Artists Raising Kids: Conversation and Compendium

What are three things about raising kids you would go back and tell yourself? A few months ago artist-parents were invited to respond to this question in a short online survey that was part of Artists Raising Kids, a skill-sharing project for artists working to sustain their creative careers while raising children. The survey was initially created to develop the structure of a workshop and public conversation organized by choreographer, writer, and father Andrew Simonet as part of Artists U. If you’re based in Philadelphia, Baltimore, or South Carolina, you should know that Artists U is a pretty amazing artist-run platform for changing the working conditions of artists. “We do workshops and one-on-one meetings focusing on specific topics of interest to our community, and people had been asking for this” he says.

As survey responses started coming in, Andrew realized that he was amassing a small goldmine of generous, realistic, supportive, and really useful advice for parents in the arts, and decided “to collect all this smart, insightful thinking” to use as a resource beyond the event itself. The scope of the project grew, and eventually responses from around 130 parents were combined with in-depth interviews and ideas collected through the workshop to make the crowd-sourced Artists Raising Kids Compendium.  “To be honest,” he writes in the introduction, “this is the booklet that, as an artist parent with two kids and an artist spouse, I wanted to read.”

download a copy right here.

The Artists Raising Kids workshop in Philadelphia drew 50 artists working in the performing arts, visual arts, writing and film into active conversation (along with their kids, who enjoyed free childcare and pizza in a nearby room), and sparked conversation on a number of topics you’ll find addressed in the compendium, including Time, Money, Partner, Identity, and In the Studio. It’s amazing to see such a profusion of shared wisdom here, and the sometimes-contradictory statements just go to show that every family works a little differently, but that we’re all in it together.  The result of all this is a pretty wonderful little book, which you can now download just by clicking on the cover image at left.


Another Artists with Kids conversation is currently in the works through Artists U in Baltimore, so if you’re in the area be sure to connect with them there!

Participate: Artists Raising Kids Project

Here's a chance to exchange artist-parenting experience with artists from everywhere: Artists U, a free professional resource for artists working in any discipline, is working to compile a free PDF booklet of advice and parenting hacks by and for artists raising kids, and they want to hear from you. Click HERE to participate through their short, two-question survey.

For those of you in or near Philadelphia, PA, this survey will also be part of an upcoming workshop and conversation on Artists Raising Kids next week! Here's more information on the event:

Artists U will host a workshop/conversation
for artists raising kids AND artists thinking of having kids
. Come together with other artists for a look at challenges and possibilities raising kids as a working artist.This is not a gripe session. We will look realistically at the challenges facing artist parents, always with an eye toward possibility and solutions.

Artists Raising Kids Workshop
Monday, December 2, 5:00 pm-8:00pm
Christ Church Neighborhood House
N. American St and Filbert St, Philadelphia 19106
RSVP here (and let us know how many kids/what ages you will bring)
Artist Parent? Take our two question survey to help us gather information for the workshop
Childcare and Pizza will be provided!

UPDATE: you can now find a report from this event and a link to the free, downloadable booklet right HERE.

Cultural ReProducers Event Series

It's official -- Cultural ReProducers has been awarded a grant from the Propeller Fund to support a series of four exciting art events at art spaces throughout Chicago in 2014!

 

Raising children who value and engage with the arts is an act that fosters creative thinking, shapes public dialogue, and has long term impacts on culture as a whole. Despite this, both young children and parents are usually left out of the discourse of the art world because of how its institutions structure the possibility of participation.

Challenges include the hours of typical art openings and lectures, which typically fall during the hours that disrupt the evening dinner/bedtime ritual for many families, and often requires coordinating paid childcare. For those who choose to bring young children along, it can be challenging to truly converse or participate (kids are understandably fussy in a room full of loud adults and things they can't touch).

The Cultural ReProducers Event Series is a simple project that allows parents with small children participate more actively in the art community at large. We will host events at four different art venues throughout the city on Saturday mornings, during hours that make it possible for most families with small children to attend. 

We're working with each venue to program a compelling lecture, performance, or other event in conjunction with exhibitions on view.

Unlike the average art event, free on-site childcare will be provided  in a nearby room throughout the program, with creative activities linked to the event their parents are attending. There will be a limit of 18 children in the childcare area at each venue (you can pre-register to ensure your spot) but parents are also free to keep their kids with them. And of course non-parents are also welcome. Each event is followed by an informal all-ages reception with light refreshments, allowing for the possibility of dialogue, connection, and tasty snacks.

