Jezabeth Roca González in a group exhibition Migrant Mothers S.1 at Tempus Projects, Tampa

TAMPA, FL – CUNSTHAUS is pleased to present Migrant Mothers S.1, curated by Libbi Ponce and Alyssa Cordero. Migrant Mothers is a series of exhibitions aimed at increasing visibility of artists who are immigrant mothers or children of immigrant mothers. The first installment in the series, on view August 3 – 31st, includes women artists of diverse heritage, adapting to the cultural landscape of the United States. The artists work in a variety of mediums and include: Amra Causevic (Bosnia), Daniella Ellinger (El Salvador), Monilola Ilupeju (Nigeria), Jezabeth Gonzalez (Puerto Rico), Mitsuko Brooks (Japan), Laura Meckling (Korea), and Megan Corley (Philippines).

The series originated from a place of gratitude for the labor of the curators’ own mothers: working-class immigrants fulfilling the roles of primary caretakers and income producers, while delaying their own aspirations to ensure the betterment of their children. This curatorial project provides an analysis of matrilineality in relation to the migrant experience. Such examination explores ideas of intergenerational cultural dissonance, survival dynamics, geographical dislocation, and emotional stability.

Migrant Mothers highlights the nuances within these lives of assimilation and cultural preservation. Within this duality, shared experiences arise: recognition as the other, cognizance of expectation, and dissonance of cultural knowledge. As this exhibition developed, two major moments in American society have expanded the significance of these curatorial concepts (or initiatives): the Supreme Court upholding the travel ban and the inhuman treatment and separation of immigrant families crossing the southern border. Through additional exhibition programming, CUNSTHAUS aims to create dialogue and civic action within our community to protect and support the rights of immigrants. 

ABOUT THE CURATORS • Alyssa Cordero is a first generation Dominican-Puerto Rican-American curator and art historian. • Libbi Ponce is a first generation Ecuadorian American artist working in video, installation, and performance.

TEMPUS PROJECTS is a nonprofit, artist-run project space in the South Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa, Florida. TEMPUS PROJECTS is dedicated to nurturing both established and emerging local, national and international artists via exhibitions and events. The project promotes artists working in all media and organizes exhibitions that engage the local community through the visual arts.  Located in 4636 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, FL 33603