabitha Soren, and Deb Willis – who join a rich group of contemporary and historic artists and designers tackling subjects and ideas related to the topic at hand.   

New Free Programs Summer 2022

The MassArt Art Museum (MAAM) is also launching a new roster of free summer programs that welcome people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in hands-on artmaking inspired by the exhibitions on view Designing Motherhood and Joana Vasconcelos: Valkyrie Mumbet.

Art on the Plaza is a monthly outdoor artmaking and music program in the Arne Glimcher Plaza, MAAM’s outdoor space. Special themes include a Juneteenth-dedicated event, “Chalk Fest” in July, and a dance program in August.

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The Museum will also debut monthly Stroller Tours for children under two years old and their caregivers. These special morning programs feature interactive exploration of the current exhibitions with touchable objects, artmaking activities, and conversation for adults. 

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Lastly, Big Idea Saturdays will continue throughout the summer with a design challenge inspired by Designing Motherhood. 

Full calendar of programs and registration information available at maam.massart.edu/events. 

Admission

Summer General Admission Hours starting June 11, 2022

• Thursdays 12-8pm
• Fridays 12-5pm
• Saturdays and Sundays 10am-5pm

Always free; drop-ins welcome. Advance tickets are no longer required.

Where

MassArt Art Museum
621 Huntington Avenue (Avenue of the Arts)
Boston, MA 02115
Public Transportation

• MBTA Green Line E Train (Longwood Medical Area stop)
• Route 39 MBTA bus (Huntington Ave @ Longwood Ave stop)

For more information, please visit maam.massart.edu.

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Media Contact

Susie Stockwell
Director of Public Relations, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt)
sstockwell@massart.edu

About the MassArt Art Museum

The MassArt Art Museum (MAAM) is Boston’s only free contemporary art museum. After extensive renovations, MAAM opened in February 2020 in the space formerly known as the Bakalar & Paine Galleries at the heart of MassArt’s campus on the Avenue of the Arts. MAAM is a kunsthalle, or non-collecting museum, showing temporary exhibitions that feature the work of emerging to established artists to bring fresh and varied perspectives to Boston. As MassArt’s teaching museum, MAAM is a resource for MassArt students and faculty, educating students about contemporary art, partnering with faculty to support the curriculum, and preparing students for careers in the museum field. As an extension of the College’s public mission, the Museum offers pathways to education in the arts and free educational programming for the public.

About MassArt

Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) is a public, independent institution that prepares artists, designers, and educators to shape communities, economies, and cultures for the common good. Since 1873, MassArt has built a legacy of leadership as the first freestanding public college of art and design in the country, and the nation’s first art school to grant a degree. MassArt offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in art, design, and art education, taught by world-class faculty.