Our goal is twofold: to give parents and their kids the chance to participate as critical members of the arts community, and also to inspire cultural institutions to better serve artists and audiences, providing positive models for future programming.  

 If you have ideas about venues or events you'd like to see us partner with in the future, please be in touch! You can follow posts about upcoming and past events in the series HERE and if you're an institution working to make events more accessible to artist-parents, download the Cultural ReProducers Event Guidelines.

Family Residency Initiative: The Santa Fe Art Institute

If you’ve ever tried researching artist or writing residency programs as a new parent, then you know your options are limited once there's a baby on the scene. Most programs are only set up to support single artists working alone, and many explicitly state that partners or children are not welcome. There are exceptions (see the Residency section of our Resources Page), but for the most part residency programs are off-limits to nursing mothers, single parents, and anyone unable or unwilling to leave their family behind while they work.

This summer, the Santa Fe Art Institute in New Mexico began a new family residency initiative, quietly but radically changing the landscape of access for artist-parents and creating an important model for other programs originally designed for single artists.  On their site, you'll find the following statement:

The SFAI recognizes the lack of residency opportunities for artists to be able to take advantage of residencies without having to leave their children behind. We are taking responsibility in doing our part to close that gap by offering an environment that supports both creative opportunities and the needs of artists with children.

The family residency was initiated by Residency Director Katie Avery, who talked with us about the development of this new project. Katie realized the need for a program supporting artist-parents while sitting on a panel discussion called Beyond Time + Space: Making the Impossible Possible, organized through the Alliance of Artists Comminities:

“...one of the panelists spoke specifically to the issue of family residencies, and the lack of opportunity for parent artists. It immediately planted the seed, particularly after having a brief discussion with an artist who was part of a performance piece that opened the panel discussion. I left the conference convinced that SFAI would begin a family residency opportunity.”

At first her idea was met with some resistance, including understandable concerns about privacy and overall noise level. Like most residency programs, the facilities at the SFAI were originally designed to support single artists. The living spaces are dorm-like, with individual rooms for sleeping combined with larger communal living spaces that encourage community sharing and exchange. Noise travels throughout the building. Katie suggested they host all family residencies during a single month, allowing families to take over multiple bedrooms as needed and minimizing conflict with single artists expecting a quieter experience.

There were also concerns about childcare, an issue not addressed by any other residency program at the time. Childcare is a huge obstacle for artists who are parents, especially those who don't have a partner / family member who could take a month off to come watch the kids. Katie had the idea to connect residents with the SFAI’s existing educational programs – and because there were multiple families doing residencies there simultaneously, the artists worked out their own systems as well:

“My solution was to schedule the family residency during a summer month. This meant that all of the residents would be coming in with children, and that their children would be able to participate in our Youth Education and Outreach Summer Camp (if they so choose). This is indeed what played out during our initiative, and the response was really positive… They meet five days a week from 9-4, so it gave a fairly generous amount of time for the residents to focus on their own practice. It ended up that the residents would also take turns babysitting for each other to allow for more individual/partner or work time. “

Both the connection with children’s activities and the scheduling for multiple families to work
there simultaneously is something that makes the SFAI’s program particularly remarkable, and is a great example for other organizations looking for ways to update their residencies
to include artists who happen to also be parents.   

Katie Avery leaves the SFAI this Fall to pursue graduate studies in film directing, but feels hopeful that the family residency initiative will continue to thrive under the leadership of the SFAI’s new Executive Director, who is enthusiastic about the program.

photo by Alexis Brown Photography for SFAI

The Santa Fe Art Institute’s month-long Family Residencies currently take place during the month of July, when the facilities and art camp can be coordinated to specifically support artists with children. Their residencies are not free, but accepted artists can apply for scholarship support. If you’re interested in applying, visit the SFAI residency website for more information. http://www.sfai.org/applications.html

Related Posts:
* SAF’s Residency Grant Program for organizations
* FoAM’s Family-in-Residence Program
* Our Resources Page includes a growing list of residencies that allow partners and children.

