Making (It) Work celebrates makers who embrace parenthood
This new group exhibition presents artists who are new parents and view parenthood as a generative force in their creative practice.
San Francisco, CA—January 15, 2019— California College of the Arts presents Making (It) Work, a group exhibition of artworks made by artists during their first few years of parenthood. Many artists are surprised to find that the joys, hardships, and consuming nature of child care can produce unexpected layers of inspiration and an urgent sense of motivation. A reevaluation of priorities and time management changes the way artists approach the studio; new questions are revealed; new modes of working are hashed out.
The exhibition was conceived during a playdate conversation between the exhibition’s co-curators CCA assistant professor Karla Wozniak and New York-based artist Georgia Elrod. According to the co-curators, “Hanging out with our babies we got to talking about the craziness of life as artists and new parents. After putting the kids down for a nap we kept talking and comparing notes. Along with its very real stresses and limitations, we were both surprised by how creatively generative early parenthood was for us.”
Becoming a parent is a profound identity shift, and this exhibition highlights the work made during this transition. The exhibition does not assume parenthood to be a necessity for deeper understanding of self or artistic practice—rather it celebrates the resilience and dedication of artists. Making (It) Work celebrates makers who have embraced parenthood in its many forms and recognize its generative force.
Featuring work by Lisha Bai, Karen Dana, Leigh Davis, Ariel Dill, Madeline Donahue, Georgia Elrod, Jackie Gendel, David Huffman, McKendree Key, Shaun Leonardo, JJ Manford, Sangram Majumdar, Aspen Mays, Leeza Meksin, Althea Murphy-Price, Elizabeth Russell, Karen Seapker, Sunny A. Smith, Elisa Soliven, Angie Wilson, Witts, Karla Wozniak, and Ezra Wube. Curated by Karla Wozniak (CCA Assistant Professor, Painting/Drawing) and Georgia Elrod.
This exhibition was made possible by a CCA Faculty Exhibition grant.
About California College of the Arts
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts (CCA) educates students to shape culture and society through the practice and critical study of art, architecture, design, and writing. Benefiting from its San Francisco Bay Area location, the college prepares students for lifelong creative work by cultivating innovation, community engagement, and social and environmental responsibility.
CCA offers a rich curriculum of 22 undergraduate and 11 graduate programs in art, design, architecture, and writing taught by a faculty of expert practitioners, and attracts promising students from across the United States and from 55 countries around the world. Graduates are highly sought-after by companies such as Pixar/Disney, Apple, Intel, Facebook, Gensler, Google, IDEO, Autodesk, Mattel, and Nike, and many have launched their own successful businesses.
CCA is creating a new, expanded college campus at its current site in San Francisco that will open during the 2021–2022 academic year. Spearheaded by Studio Gang architects, the new campus design will be a model of sustainable construction and practice; will unite the college’s programs in art, crafts, design, architecture, and writing in one location to create new adjacencies and interactions; and will provide more student housing than ever before.