Funded Partner Spotlight: Museum of Motherhood
Foundation funded partner the Museum of Motherhood (MoM) is devoted to the art, science, and herstory of women, m/others, and families inclusive of all reproductive identities. They strive to redefine how we talk about motherhood, celebrate and make visible the work of moms, and provide a safe and inclusive space for learning and community.
“This idea came organically after my own experiences, being an artist and a mother and seeing that there weren’t really institutions that recognized our creativity and our labor,” said founder Marth Joy Rose, who goes by Joy.
In November, MoM moved into a new space in the Warehouse Arts District, just down the block from FloridaRAMA. The new location is designed to be a family-friendly space where moms and kids can explore together and learn. It’s stocked with child-size furniture and toys, making it perfect for the meet-ups it organizes for local mothers and others. It also boasts the group’s new Escape Womb, which is now accepting reservations.
While admission to MoM is free, tickets to the Escape Womb are priced at $25 for adults, which the MoM team believes will enable the museum to sustainably fund its rent and operations. The Escape Womb experience features clues and puzzles about the nuances of conception, gestation, and birth in a fun and informative environment. The ‘Womb’ itself, is a cozy celebration of women’s bodies, filled with motherhood-themed art and furniture that allow groups to relax in comfort while they ponder the miracle of pregnancy and birth.
Rose, a singer/songwriter and the founder of MaMaPaLooZa Festival who created the MoM Art Annex in St. Pete in 2016, has been dreaming of and laboring for a permanent Museum of Motherhood for decades. She has a deep desire to connect with community and a keen focus on transition planning, which can help ensure a small organization like MoM lives on for future generations to enjoy. Earlier this year, MoM was awarded a capacity-building grant from the Foundation and Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital. The group has used the funds to build out its fundraising capacity, organize community-building events, and shore up bookkeeping and accounting.
“We’re really looking for our forever home because we keep moving. Space is everything because we’re holding space for women, mothers, and families,” Rose explained. “We’re 100% here for people to come and share their own origin story, whether they’re healing trauma, are looking for comfort in a space, or just want to be inspired and lifted. So help us grow. We’re here to grow with the community. We belong to you.”
Sierra M. Clark, a devout volunteer who plans events for the organization (and more), said MoM is more than just a space for mothers.
“It allowed me to be my authentic self; it didn’t matter what society said, I could be all of me, the best me, and I didn’t need anything else,” she explained. “That’s what MoM does for people. We’re so much more. We’re all of the beauty. We’re why life is such a masterpiece, because we all add a different color to the canvas.”
Visit MoM’s website for hours, location, and to learn more.
Save the Date: MoM is partnering with USF to host the MoM Annual Academic & Arts Conference 2025 from March 14-16.