Taking Custody: The Double Life of the Artist Mother

a sketch of the panelists by an unknown member of the audience

In 2012 the School of Visual Arts hosted a panel discussion entitled "Taking Custody: The Double Life of the Artist Mother."  Organized by Cathleen Cueto and moderated by Sharon L. Butler, the panel included six artists at various stages of motherhood Suzanne McClelland, Katherine Bernhardt, Rachel Papo, Amy Stein, Renée Cox, and Danica Phelps. Thanks to SVA, you can watch the entire conversation on Vimeo. At an hour and a half long, it's well worth listening to in the studio or watching after the kids are tucked away in bed.

This conversation is just one of many public discussions on the topic, including an upcoming panel scheduled for the College Art Association Conference this Spring.

You can find Sharon Butler's introduction and the questions she posed on Two Coats of Paint, right HERE. What would your own responses to these questions be? What questions still need to be asked?

Artist-Mamas You Didn't Know You Knew

One of the daunting things about motherhood for many of us is that there seem to be so few examples of successful women artists and writers with children. In fact, there may be far more than you think. Acknowledging the tricky nature of defining "success", it still seems relevant to compile a running list of widely-recognized female artists and writers who achieved acclaim while also raising one or more children. This list is by no means comprehensive -- corrections or notable additions are welcome! 

Shirin Neshat; Untitled (Mother and Child)

Rita Ackerman

Mequitta Ahuja
Diana Al-Hadid

Isabel Allende
Candida Alvarez
Janine Antoni
Ida Applebroog (4 children and the Macarthur Grant)

Diane Arbus

Ruth Asawa (6 children)
Margaret Atwood

Phyllida Barlow (5 children)

Vanessa Beecroft

Hilla Becher

Aisha Bell
Anonda Bell

Amy Bennet

Barbara Bloom

Monica Bock

Lee Bontecou

Louise Bourgeois (3 children)

Carol Bove

Gwendolyn Brooks

Cecily Brown

Joan Brown

Sharon Butler

Ingrid Calame 
Jane Campion
Janet Cardiff

Leanora Carrington

Sarah Charlesworth

Nicole Cherubini

Lauri de Chira

Susan Choi

Carmela Ciuraru

Lygia Clarke

Colette

Sophia Coppola

Sara Crowner

Melissa Dadourian

Jennifer Dalton

Katherine Daniels

Nancy Davidson

Lisa Corinne Davis

Sonia Delaunay

Joan Didion

Cheryl Donegan

Marlene Dumas

Artemisia Gentileschi

Mary Gordon

Kim Gordon
Michelle Grabner

Nicole Eisenman

Nora Ephron

Louise Erdrich (6 children)
Valie Export

Rachel Feinstein

Jane Fine

Kim Fisher

Jenny Saville

Pamela Fraser

Coco Fusco

Ann Hamilton

Grace Hartigan

Libby Hartl

Ellen Harvey
Kirsten Hassenfield

Rachel Hayes

Julie Heffernan

Barbara Hepworth (4 children)

Dana Hoey

Lisa Hoke

Jenny Holzer

Henriette Hulich

Jessica Hutchins

Yvonne Jacquette

Elisa Jensen

Natalie Jeremijenko (3 children)

Miranda July
Peggy Kaplan

Mary Kelly

Margaret Kilgallen

Barbara Kingsolver

Jamaica Kincaid

Sylvia Kolbowski

Kathe Kollwitz

Julia Kristeva

Maxine Kumin

Jhumpa Lahiri

Anne Lamott

Ellen Lanyon

Dorianne Laux

Louise Lawler

Judy Ledgerwood 
Annie Leibovitz
Simone Leigh

Laura Letinsky

Denise Levertov

Nina Levy
Maya Lin

Joan Linder

Sally Mann (3 children)

Gina Magid

Shawne Major

Tanya Marcuse
Caitlin Masley

Joyce Maynard

Myrium Mechita

Julie Mehretu

Jessica Mein

Wangechi Mutu (from her interview in Mater Mea)

Maggie Michaels

Berthe Morisot

Natalie Moore

Kristine Moran

Toni Morrison

Alice Munro

Ellie Murphy

Elizabeth Murray (3 children)
Wangechi Mutu

Amy Myers (baby at 43)
Nancy Meyers

Mira Nair

Alice Neel
Senga Nengudi

Louise Nevelson

Shirin Neshat

Alice Notley

Yoko Ono
Catherine Opie

Laura Owens

Lygia Pape

Laura Parnes

Chloe Piene

Danica Phelps

Sylvia Plachy

Sylvia Plath

Monique Prieto (3 children)

