Motherhood Takes the Spotlight in New Santa Barbara Arts Fund Exhibit

'The Kind of Mother: Coloring Outside the Lines of Motherhood'

‘Chasing Home’ by Amber Valley Evangelista | Credit: Amber Valley Evangelista

Motherhood is such a complicated, Sisyphean task that taking it on as the subject of an exhibition is sure to be complex, thought-provoking, and, most of all, interesting — which is why the new show at the Arts Fund Community Gallery is certainly worth a look.

‘Ancestral Guardian,’ 24″×24” Resin, Flowers, Paper, Butterflies, Acrylic Paint, and Gold Leaf on Wood Panel, by Vanessa Wallace Gonzales | Credit: Courtesy

The Kind of Mother: Coloring Outside the Lines of Motherhood features local artists Vanessa Wallace-Gonzales, Meiya Sidney, Hope Okere, Juan D. Mendoza, and Amber Valley Evangelista of Valley in Film, who also curated the exhibition.

“The Kind of Mother is an exhibition designed to force the audience to appreciate and challenge the influences politics and cultural traditions have on mothers of today’s society,” according to a statement from Evangelista. “The curated pieces provide a diverse narrative of the complexities of femininity and motherhood. Femininity, resilience, and nurturing are just a few of the words used to describe the emotion felt from the show. Artists show their vulnerability as a mother, child, and human in a curated show exemplifying the intimate connection with mother.”

On view through March 3, the opening of The Kind of Mother: Coloring Outside the Lines of Motherhood takes place on Friday, January 20, from 5-7 p.m., as part of the bi-monthly Art Walk at La Cumbre Plaza. Regular gallery hours are Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit artsfundsb.org.

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