Finding aid for the Mother Art records, 1973-2016
Hitomi Matsuyama and Sarah Mackenzie Wade
Descriptive Summary
Title: Mother Art records
Date (inclusive): 1973-2017, undated
Number: 2017.M.60
Creator/Collector:
Mother Art
Physical Description:
7.57 Linear Feet
(12 boxes. Computer media: 2.98 GB [20 files])
Repository:
The Getty Research Institute
Special Collections
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
reference@getty.edu
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10020/askref
(310) 440-7390
Abstract: The Mother Art records document the Los
Angeles collective's artistic engagement with sociopolitical concerns relating to maternity,
domesticity, and women's issues through photographs, posters, ephemera, press kits, and
audio and videorecordings.
Request Materials: Request access to the physical materials
described in this inventory through the
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Language: Collection material is in English
Biographical / Historical
Formed in 1973 in the Los Angeles Woman's Building, Mother Art was a collective of women
artists dedicated to creating sociopolitical art around issues such as the social
invisibility of maternal labor and the impact of the lack of socially supported daycare on
the professional practices of female artists.
The Mother Art collective was established by five artists from the Feminist Studio Workshop
who lacked support from their instructors and fellow participants who did not have children
and did not believe it feasible for parents to be serious artists. Jan Cook, Christine
Kruse, Helen Million, Suzanne Siegel, and Laura Silagi began meeting weekly in 1973 to
advocate for their needs as both mothers and artists. Mother Art's first project was to
create a space at the Woman's Building for children, who had not previously been permitted
onsite. In 1974, they used electrical cable spools from the Department of Water and Power to
build
Rainbow Playground in the Woman's Building parking lot. Their next major
project, 1975's
By Mothers, consisted of an exhibition at the Woman's Building
in which ten artists reflected on their personal experience as mothers, with a month-long
program series for mothers and children that included workshops, performances, and lectures
on motherhood and feminism. A second, larger exhibition,
By Mothers was curated
by the collective in 1976, with work by women artists from all over the western United
States.
Additional Mother Art projects include
Laundry Works (1977), a performance
series funded by a California Arts Council grant that took place in laundromats throughout
Los Angeles; and two 1978 performances,
Mother Art Cleans Up City Hall and
Mother Art Cleans Up the Banks, with a related installation in 1979 at
California State University, Los Angeles. In the 1980s, Mother Art performances and
installations incorporated real women's narratives and focused on various social issues such
as abortion (
Pro-Choice, 1981), Central American refugees (
Flowers for
Four Women
, 1984), and women's poverty (
Homeless Women, 1984).
Mother Art ceased formal collaboration in 1986. Throughout its existence from 1973-1986,
the collective consisted of eight women: the five founding members, Jan Cook (1973-1975),
Christine Kruse (1973-1976), Helen Million (1973-1978), Suzanne Siegel (1973-1986), and
Laura Silagi (1973-1986); and additional members, Gloria Hajduk (1975-1982), Velene Campbell
(1977-1978), and Deborah Krall (1981-1986).
The
(Re)Visiting Mother Art retrospective at the Shenere Velt Gallery in 2000
featured a new installation by members Siegel, Silagi, and Krall:
Mid-Life, Running
out of Time
. The group has since participated in several exhibitions, including
Doin' It in Public (2011) at the Otis Art Institute as part of the Getty's
Pacific Standard Time initiative. In 2012, Mother Art created a documentary
film of the collective's history:
Mother Art Tells Her Story.
Sources consulted:
"About," Mother Art, accessed February 26, 2019, https://motherart.org.
Siegel, Suzanne, Laura Silagi, and Deborah Krall.
Mother Art: A Collective of Women
Artists
. Los Angeles: Ben Maltz Gallery, Otis College of Art and Design, 2011.
Silagi, Laura. "Mother Art," undated.
Tain, John. Acquisition Approval Form for "Mother Art records, mainly 1973-1986," accession
no. 2017.M.60, August 10, 2017.
