EPISODE 6: Anna Adler on (s)mothering and care in (a time of) crisis

Ossining, New York. A conversation with artist, educator, and cultural worker Anna Adler continuing to explore the idea of the body as home through the lens of mothering - inspired in part by my own experience of pregnancy (we welcomed our daughter Josephine in January 2020) and the idea of literally providing shelter for another being. The real catalyst for this first conversation, originally recorded in May 2020, was a group exhibition Anna curated titled (s)mother at Bethany Arts Community in Ossining, New York. The second iteration of that show is happening again this year, (s)mother 2.0: care in (a time of) crisis, opening on May 8 and on view through May 29, 2021. In conjunction with the exhibition, a series of related conversations will be released in the coming weeks/months.

Ultimately, the conversation with Anna and those that will follow consider a broader exploration of what it means to mother and what it means to take care in a time of crisis. In this episode, Anna shares her own struggle with post-partum depression and curating as a means of catharsis. This episode also features original music by Char McCutcheon.

Anna, Graham, and Frida, Ossining, New York, February 2019.

Resources

If you are struggling with postpartum depression, know you are not alone. Contact postpartum support international at 1.800.944.4773 to find local support.

(s)mother 2.0: care in (a time of) crisis at Bethany Arts Community

Virtual Opening: Saturday, May 8, 2021, 5-6pm

Virtual Mid-Run Conversation: Saturday, May 15, 11am-12:30pm

Closing at Bethany: Saturday, May 29, 2pm

Episode 5 UNCUT: Bel Falleiros and the Navel of Place

Chinatown, New York. Bel Falleiros is a Brazilian artist with an Architecture degree whose artistic research focuses on land identity. Starting with her hometown, São Paulo, she has worked to understand how contemporary landscapes, city tissue and its monuments (mis)represent the diverse layers of presence that constitute a place. Since arriving in the U.S., she has continued working closely with the land, creating space for grounding and exploring the stories and symbols that can unite us.

During our conversation—originally broadcast live as part of Montez Press Radio’s summer programming from their Canal Street studio in New York City—we dig into ideas related to identity, displacement and what it means to trace lines towards home in different ways: from movement to monument to music. What is revealed when tracing the line in these cities back even farther in an attempt to find their starting point - or as Bel describes, their navel? Hers is an artistic practice driven by the relationship established with the land when we investigate the stories that each place can tell us. Imagining all cities as born from a zero, a starting point, a navel, she envisions each arising from a primordial force that makes a piece of earth become a place. 

This uncut interview also features a series of songs from Luedji Luna, a Brazilian artist that brings Bel “home”. The selections are from the artist’s latest album, Um Corpo no Mundo. Check out her video from Banho de Folhas.

Bel working on her site-specific installation for Burnside Farm, Detroit, Michigan, 2017. @falleiros_bel #earthworks

Additional Resources

Gordon Matta Clark: on the genesis of FOOD

Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels

Episode 4: Emily Sara and the Body as Home, Part III

Part Three. In the final episode of this three-part interview, Emily’s story is brought into the present. At the start, the story picks back up in Los Angeles where Emily is at her wit's end - but then connects with a doctor who serves as a critical link to a unique program at the Mayo Clinic, setting her on a new trajectory with long game perspective as she builds her life in Richmond.

(Start with Part One for the full introduction.)

Emily's loft, Richmond, Virginia, 2018.

Additional Resources

Latoya Ruby Frazier

Episode 3: Emily Sara and the Body as Home, Part II

Part Two. After relocating to Los Angeles, Emily shares her first conversation with a new doctor and a renewed sense of hope. What follows are more twists and turns, from battling chemical addiction to healing and finding alternative paths where conventional methods are just not cutting it. 

(Start with Part One for the full introduction.)

Emily + Olive, Richmond, Virginia, 2018

Additional Resources

Simone Leigh: The Waiting Room

Episode 2: Emily Sara and the Body as Home, Part I

Richmond, Virginia. An artist and professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Emily Sara is also a healthcare advocate with plenty of hard-won wisdom. Since she was a child, Emily has navigated the challenging waters of the American healthcare system in a series of moves from coast to coast. In this three-part series, we talk extensively about healthcare—especially for women—and related moments of heartbreak, frustration, inspiration. In the process, resources are also revealed for others navigating the system. (See links below.)

But even more, Emily’s story is about finding her center in a body that has not made it easy for her. To say she’s comfortable in her own skin is a simplification, but she inhabits our most elemental structure in a way that is nothing less than revolutionary.

Part One. Emily shares her early experiences with the discovery of a challenging medical situation. Revealing the importance of a support system as well as a sense of humor, she ventures out on her own and eventually finds her way to Los Angeles.

Emily at her apartment in Richmond, Virginia, February 2018.

Resources

Assisters and Agents/Brokers Links: https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/

Mayo Clinic, Pain Rehabilitation Center: https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/pain-rehabilitation-center/overview

Women’s Center for Creative Work: http://womenscenterforcreativework.com

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (available 24 hours everyday)

Episode 1: Lauren Lizardo and the Flying Cloud

Yakima, Washington. Real talk with a woman who has taken the road less traveled - and taken it by storm in her 25 foot Flying Cloud Airstream. Meet Lauren Lizardo: storyteller, data-lover, and money boss. Lauren left the Bay Area five years ago to start her own business and take it on the road; she also pens The Sheconomista Report, a newsletter which began with a focus on women and money and has since evolved into a resource for lady entrepreneurs (sign up here). Our conversation focused on her trajectory over the past five years, from taking the leap to addressing the realities of ditching sticks and bricks to become a "full-timer". 

On the road with Lauren, Oregon coast, 2016. #homeiswhereyouparkit #homeonwheels #airstreamlife #rvlife @laursays_