more venting about the cesarean art exhibit venue search

[womancaredoula]

Turned down by another three places today including Baltimore City's Enoch Pratt libraries unless we can provide our own art walls to hang the stuff from. Even if we do, I'm sure they will decide the artwork is too graphic.

Add to the list of causes for rejection that the issue is "too narrow, like if we did an exhibit just for people who had had tonsilectomies. Why don't you contact the art galleries in the area hospitals?"

I've had that suggestion a few times over - like the average person has no idea that many many of these cesareans are unnecessary/coerced/forced/bullied. That hospitals are generally the bad guys in the formula.

Really feeling like no one in the Baltimore metro cares enough about this issue to give it a voice.

-Barbara

[NaturalMama311]

Have you talked to Special Beginnings about having it there?

[Pinky Tuscadero]

Sorry, my artist friend never got back to me. What about Maryland Hall? Or have it in a hotel. They have small conference rooms. I've been to art shows in hotels before.

[womancaredoula]

re: exhibit

Originally Posted by NaturalMama311

Have you talked to Special Beginnings about having it there?

I have thought of them but haven't approached them yet as my hope was to have a location that was readily accessible to Baltimore or in between Baltimore and DC along the I 95 corridor.

-Barbara

[womancaredoula]

re: exhibit

Originally Posted by Pinky Tuscadero

Sorry, my artist friend never got back to me. What about Maryland Hall? Or have it in a hotel. They have small conference rooms. I've been to art shows in hotels before.

I'm not familiar with Maryland Hall. Can you make the inquiry there for us? My goal is to leave the exhibit up for a few weeks if not the entire month of April (Cesarean Awareness Month). I'm trying not to put so much time and money into a project that is only up for a few hours.

-Barbara

[Pinky Tuscadero]

B-
It's the Md Hall for the Creative Arts. I don't really know anyone there or I would be glad to make a call. I'll keep thinking of places...

[mojumi]

What about someplace like the American Visionary Art Museum in Bmore? Graphic wouldn't bother them, I don't think. I don't have any contacts there, they just come to mind. www.avam.org

[womancaredoula]

Originally Posted by mojumi

What about someplace like the American Visionary Art Museum in Bmore? Graphic wouldn't bother them, I don't think. I don't have any contacts there, they just come to mind. www.avam.org

Here is a list of some of the places that we've been turned down or otherwise had to rule out:

Howard Community College art gallery (our stuff isn't fine art)
American Visionary Art Museum (too narrow a focus)
Slayton House (booked for 2010)
MICA (ditto)
Community Colleges of Baltimore County (ditto)
Towson Univ. WMST department (no response)
UMBC WMST (ditto)
BMA
Loads of Fun (not experimental enough)
Hamilton Arts Collective (they don't want to lease out their space)
Studio 55
Gallery Imperato (moving locations, not accepting proposals)
School 33 (books 1 to 2 years out)
Enoch Pratt libraries (unless we could provide our own walls to hang stuff from and even then I'm sure we are too graphic)
Waverly Community Arts Center (too small)
the fine arts center in Owings Mills (again, we aren't fine art)
Towson University art gallery (ditto)
Baltimore Art Space (moving locations so can't entertain proposals until late Dec.)
Maryland Art Space (booked way far out in advance)
2640 space (could only have it up for a weekend and would cost $1,000)
Baltimore Unitarian Church (only rents by the hour)
Hexagon (that place looks scary from the outside)
Creative Alliance (they re-paint the gallery walls for every exhibit with standard latex paint (not low VOC or anything) and go through 50 gallons of paint/year. I can't set foot in the place due to air quality)

... and too many others to name.

I do have proposals submitted with the Maryland Women's Heritage Foundation and Metro Gallery and am awaiting to hear back. I've also sent an inquiry to the Relay Town Hall and the Waverly Community Family Center.

Can anyone make some direct inquiries for this to help out?