Administrative Information
Access
Open for use by qualified researchers. Born digital content will be made available on-site
only, through the digital preservation repository. Born digital content and audiovisual
materials unavailable until reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Mother Art records, 1973-2017, undated, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles,
Accession no. 2017.M.60
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2017m60
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mother Art: Laura Silagi, Suzanne Siegel, Deborah Krall. Acquired in 2017.
Processing Information
Initial arrangement and description by Hitomi Matsuyama, under the supervision of Sarah
Mackenzie Wade. Final arrangement and finding aid by Sarah Mackenzie Wade. Digital materials
were processed by Laura Schroffel in 2019. Files require further processing before access
copies can be made available.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services,
ST-03-17-0007-17.
Related Archival Materials.
Woman's Building records, 1973-1991, Getty Research Institute, Accession no. 2017.M.43.
Maria Karras collection of Woman's Building papers and photographs, 1973-1980, Getty
Research Institute, Accession no. 2018.M.6.
L.A. Artists for Survival records relating to Target L.A., Getty Research Institute,
Accession no.2017.M.46.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Mother Art records reflect the sociopolitical and feminist art practices of the Los
Angeles women's collective, formally active from 1973-1986, with administrative files that
detail Mother Art's formation at the Los Angeles Woman's Building and project files that
document the group's performances and installations in Los Angeles area community and arts
organizations.
Arrangement
Arranged in two series:
Series I. Administrative files,
1974-2014, undated;
Series II. Project files, 1973-2017, undated.
Indexing Terms
Subjects - Corporate Bodies
Mother Art
Woman's Building (Los Angeles,
Calif.)
Subjects - Topics
Art, American -- California -- 20th century
Art -- Political aspects -- United States -- 20th century
Feminism in art -- United States -- 20th century
Installations (Art)
Motherhood and the arts
Performance art -- California -- Los Angeles
Women artists -- Archives
Women artists -- California -- Los Angeles
Women artists -- United States -- 20th century
Genres and Forms of Material
Audiocassettes
Black-and-white prints (photographs)
Born digital
Color slides
DVDs
Inkjet prints
Photographs, Original.
Printed ephemera
Video recordings
Contributors
Mother Art
Krall, Deborah
Siegel, Suzanne
Silagi, Laura
Container List
Series I.
Administrative files,
1974-2014, undated
Physical Description:
1.29 Linear
Feet
(6 boxes)
Scope and Content Note
Administrative files consist of materials by and about Mother Art that document the
collective's mission to create and promote art centered on women's issues. The series
includes audiocassettes of Mother Art interviews on Los Angeles area radio programs;
presentation scripts and resumes that detail the collective's formation and project
history; image reproduction correspondence; and the collective's 2011 documentary film,
Mother Art Tells Her Story, with related photographs and promotional
materials. A disbound binder of assorted documents conveys an array of Mother Art's
early artistic endeavors, with project proposals, press releases, clippings of
exhibition reviews, and a financial report for the California Arts Council grant for
1977's Laundry Works performances.
The series also contains one CD of digital presentation files. Software formats were
identified using a DROID (Digital Record Object IDentification) report from information
recorded in the PRONOM technical registry. All dates refer to last modified dates of
files. Born digital materials are integrated into their corresponding series based on
content.
Two publications, Mother Art: A Collective of Women Artists and The
First Decade: Celebrating the Tenth Anniversary of the Woman's Building, have
been transferred to General Collections.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by format and subject.
Articles and writings about Mother Art,
1978-2014, undated
box 1, folder 3
Artists' statements,
1978, undated
Binder: Mother Art: Established September 1974,
1974-1983, undated
box 1, folder 4
Proposals and statements; resumes; press releases,
1974-1983, undated
Scope and Content Note
Includes artists' statements; strategic planning notes for the evolution of the
collective; and proposals for realized and unrealized projects, including
Rainbow Playground, By Mothers (1976), and Laundry
Works. Also includes press releases for By Mothers, Art
For Public Consumption, Mother Art Cleans Up, and the
collective's participation in the 1976 Garden Theater Festival in Barnsdall
Park.
box 1, folder 5
General correspondence,
1976-1983, undated
Scope and Content Note
Includes professional correspondence by Mother Art in support of the collective's
projects and mission to champion mothers and female artists, with letters between
Mother Art and Los Angeles area radio stations; Pennsylvania Congressman Thomas M.
