For Immediate Release
Marketing and Communications
Drew Wilson, Director, Media Relations
Phone: +1 (412) 260-6807
agwilson@carlow.edu
Exhibit Will Be Available to Visitors by Appointment Through January 29, 2021
Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Carlow University Art Gallery, located on the second floor of University Commons, presentsThe Anthropology of Motherhood: Culture of Care, an exhibition featuring works of art from 14 national and Pittsburgh-based artists that engage in the complex visual, material, emotional, corporeal, and lived experiences of motherhood, caregiving, parenting, nurturing, and maternal labor.
The exhibit, which first debuted at the Three Rivers Arts Festival in 2014, is open from October 19 through January 29, 2021. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday to Carlow students, faculty, and staff. There will be virtual public programs on Fridays at 4:30 p.m. Visitors can make an appointment for a timed visit by emailing the gallery’s curator, Amy Bowman-McElhone, PhD, at gallery@carlow.edu.
The Anthropology of Motherhood: Culture of Care presents a slate of artists that embrace the labor of care as “right and rewarding work.” Through video, sculpture, painting, and photography, the works presented address maternal identities with birth as a metaphor for regeneration, creation and renewal.
When Fran Flaherty curated the first Anthropology of Motherhood exhibition in 2014 for the Three Rivers Arts Festival, she did not anticipate how startlingly vital and relevant such an endeavor would be amidst a global pandemic in 2020. Yet, Fran’s beautifully radical exhibition, which is centered on the idea that societies should lead through gestures of care, provides a necessary grounding and reorientation during this unsettling time. While the show was originally produced as an aesthetic experience for nursing mothers functioning also as a space of respite and community, it has grown into a broader exploration of care-giving.
The Anthropology of Motherhood: Culture of Care is on view at the Carlow University Art Gallery after celebrating its fifth year as part of the Three Rivers Arts Festival. Normally a functional, hybrid exhibition that is innovatively designed as both an art space, an interactive nursing amenity, and a place of respite for families with young children, this year’s exhibition has been reimagined in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The curator for the exhibit is Amy Bowman-McElhone, PhD. Fran Flaherty is the founder and curator of the exhibit. Sara Tang is the digital content curator, and Katie Winter is the curatorial assistant.
Programming: Tours and Virtual Programming
The gallery is open to students, faculty, and staff. Visitors to campus can schedule a timed visit or tour by appointment. Class visits can also be scheduled.
Gallery Hours – Fall 2020:
Mondays: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesdays:10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesdays: By Appointment
Thursdays: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Fridays: Virtual Public Programs at 4:30 p.m.
Upcoming events:
October 30, 4:30 p.m. Facebook Live Event –
Virtual Opening & Conversation with the Curators with Amy Bowman-McElhone & Fran Flaherty
November 6, 4:30 p.m.
Where is your Motherland? Virtual Poetry Workshop with Veronica Corpuz
November 13, 4:30 p.m.
Disability Arts – The Empowerment Tool with Ruth Fabby
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About The Carlow University Art Gallery:
A local gallery with a global reach, the Carlow University Art Gallery is the only gallery in the Pittsburgh region dedicated to art and social justice. Our project is to embody the unique mission of Carlow through professionally curated exhibitions, to bridge campus and community and to extend the teaching space through innovative public programming and experiential learning, and to serve as a center for dialogue and creativity for both the Carlow community and the greater Pittsburgh community.
About Carlow University
Carlow is a private, co-educational, Catholic university located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s “Eds, Meds, and Tech” district. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1929, Carlow’s curricula and partnerships reflect its strong commitment to social justice; ethical, forward-thinking and responsible leadership; and service to the community that has a meaningful impact. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in two colleges: the College of Health and Wellness and the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Health and Wellness includes the departments of Nursing, Respiratory Care, Healthcare Data Analytics, Health Management, and graduate degrees in Speech-Language Pathology and the Physician Assistant programs. Graduate programs in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy will soon be added.
Carlow University also believes in the education and growth of students both inside and outside the classroom, where they can join student government, clubs, and academic honorary societies where they can develop skills in judgment, leadership, analysis, decision-making, and communication. For student-athletes, Carlow’s 14 athletic teams are known as the Celtics, a reflection of the university’s Irish heritage and roots.