-Barbara

[mysticmomma]

Could you be more specific in what you need?

Amt of space?
Amt of time?
Funds available?

[womancaredoula]

re: exhibit

Originally Posted by mysticmomma

Could you be more specific in what you need?

Amt of space?
Amt of time?
Funds available?

We don't have the artwork in hand yet so its hard to say an exact space need but I would say more than just a small room (like the back building at Breathe Books or a single yoga studio room) but not as much as a multi-room gallery.

My preference would be to have the exhibit up for the month of April. Definitely don't prefer to go through all the work for a 3 hour event.

The first grant application deadline is 10/16 and so I need to know what the space will charge before that so as to apply for those funds. I've considered a space that was as high as $900 for the month although that is tough to manage since obviously grants aren't guaranteed. We are doing two fundraisers this fall (a portrait photographer at the Nov. ICAN meeting and a really cool film if I can land a cheap theater - working on that as well!) to raise money for this project.

I have a typed up proposal I've been using if you need a copy of that to email out.

I just had one museum director say "Why do you think an ART EXHIBIT is the BEST WAY to raise awareness of this issue? Why don't you JUST EDUCATE women to tell their OBs that they only want a cesarean if it is completely necessary and that if the OB can't share that value then to refer her elsewhere? Why don't you research how many cesareans are being done in Baltimore and ask The Urbanite to do a story? Why do you think a cultural instititution would devote their resources to making this their cause celebre?"

Um, kinda on that stuff already kwim?

-Barbara

[mysticmomma]

Have you considered renting a motel room or apt for the month?

[leavemealone]

What about renting an empty store at the mall or small shopping center? I'm not sure if those rent by the month or if they are too expensive, but it might be worth checking out.

Have you checked with local colleges?

[Healthy_Baby]

Howard County Center for the Arts ?

http://www.hocoarts.org/

[womancaredoula]

re: Howard County Center for the Arts

Originally Posted by Healthy_Baby

Howard County Center for the Arts ?

http://www.hocoarts.org/

One other person has suggested them to me. Would you be willing to make the initial pitch? If I don't land a space in the next week I'll have to accept that fact that we will need to censor out any pieces with objectionable images to make the exhibit vanilla enough to stick it in a restaurant. I really hadn't wanted to do that. Our first grant deadline is 10/16 and I started making inquiries on 8/1. I'm running out of time.

-Barbara

[russsk]

There's a new gallery on Washington Blvd - have you tried them? I haven't been in it yet, but it's brand new.

[womancaredoula]

re: exhibit space

Originally Posted by russsk

There's a new gallery on Washington Blvd - have you tried them? I haven't been in it yet, but it's brand new.

Not sure - do you know the name?

-Barbara

[russsk]

Originally Posted by womancaredoula

Not sure - do you know the name?

-Barbara

Gallery 788.

[Pinky Tuscadero]

I know this is not ideal at all, but if you really don't find anywhere to have it, ou could have a virtual show. I just read about another organization that is hosting an online art show and auction. They re showing the pieces for 10 days and then on the last day they will auction them off. I don't know if you're planning a sale or just a showing but it's an interesting idea, if nothing else comes up for the ICAN pieces.

[Healthy_Baby]

Originally Posted by womancaredoula

One other person has suggested them to me. Would you be willing to make the initial pitch? If I don't land a space in the next week I'll have to accept that fact that we will need to censor out any pieces with objectionable images to make the exhibit vanilla enough to stick it in a restaurant. I really hadn't wanted to do that. Our first grant deadline is 10/16 and I started making inquiries on 8/1. I'm running out of time.

-Barbara

i'm sorry i can't volunteer any time to this - i only know of the place because i drive by it now and then and i once had a friend with a piece in an art show there a couple years ago. I don't have any personal connections.

[Climbergirl]

My friend went to Goucher in Towson and it seems like the kind of place that would embrace this. I really hope you find something....