Foglietta; Los Angeles City officials Mayor Tom Bradley and Councilwomen Pat Russell
and Peggy Stevenson; the office of California Governor Jerry Brown; the Woman's
Building Galleries; and the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art (LAICA). Also
includes correspondence by Mother Art to the Los Angeles Times in
response to an article accusing the California Arts Council of wasting taxpayer
money with its award to Mother Art for Laundry Works, and a guest list
of attendees for Working Together, one of the installations in
Mother Art Cleans Up.
box 1, folder 6
Laundry Works and draft project descriptions,
1976-1982, undated
Scope and Content Note
Includes preparatory materials for Mother Art's Laundry Works project,
with notes, correspondence to laundromat owners, handwritten attendee comments, and
the date and location schedule for the five performances in the project series. Also
includes the Laundry Works grant award document from the California
Arts Council and the grant's requisite final evaluation and financial reports. Draft
project descriptions consist of summary texts for the collective's early projects as
well as drafts for the questionnaire that was part of the Laundry Works
performances.
box 1, folder 7
Correspondence,
1978-2008
Scope and Content Note
Includes correspondence for image reproduction requests and with LAICA Board Director
Robert L. Smith regarding the CETA guest artist program.
History of Mother Art presentations,
circa 1979-2008
box 10, Item CM3
"Mother Art PPT show #11, PowerPoint slide show,"
2007 March 5
Physical Description:
0.027
GB
5 files
Scope and Content Note
1 computer disc (CD) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.
CM3 contains: 2 Microsoft Powerpoint 97-2003 Presentation files (.pps and .ppt)
titled: Presentation11. Unavailable until reformatted. Contact reference for
reformatting.
box 1, folder 9
Letterhead, business cards, and decals,
undated
Mother Art Tells Her Story,
2011-2013
box 6, folder 12
Color prints,
circa 2011
Scope and Content Note
Eight 4 x 6 inch photographs of Mother Art setting up to interview Helen Million in
Modesto, California.
box 9, Item DVD1-DVD2
DVDs,
2011
Scope and Content Note
2 videodiscs (DVD) (46min) ; 4 3/4 in.
Original case labeled: Copyright 2011, run time 46 minutes. Award winning
documentary tells of 8 Los Angeles artists who were not afraid of those with power.
Abortion, immigration, homelessness, weapons of mass destruction ... the hot topics
of the 70's and 80's. The 8 artists of Mother Art dealt with issues through Public
Art.
box 1, folder 10
Film festival ephemera,
2012-2013
box 1, folder 11
Script and interview questions,
circa 2011
Radio interviews,
1976-1987
box 11, Item C1
"Mother Art Interview, KPFK-FM, Paul Vangelisti, Nov. 30 1976,"
1976
Scope and Content Note
1 audiocassette (60 min.) : analog ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape. Unavailable
until reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
box 11, Item C2
"Mother Art, KPFK-FM with Claire Spark 2/25/79,"
1979
Scope and Content Note
1 audiocassette (60 min.) : analog ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape. Unavailable
until reformatted. Access restricted due to fragility; contact the repository to
request access.
box 11, Item C3
"KUTE-102FM 'Community Awareness' Mother's Day 8 May 1983,"
1983
Scope and Content Note
1 audiocassette : analog ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape. Unavailable until
reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
box 11, Item C4
"Mother Art-KUTE FM 5/8/83, T.B.P., Mother's Day,"
1983
Scope and Content Note
1 audiocassette (90 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape.
