Continuing: Designing Motherhood at MAD Mudeum

“Arguably the most ubiquitous design object governing parenthood in the United States today, [the breast pump] is a contested object, for some representing freedom of choice and for others manifesting the unrelenting pressure to breastfeed at all costs,” historians Amber Winick and Michelle Millar Fisher Fisher wrote in their book. Designing Motherhood. “By its very existence the pump exposes the lack of a far more holistic design for family leave.”

When Miller Fisher was a curatorial assistant at New York’s MoMA, she proposed adding the toaster-sized breast pump to the museum’s design collection—to take its place alongside the KitchenAid Stand Mixer and the Hoover vac. Rebuffed by the museum, she joined forces with Winick to pursue a larger project, find a publisher, and create this traveling exhibition, now in its sixth iteration at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design. 

Starting with the premise that the experience of human reproduction touches all of us at least once in our lives, they explored the waysin which its effects remain taboo, under-researched and excluded from exhibitions and publications covering architecture and design history and practice. Their hunch that in these spheres, maternity is treated furtively or as unimportant, even as it defines the everyday experiences of many proved spot on – some 6 million Americans are pregnant at any given time. The public face of something so fundamental to humanity galvanized Winick and Millar Fisher to develop Designing Motherhood, a first-of-its-kind exploration of the arc of human reproduction through the lens of design. Their endeavor encompasses a book, a series of exhibitions and public programs that first opened at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia in 2022, with a design curriculum taught at the University of Pennsylvania. Above: Martha Poggioli’s “Incomplete Patent Chronology, 1838–2021,”

 “People’s reactions ranged from, like, ‘ick’ and ‘ew’ to ‘women’s issue’, but the overarching misconception is that it just doesn’t matter,” Millar Fisher said. “It begs the question, who decides what matters? I have yet to meet a museum director who has ever used a menstrual cup or tampon or breast pump. Those are not the experiences of most people who are in positions of power.”

Save the date, Thursday, October 24, 6-7:30: Designing Motherhood | A Conversation on Design, Health & Humanity. Tickets . About the book

Museum of Arts and Design, 2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY Info

Wednesday, October 22, 2-4pm: Works in Public at Riverside Park

The Art Students League of New York and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation are proud to present Works in Public 2025, a year-long outdoor public art exhibition at Riverside Park in Manhattan. The exhibition features four new site-specific sculptures by League artists: Jason McCormack and Montana Simone in Riverside Park South at 61st Street, and Kenneth Doherty and Aseel Sawalha in Riverside Park North at 145th Street. Above: Aseel Sawalha, "Library for All"

The unveiling will begin at 1:45pm in Riverside Park South at 61st. The sculptures at Riverside Park North at 145th St will be revealed at 3:45pm.

Friday, October 24-Sunday, October 26, 12-6 pm: Stay Frosty in Harlem

Watch your back! As NYCs art scene gets increasingly surreal, artists and their supporters thankfully keep finding new ways to make their works visible. In this case, Bravin Lee Programs, which shuttered its masonry home in Harlem last Fall, has taken bold steps to bring art and art lovers together this weekend.

Described as part tailgate, part trunk show, part festival, part site-specific exhibition, this open-air smorgasbord of art and artists should be a feast for our eyes, from parked cars and freestanding installations to the surrounding fences, and even a take on a VIP Lounge-in-a-Truck. Get a preview HERE

Parking lot at 458 West 126^th Street [between Amsterdam and Convent Avenues, New York, NY Info

Saturday, October 25-Sunday, October 26, 12-6pm: Harlem Open Studios Tour

The annual Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour celebrates the neighborhood’s artistic vitality with a two-day, self-guided tour of studios, galleries, and cultural spaces across historic Harlem from 104th to 160th Streets.

Free and open to the public, HOAST invites visitors to explore Harlem’s thriving arts scene with 50 participating artists,  Download the HOAST map and artist highlights here

Saturday, October 25, 12-6pm: Madison Avenue Gallery Walk

Join ARTnews and Madison Avenue’s galleries for our annual Madison Avenue Fall Gallery Walk on Saturday, October 25. This free event invites the public to visit participating galleries, view their exhibitions and attend expert talks led by artists and curators on Madison Avenue & side streets from East 57th to East 86th Streets.

Questions during the day of the event? Visit our Information Tent on the west side of Madison Avenue between East 78 and East 79 Streets. Pre-registration is required for all programmed “gallery & artist talks” (but not for visiting participating galleries throughout the day). Kindly click here to make your gallery & artist talk reservation.

Many special events are on the lineup including a gallery talk and walkthrough of Ncole Wittenber’'s solo show at Acwuavella Gallery with director Michael Findlay at noon and 3 pm. 18 East 79^th Street. Info

News from the Home Office, The Party: Thursday, November 13, 7-11pm

Good news! Tickets now available for the year's most anticipated event that brings the creative communities together to honor the winners in the new AI-AP collections. Mix and mingle, connect, look, hang out, restore and and reinvigorate your artistic heart, mind and soul at Angel Orensanz Foundation.

FREE for SELECTED winners in AP41 and AI44. $25 discount for CHOSEN winners, entrants to recent competitions, students and all winner's guests. $50 general admission. Ticket includes open bar. Walk-ins are welcome as capacity will allow and all must register and pay at the door. Registration and Tickets HERE

Angel Orensanz Foundation, 172 Norfolk Street, New York, NY