Annie Proulx (4 children)

Ana Prvacki
Jessica Rankin

Jennifer Reeder (3 children)
Adrienne Rich 
Faith Ringgold

Andrea Robbins

Roxana Robinson

Dorothea Rockburne

Ruth Root

Aura Rosenberg

Martha Rosler

Ellen Rothenberg
Mary Shelley (wrote Frankenstein as a pregnant teenager)

Bettye Saar

Sappho

Jenny Saville

Anne Sexton

Katie Schimert

Jean Shin

Lisa Sigel (3 children)

Susan Silas

Laurie SImmons

Lorna Simpson 
Patti Smith

Zadie Smith 
Susan Sontag

Nancy Spero (3 children, 6 grandchildren)

Gael Stack

Olja Stipanovic

Jessica Stockholder

Julianne Swartz

Sarah Sze

Dannielle Tegeder

Austin Thomas

Yoko Ono with Sean Lennon

Elizabeth Tremante

Anne Truitt (3 children, 8 grandchildren)

Lorena Turner

Mierle Laderman Ukeles
Sarah Vanderlip

Ayelet Waldman

Alice Walker

Kara Walker

Carrie Mae Weems
Gina Werfel

Rachel Whiteread

Wendy White

Mary Wollstonecraft

Sara Wooster

Jennifer Wrobleski

Andrea Zittel

Culture Baby, Pram Mobs, and other Enemies of Good Art

Culture Baby at the reUnion, Southwark

To new parents previously accustomed to attending art openings, live performances, lectures, or late night music events, it's easy to feel a bit cut off from things once you've got a small child in your life. While it works for some parents to bring baby along, it can also feel distracting, disruptive, or completely exhausting, depending on the event and the kid. Childcare is an option of course, better for networking and paying attention... but breastfeeding, babysitting costs, and bedtime (for those with early-morning wakeup calls) can make that feel complicated for a while, too.

"It seems illogical that whilst the first 3 years of our children’s lives are the most intense period of growth and learning, these early years can also be an intellectually barren period for the parents." This is a quote from CultureBaby, a London-based project established by art consultant and mama-of-three Lucie Charkin, who decided to take matters into her own hands. From 2010 - 2012 CultureBaby organized artist talks, gallery walks, museum tours and other cultural outings with families of small children in mind. While the events were very toddler-friendly (soft floor mats and thematic activity packs linked to the day's event were often provided), these events were designed to enrich the lives of parents first, allowing them to think and learn alongside their children.

The genius of CultureBaby is that they weren't tied to any one institution, allowing them to take over an art fair, network in a public garden, or organize a special event at a new art venue depending on what's happening in town. In fact part of their mission was "to inspire cultural institutions to better serve us and our demanding toddlers by visiting them and expressing our collective needs in a positive way." And who can argue with that?

This kind of collective energy is behind a whole crop of activist projects aimed at re-shaping the art world in London: the Whitechapel Gallery hosts a series called Crib Notes, #Prammob (also linked to CultureBaby) whch stages impromptu gatherings at interactive public art events, and Enemies of Good Art, an activist group hosting regular meetings and lectures as well as a guerrilla style childcare-share that converged on the Tate Modern in 2011 to allow moms to watch each other's kids so that they can take turns going to take in the art.

Why do art openings have to take place on Friday nights and not Saturday afternoons? Why can't museums offer morning artist lectures for families? Why don't larger cultural institutions offer on-site childcare during events, like the local YMCA and Ikea do? The answer to most of these, I realize, comes down to money. If we're serious about making the art world a place that considers women and men with families as visible/valid/valued participants (and just as deserving of consideration as other patrons of the arts) then our active presence there is an important first step.

Charkin is now based in San Francisco, where she ran a similar project called A Little Culture, and its exciting to think that her energy and mission are spreading. Here in Chicago, we are very fortunate to have great things like JuiceBox, a series of kid-friendly musical performances (including some really excellent experimental jazz), stroller tours of the local Museum of Contemporary Art,  and a truly wacky public-access TV show / dance party event called Chic-a-go-go, which invites punk and indie rockers to be interviewed by a puppet and play to a truly all-ages audience. But reading up on Charkin's inspiring events makes me feel like the rest of us have more work to do in activating spaces where parents and kids can get some cultural stimulation. What kinds of opportunities would you like to see in your city? What interesting events are already happening?