Mother’s Day became a national holiday in 1914, after President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in May as the day to honor motherhood. (Shoutout Woody!)
While many associate the holiday with edible arrangements, springtime blossoms and a mother’s warm embrace, Mother’s Day can be a difficult day for some.
Motherhood, especially as a new mother, can be extremely challenging. When May 12 rolls around this year, some mothers will be struggling through postpartum depression, while other mothers will mourn the loss of what could have been after suffering a miscarriage. Some mothers will be quietly lamenting a difficult relationship with a child, and others may be silently grieving the deaths of their mothers.
No matter where you fall on the Mother’s Day excitability spectrum, a new exhibition in Boulder explores the complicated nature of motherhood, offering a safe space and creative avenue for visitors to explore any feelings the holiday may bring up — good, bad and ugly.
The New Local’s latest featured collection, “The Creative Path of Motherhood,” showcases the artwork of three different women as they navigate their roles as both mothers and artists. The exhibit will be on display through May 22 in The New Local’s annex space, 713 Pearl St., Boulder.
The nonprofit art collective will present several resources in conjunction with the show, including workshops and art classes for those who need extra support. It will also offer a safe gathering for the community and gift ideas for the Mother’s Day season.
Since its inception in 2019, The New Local has broken barriers as it became the largest female-focused creative artist collective and community hub in Boulder. The collective features more than 60 local, female-identifying and non-binary creators, designers and makers.
According to Marie-Juliette Bird, founder of The New Local, the inspiration behind “The Creative Path of Motherhood” stemmed from a desire to provide meaningful support to women in their creative journeys, particularly after experiencing the challenges of balancing motherhood with artistic pursuits.
“As a women-run nonprofit, we want to be able to support women in their creative process,” Bird said. “We’ve heard from a lot of female artists that, after having a baby, it can be really difficult to fit back into the way that they were working before they became mothers. So we wanted to come up with a show that not only celebrated the intersectionality of motherhood and artistry, but also supported women while they navigate how to return to their creative processes now that they have a little one in tow.”
With support by a grant from the City of Boulder, The New Local was able to put together “The Creative Path of Motherhood” in the collective’s annex space — while also hosting a new artist in residence, Dani Loujo, in a bright and airy studio at the front of the gallery.
In this peaceful recess of the building, Luojo is free to work on her art while simultaneously taking care of her 10-month-old daughter.
“I feel wholly committed to being present in my daughter’s life as her primary caretaker so she’s always with me,” Luojo said. “I’m constantly having to pivot my attention around her needs and that makes it difficult to focus on creating. Of all the things that have shifted since having a baby 10 months ago, time and physical space to paint are certainly the biggest ones.”
In the annex studio, Luojo creates sumptuous abstract paintings, transforming her canvases into soothing ruminations of earthy colors and lush textures.
Luojo explained that the collection she’s been creating during her artist residency is a visual representation of her new life as a mom.
“The body of work I’ve been working on since starting my artist residency is an abstract reflection of my emotional, mental and spiritual experience of motherhood so far,” Luojo said. “My intention for all of the pieces I’m working on is to convey an experience in the viewer, mainly through color and texture, that evokes some of the complex thoughts and feelings I’ve been working with since becoming a mother.”
Luojo’s works in progress will be on display at the annex, and some visitors may be lucky enough to catch her in action — paintbrush in hand, baby strapped to her chest.
Also featured in the annex space is the work of mixed-media artist Courtney Griffin. A self-taught artist, Griffin’s pieces are created using luminescent acrylic paint and embroidery atop silk chiffon to illustrate the fluidity of the physical — and emotional — human form.
Most of Griffin’s worksin this exhibition were created during the early stages of her pregnancy — which was, for Griffin, a time characterized by a blend of emotions.
“From joy to grief to excitement to pain, there wasn’t a day that I didn’t feel a breadth of emotions,” Griffin said. “And those emotions were reflected in the shapes and colors and textures that you see in my work.”
Griffin said that the experience of pregnancy led to a softening of her approach in many aspects — encouraging her to move at a slower pace, prioritize rest and trust her intuition when expressing herself.