Unavailable until reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
box 11, Item C5
"ARN 3-13-87 Broadcast #24 Kaleidoscope The Artist Is a Woman, Mother
Art,"
1987
Scope and Content Note
1 audiocassette : analog ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape. Unavailable until
reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
box 1, folder 12
Resumes and exhibition histories,
1983-2009, undated
Scope and Content Note
Includes an undated price list of select Mother Art works.
box 1, folder 13
Woman's Building calendars, programs, and clippings,
1976-1977, 1988
Scope and Content Note
Includes event calendars for July-September 1976, January-February 1977, and May-June
1988, as well as a program for the Artists Who are Mothers workshop held
at the Woman's Building on May 7, 1988.
Series II.
Project files,
1973-2017, undated
Physical Description:
6.28 Linear
Feet
(11 boxes)
Scope and Content Note
Materials in this series document Mother Art's major performance and installation
projects, from 1973's Rainbow Playground, a space created for children at
the Woman's Building, to the 2000 retrospective (Re)Visiting Mother Art,
with project proposals, performance scripts, postcards and posters, and exhibition
review clippings. Most files contain either color slides or black-and-white photographs
(prints and negatives) of project performances and installations. Some files also
include undated inkjet prints, printed at dates later than the project dates, and
certainly all after 1990. Additional project materials include original Mother Art
trading cards, a menu list for the 1977 Bake Sale Exhibition, audiocassette
recordings of women's abortion stories for the Pro-Choice project, and
typescript narratives for the 1984 installation Flowers for Four Women.
The series also contains three DVDs of digital image files. Software formats were
identified using a DROID (Digital Record Object IDentification) report from information
recorded in the PRONOM technical registry. All dates refer to last modified dates of
files. Born-digital materials are integrated into their corresponding series based on
content. The original order of the born-digital files is retained.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by project, with group exhibitions and unidentified projects
at the end of the series. When project files include materials that date beyond the date
of the project itself, the project date is noted in parentheses following the project
title. Most slides were originally housed in a binder, with select color slides
originally housed in project files and labeled as slides for the
Mother Art: A
Collective of Women Artists
publication. All slides (color and black-and-white)
were rehoused in archival binders by the processing archivists. The distinction between
the groups of color slides was maintained.
Rainbow Playground (1973),
1973-1974, undated
box 5, folder 1, box 6, folder 6
box 1, folder 14
Notes and inkjet prints,
1973, undated
box 2, folder 1
Trading Cards for gumball machine,
1974
Scope and Content Note
Thirty-two laminated handmade color trading cards of figurative or abstract
illustrations and one baseball card for Angels shortstop Jim Anderson.
By Mothers (1975-1976),
1975-1980
box 7*, folder 4
Black-and-white print,
1975
Scope and Content Note
One 10 x 13 inch print, mounted.
box 5, folder 2, box 6, folder 7
box 2, folder 2-3
Fliers, programs, and clippings,
1975-1980
Bake Sale Exhibition,
1977
box 2, folder 4
Fliers and price list,
1977
Laundry Works (1977),
1976-1984, undated
box 4, folder 1
Black-and-white negatives and contact prints,
1977
box 7*, folder 2-3
Black-and-white prints,
1977
Scope and Content Note
Six 7 x 9 inch prints, mounted.
box 2, folder 5
California Arts Council grant account book,
circa 1977-1984
box 2, folder 6
Clippings,
1976-1981, undated
box 5, folder 4, box 6, folder 8
box 2, folder 7
Correspondence and clippings,
1976-1981
Scope and Content Note
Includes Mother Art collective correspondence to the editor of the Los
Angeles Times and a letter by Los Angeles artist Nancy Buchanan to
Los Angeles Times theater critic Dan Sullivan. Also includes fliers,
black-and-white photographs, typescript notes on the performances, and a
black-and-white paper mask featuring images of clothespins.
box 7*, folder 1
Final financial report,
1976 December
Scope and Content Note
Mounted on mat board.
box 8*, folder 3
"Laundry Works: Gallery into Laundry" pencil drawing,
circa 1977
Scope and Content Note
Additional label on drawing reads: Environment by Mother Art and members of WCA at
the Woman's Building celebration, Wednesday, Feb 2, 1977. 20 x 16 1/4 inches.
