Mother Figures: Mothers and Children
A folio of poetry and prose.
The experience of having and nurturing children can inform a mother’s view of herself. Every mother is also a child. These poems and writing explore this primal relationship.
Featured:
E.J. Antonio
Jerrice J. Baptiste
Lao Rubert
Sarah Dickenson Snyder
Margaret D. Stetz
Kelli Stevens Kane
Hilde Weisert
Lisa Briana Williams
More “Mother Figures” folios:
Other Mothers
Storied Mothers
Mother in Objects
The Mother Role
Image by Tara Carpenter Estrada, “Feeling Wilted”
Artist Statement
This artwork was created with paper bags that were recycled from grocery pick-ups during the pandemic. The brown bags were layered with paint, then cut up and collaged together. The mother figure, represented by a wilted marigold, is pushing a pram with peppy young bloom. “Good moms” don’t express exhaustion or overwhelm–that sometimes they feel literally sucked dry by their tiny charge. “Good moms” perk up and keep walking.
Tara Carpenter Estrada is associate professor of art education at Brigham Young University. She makes mixed-media and ceramic art that is shown in national and international juried exhibitions. She presents regularly at conferences, including the National Art Education Association and the International Society for Education through the Arts. Her writing has been featured in Visual Inquiry and Art Education. Tara is also the director of BYU Jumpst(ART), a series of workshops for K-12 students.