“While I have yet to grab a paintbrush since [my son] was born, I have been paying extra attention to the themes that I can one day explore with paint and fabric,” Griffin said. “Becoming a mother has stretched me beyond what I thought was possible. I’m moving through moments of euphoric joy, grief, awe, heartache, love — sometimes all at once. I’ve felt torn open in one moment, soaked in tears and milk, and in the next moment, I’m full of delight as I gaze into my baby’s eyes.”
Griffin added: “Whether the viewer is pregnant themselves, a new mother, or going through a big life transition, I hope they see a part of their story reflected in my own. I long for them to feel tenderly held in whatever season they may be in.”
Visitors to the exhibition can also see the works of abstract artist, a mother of two, Noelle Miller. Coming from a long line of visual artists, Miller’s mixed-media works are vibrant, multi-faceted microbiomes of swirling lines and repetitive floral patterns that are both comforting and captivating.
Miller said her introduction into motherhood was not an easy one.
“I became a mom right after COVID happened, in April 2020,” Miller said. “I also had gallstones for my pregnancy, so I was very very sick, and because the pandemic had just hit, I didn’t think anyone could come help me. My husband was an essential worker, so he wasn’t at home with me, and it was really, really hard.”
To deal with the feelings of pain, fear and overwhelming isolation during that time, Miller said she turned toward art to help her process.
“The level of detail in my work is extensive and requires a significant amount of time,” Miller said. “But for me, the process of creating is deeply meditative. While some may perceive it as tedious, I view it as an essential aspect of my artistic practice — to shift my focus from thoughts and feelings to the act of creating. Since having kids, I’ve found that it’s essential for me to find the time to create. It’s taught me to become more intentional with my practice. I value my creative time more than ever.”
Miller said that with this exhibition, she hopes that her art reminds others — moms, especially —that it’s possible and important to prioritize self-care and happiness, even when life gets crazy.
“I think that when you become a mom, it’s really easy to put yourself on the backburner, to lose sight of things that make you feel good, or are important to you,” Miller said. “It’s not like we do that on purpose, but it just happens. But it’s essential to keep doing whatever makes you happy. If it makes you feel better, and more grounded, you won’t just be a better mother — you’ll also just be a better version of yourself.”
In addition to the exhibition, guests can attend one of The New Local’s Mother’s Day offerings, which include an oil painting class for the kiddos, a bouquet-arranging session, and a community healing circle for anyone in need of a bit of extra love.
“For some people, Mother’s Day is really tough, whether they miss their mom, or have a difficult relationship with their daughter, or whatever the myriad of painful experiences is … as you become a mother, you lose some of your identity as a person and as an artist. And that’s something we’re approaching in this exhibition,” Bird said.
Bird added: “In all aspects, it’s important for people to remember that creativity is such a powerful tool through which to heal.”
Mother’s Day events at The New Local
• Sponsored by Beatrice the Divine and Babysitters of Boulder, parents are invited to drop off kiddos for Mother’s Day crafts while moms shop Beatrice the Divine spring sale, a few blocks away;11 a.m.-2 p.m. May 11, The New Local HQ, 741 Pearl St, Boulder; registration required at thenew-local.org.
• For those in need of healing and a creative community surrounding Mother’s Day, The New Local is offering a drop-in event at The Annex. Yoga teacher and healer Caitlyn Rose Kenney will offer mini ear acupuncture sessions while acupuncturist and Chinese doctor Courtney Delaney will offer healing sessions; by donation; 10 a.m.-noon May 11, The New Local Annex, 713 Pearl St., Boulder.
• A fun gift to buy for mom to pair up with a partner, artist Cindi Yaklich is teaching a two-part “absolute beginners” intro to oil painting class. Participants must be ages 18 or older and registration is required; 1-4 p.m. May 11 and May 18, The New Local HQ, 741 Pearl St., Boulder; thenew-local.org.
• Create a card and decorate a bouquet wrap in the Fawn’s Leap Botanical Arts atelier, downstairs at The New Local. Kids can select blooms for mom and make a card to go with the gift. Flowers available for purchase, craft activities are by donation; No registration required.11 a.m.-2 p.m. May 12, downstairs at The New Local HQ, 741 Pearl St., Boulder.