Mother Art Cleans Up (1978),
1974-1979, 2000, undated
box 5, folder 5
Color slides,
Mother Art Cleans Up City Hall,
1978
box 5, folder 6
Color slides,
Mother Art Cleans Up the Banks,
1978
box 2, folder 8
Gallery exhibitions and related material,
1974-1978, 2000
Scope and Content Note
Includes black-and-white prints, inkjet prints, and ephemera that document
performances at Los Angeles City Hall and Los Angeles area banks. Also includes a
certificate of appreciation from the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art
(LAICA).
box 7*, folder 6
"Making It Safe: A Project on Violence Against Women in Ocean Park" event
calendar,
1979
box 2, folder 9
"Making It Safe" and "Working Together" installations,
1979
Scope and Content Note
Includes ephemera and black-and-white prints that document the Mother Art
Cleans Up installations at Barrett's appliance store in Santa Monica and
the Exploratorium Gallery at California State University, Los Angeles.
Art for Public Consumption,
1978
box 2, folder 10
Black-and-white prints and fliers,
1978
box 4, folder 2
Black-and-white negatives,
1978
Scope and Content Note
Also includes negatives of an event preceding Art for Public
Consumption held at Barnsdall Art Park, "Dialogues at Barnsdall."
Power Roles for Women (1980),
1979-1981
box 4, folder 3
Black-and-white negatives,
1980
box 2, folder 11-12
Black-and-white prints,
1980 July
box 6, folder 13
Color polaroid photographs,
1980 July
box 3, folder 1
Correspondence and ephemera,
1979-1981
Scope and Content Note
Also includes several black-and-white prints, some mounted.
Pro-Choice (1981),
1981-1983, undated
box 3, folder 2
Abortion notes,
circa 1981
Abortion stories,
1981-1983, undated
Scope and Content Note
Accounts from women who received illegal abortions.
box 11, Item C6
"Mother Art, Gloria's Story, last take 175,"
undated
Scope and Content Note
1 audiocassette (90 min.) : analog ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape. Unavailable
until reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
box 11, Item C7
"0-55 Deborah-abortion, Hal-abortion, Arlene-abortion,"
undated
Scope and Content Note
1 audiocassette (90 min.) : analog ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape. Unavailable
until reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
box 11, Item C8
"Mother Art - 11/21/81 art perf. 'Not Even If It's You,' Church of Ocean
Park, Santa Monica, CA,"
1981
Scope and Content Note
1 audiocassette (60 min.) : analog ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape. Handwritten
on B side: Dodgers win World Series - 10/28/81 to 415. Unavailable until
reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
box 11, Item C9
"M. Art abortion tape stories 1981, approximately 44 minutes side
9-83,"
1981, 1983
Scope and Content Note
1 audiocassette (60 min.) : analog, mono ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape.
Unavailable until reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
box 11, Item C10
"Mother Art abortion tape, 4 stories repeated, whole tape
10-83,"
1983
Scope and Content Note
1 audiocassette (90 min.) : analog ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape. Handwritten
on B side: Skip 1st story (Deb), start w/ Caroline." Unavailable until
reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
box 4, folder 4
Black-and-white 35mm negatives and contact print,
1981
box 5, folder 7, box 6, folder 9
Color slides,
1981
Scope and Content Note
Museum of Illegal Abortion installation and Not Even If It's
You performance shots.
box 3, folder 3
Performance scripts and research notes,
1981, undated
Scope and Content Note
Also includes Mother Art pro-choice ephemera, color inkjet prints, and a
performance review of Not Even If It's You, held at the Church in Ocean
Park, Santa Monica, California, November 21, 1981.
box 8*, folder 2
Poster, "Thanks, But No Thanks,"
undated
Scope and Content Note
Poster for a public art event presented by Los Angeles Political Art
Documentation/Distribution, with a performance night in Ocean Park that featured
Mother Art.
