Spilt Milk is an artist-led social enterprise based in Scotland whose mission is to promote the work of artists who are mothers. 

 
 
 
 
 

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One week today we open #ohmotHER @customhouseleith with the Preview 6-8pm (all welcome) ‘oh motHER’ (Spilt Milk Members show ‘18) will be the first visual arts exhibition in Scotland solely dedicated to the work of artists who identify as mothers. Curated by Edinburgh based social enterprise Spilt Milk, the exhibition will present the work of more than 20 International artists working in photography, sculpture, installation, textiles and new media. The exhibition will be supported by a programme of participatory activity and drop-in workshops which aim to encourage local mothers and their families to engage with maternal themes. With several recent studies highlighting the extent of the gender inequality in the creative industries and the ‘motherhood penalty’ playing a large role in the gender pay gap in the UK, mothers face a number of barriers in accessing and developing a career in the visual arts. Not only do childcare, financial and cultural barriers hinder the career progression of mother-artists, but artwork which focuses of the role of motherhood, reproduction and care-taking has regularly been dismissed and devalued within the contemporary arts. While the old ‘pram in the hallway’ debate lives on, ‘oh motHER’ aims to highlight the diversity of work being made by mother artists worldwide. The exhibition touches on themes including maternal mental health, the mother-child relationship, emotional labour, breastfeeding and domestic ambivalence. Exhibiting Artists: Alana Hunt, Alison O’Neill, Amy Dignam, Anneleen Lindsay, Betty Susiarjo, Cassandra Harrison, Charlotte Roseberry, Fiona Bailey, Freddie Thomas, gwen charles, Imogen Di Sapia, Jessica Kirkpatrick, Jennie Temple, Jess Rippengale, Jessica Wohl, Joetta Maue, Kamee Abrahamian, KimyiBo, Laura J Fooks, Lauren McLaughlin, Lizzy Sampson, Megan Wynne, Mychaelyn Michalec, Olga Krasanova, Paula Chambers, Rachel Fallon, Robyn LeRoy Evans, Ruchika Wason Singh, Ruth Owens, Sarah Irvin, Sofia Barton, Tracey Kershaw, Xaverine M Bates Performance of (M)other by Lauren Montgomery on the opening night. #ohmother #membersshow #makingmotherhoodvisible #spiltmilk #leith #socent #edinburgh
Imogen Di Sapia's hand woven tapestry, 'The Midwife' will be exhibited as part of 'oh motHER' opening next Friday 26.10.18 @customhouseleith 'The Midwife is a work that communicates my experiences of perinatal mental health and childbirth PTSD; it is a work to symbolise the bridging experience of the thresholds of womanhood and motherhood between the births of my two children. I called upon my relationship with folklore and myth, and the archetypal Midwife, and used raw silk and bark-dyed wool to weave a tapestry that shows umbilical-threads connecting two moments; the before and the after. All the tension, suspension and structure is paused in the central panel, and a transition is made. This midwifery of art-making, weaving and of very real labour and childbirth, allowed me to access the void space of waiting, transformation and creativity, which leaves a permanent mark within my life, and the irrevocable change which occurs in the moment of becoming a mother. I refer to this liminal space as The Mythic Domestic; a place of both deep and rich magic and unfathomable loneliness. The inclusion of the two holed hag-stones (also know as adder stones) are included as a gesture of gratitude to The Midwife, as her adornments and offerings of thanks for safe delivery. In folklore, these stones are considered miniature vortices through which we may spy the Other World and its inhabitants.' @imogen.di.sapia 💜
"JUST A MUM? I can't stand it when people say, 'your just a mum'. Yes, I am a mother! That makes me: An alarm clock, a bodyguard, a best friend, an enemy, a councillor, a maid, a cleaner, a teacher, waitress, nurse, comforter, hairdresser, a taxi driver, decorator, an event planner, personal assistant, coach, timekeeper, leader, safe zone, storyteller, play worker, cook, atm, superwoman, multitasker, an organiser, a bill payer, memory maker, a carer, personal shopper and I scare away the bogieman!! I don't get paid holidays, sick pay or days off. I work DAY & NIGHT. I am on call 24/7 for the rest of my life, thats just BEING A MUM!! So please remember I may not be anything to you but I am everything to someone!!" 🙌🏼 . Over the past eight weeks, Spilt Milk have been working in partnership with Stepping Stones (North Edinburgh) to support a group of six young mums in creatively exploring their own experiences of motherhood. 'Just A Mum?' is the resulting collaborative artwork which aims to present the realities of motherhood and challenge the preconceptions and stereotypes of being a young parent. Stepping Stones (North Edinburgh) is a voluntary organisation that provides support services to young parent families and pregnant women living in the North Edinburgh area. We aim to promote and support the social development and education of families with young children. (www.steppingstonesnorthedinburgh.co.uk) This project was made possible with thanks to funding from UnLtd Scotland.
'New Mama Bear' is one of the fantastic linocuts by @olgakrasanova to be exhibited as part of our first members exhibition 'oh motHER' opening Friday 26th October 6-8pm @customhouseleith ✨👏✨ . . . . #olgakrasanova #linocut #motherhood #printmaking #scotland #mamabear #newmother #motherartist #edinburgh #leith #customhouseleith #exhibition #supportmothers #supportwomenartists
Tracey Kershaw will be exhibiting a selection of her concrete #motherbowls in our upcoming members show : 'oh motHER' opening 26.10.18 @tracey_kershaw_ sculptural bowls were created through an evolving process which first began by collecting anonymous 'mother stories' by asking viewers to 'Tell me about your mother'. As part of our participatory activities during the exhibition, there will be the opportunity to contribute your own mother stories as part of Tracey's ongoing project. More info to follow! . . . . #ohmother #spiltmilk #tellmeaboutyourmother #traceykershaw #motherbowls #concrete #sculpture #installation #motherartist #mothersmatter #comingsoon #edinburgh #customhouse #exhibition #membersshow #makingmotherhoodvisible
'The Impermanence of Reciprocal Attachment' digital c-type print by Robyn LeRoy-Evans @robynleroyevans will be exhibited as part of our #membersshow 'oh motHER' opening Friday 26th October, Custom House Leith. 💕🎉✨ . . . . #robynleyroyevans #ohmother #spiltmilk #edinburgh #mothersmatter #motherartists #motherandchild #photography #femalephotographer #pink #figurativeart #exhibition #edinburgh #leith
Chantal Joffe 'Self-Portrait with Esme in Striped Nightie' (2016) . . . #chantaljoffe #selfportrait #oilpainting #motherhood #painter #motherandchild #figurativepainting #contemporarypainting
Lizzy Sampson 'Operating Hours' Acrylic on wood. . . . #ohmother #motherhood #painting #mothering #motherwork #exhibition #operatinghours #arim #comingsoon #linkinbio #edinburgh #spiltmilkmembersshow #lizzysampson #motherartist #makingmotherhoodvisible