Artists fight stigma at Breastfeeding Art Expo in Kelowna, B.C.
Travelling exhibition will visit six towns in the B.C. Interior
More than 80 artists and community organizations are preparing to show off breastfeeding-inspired art in Kelowna, B.C., this weekend.
The Breastfeeding Art Expo kicked off on June 2 and showcases paintings, sculptures, and multimedia art pieces that celebrate and raise awareness of breastfeeding.
The expo is a community art project organized by Kelowna Community Resources and Interior Health, involving three years of work with artists and community organizations in the Okanagan, Thompson Cariboo, and Kootenay regions.
It will travel to five more towns in the Interior, including Vernon, Penticton and Williams Lake.
Lisa Ford, Kelowna Community Resources program coordinator, said she was surprised at the positive reception when she first started inviting artists to participate in the show.
"We started with an idea, and we were overwhelmed by the response," said Ford. "So many communities were interested in being part of this expo."
She hopes the exhibit will help new mothers embrace breastfeeding. Ford says that many new mothers in her community start off wanting to breastfeed, but they experience barriers in continuing to do so.
"Sometimes they're not getting the support and information right off the bat," said Ford. "Many women are uncomfortable breastfeeding in public."
Fighting breastfeeding stigma with art
When Charla Maarschalk was approached to create a piece for the expo, she was excited.
"My work goes back to what's real," Maarschalk said.
Although it has been several years since she breastfed her three sons, Maarschalk remembers the experience well.
"I remember always feeling awkward, having to cover up and go somewhere private," she said.
Being part of the project has taught her a lot about the stigmas surrounding breastfeeding, she said, and the challenges other women face when doing it in public.
Maarschalk said she was looking forward for the show to premiere.
"There's some really thought-provoking pieces," she said. "I think the show is going to be fantastic."