with Jac alva
Maternal Identity in Art Lecture
Thurs Sep 21st, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Free to attend
Location:Gallery
In celebrating the human spirit through the arts, The Muckenthaler Cultural Center provides a platform for artists and scholars to share how their work directly impacts the local community. In a series of seminars, our 2023 Artist In Residence, Jac Alva, will be leading the conversation about the role of food in art, specifically the way the act of breastfeeding has been depicted in the art canon.
In her quest to further understand how cultural authorities, political leaders, and public health figures have spun ideas about motherhood and breastfeeding to serve their own interests over the course of centuries, Jac will survey the contradictory meanings of women’s bodies and sexuality through maternal artworks. This analysis will follow with a discussion by California State University Fullerton Lecturer and author of The Abolition of Christianity (2022), Dr. Mark Walia, explains how contemporary ideas about fertility, marriage, and family structure play a role in today’s ambivalent views on maternity and breastfeeding.
Join us for this enlightening seminar that intersects Western art and current affairs.