L.A. Guernica (1982),
1982-1985, undated
box 4, folder 5
Black-and-white 35mm negatives, contact prints, and
photographs,
1982
box 3, folder 4
Correspondence, fliers, and clippings,
1982-1985, undated
Scope and Content Note
Also includes black-and-white photographs and a color inkjet print of the
installation, printed at a later date.
box 7*, folder 6
Journals and wall label,
1985
Flowers for Four Women (1984),
1984, undated
box 3, folder 5
Ephemera and typescript narratives,
undated
Scope and Content Note
Includes seven black ink drawings of flowers adhered to a single sheet of
paper.
Homeless Women (1984),
1984-1988, 2005, undated
box 6, folder 2
Color slides,
1984-1986, undated
box 3, folder 6
Correspondence, fliers, and typescript narratives,
1985-1988, 2005, undated
Scope and Content Note
Also includes a poster for the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions presentation of
The Cotton Exchange Show and a pencil drawing of an outline of a female figure.
The Dining Room Table (1985),
1985, undated
box 3, folder 7
Interview transcripts and color inkjet prints,
1985, undated
Scope and Content Note
Transcripts of an interview with Barbara Avedon, one of the founders of Another
Mother for Peace.
(Re)visiting Mother Art (2000),
2000, undated
box 3, folder 8
Postcards and clippings,
2000, undated
Scope and Content Note
Also includes press releases, a price list of Mother Art works, and a timeline of
the collective's history.
box 6, folder 4
Color slides,
Running Out of Time,
2000
box 3, folder 9
Mother Art Cleans Up Yet Again postcards,
2016
box 3, folder 10, box 7*, folder 5
Group exhibition ephemera,
1982-1985, 2000-2014
Unidentified,
1975-2017, undated
box 6, folder 5
Color slides,
1975-1978, undated
box 4, folder 6
Black-and-white print and postcard,
1978 January
Scope and Content Note
Includes Helen Million, Suzanne Siegel, Gloria Hajduk, and Laura Silagi.
box 8*, folder 1
Posters,
1978
Scope and Content Note
Two black-and-white posters titled: Wanted: For crimes of role fixing and failure
to tamper with stereotypes, featuring images of Gloria Hajduk, Laura Silagi, Suzanne
Seigel, and Helen Million Ruby.
box 4, folder 7
Black-and-white 35mm negatives, contact print, and postcard,
1983 March 7
Scope and Content Note
Possibly images of the At Home exhibition at the Long Beach Museum of
Art, part of Pro-Choice, Mother Art's series of installations and
performances about abortion. Includes group images of Suzanne Siegel, Deborah Krall,
Laura Silagi, and Gloria Hajduk.
Photomural panels,
2011, 2017
Scope and Content Note
All dates refer to last modified dates of files.
box 10, Item CM1
"Mother Art photomural panel 1,"
2017 September 27
Physical Description:
0.6 GB
GB
(4 files)
Scope and Content Note
1 computer disc (DVD-R) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.
CM1 contains: 1 Adobe Photoshop Document file (.psd) titled: 1st panel bank
photomural." Unavailable until reformatted. Contact reference for
reformatting.
box 10, Item CM2
"Mother Art photomural panel 2,"
2017 September 27
Physical Description:
0.1
GB
(4 files)
Scope and Content Note
1 computer disc (DVD-R) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.
CM2 contains: 1 Adobe Photoshop Document file (.psd) titled: 2nd panel
washingmachines [sic] photomural." Unavailable until reformatted. Contact
reference for reformatting.
box 10, Item CM4
"Mother Art photomurals, 2 banks, 2 machines, 4 images,"
2011 July 25-30
Physical Description:
2.22
GB
(7 files)
Scope and Content Note
1 computer disc (DVD-R) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.
CM4 contains: 4 Adobe Photoshop Document files (.psd) titled: panel with
machines; panel with banks; correct scale banks; and scaled washing machine panel.
Unavailable until reformatted. Contact reference for reformatting.
box 4, folder 8
Black-and-white 35mm negatives and contact print,
undated
