Last modified: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 12:09 AM EST

Little Gallery Under the Stairs exhibit to showcase

motherhood
By Laura Paine / For the Item
Knowing what makes a mother tick is the key to
understanding what will be important to the next
generation. Many mothers put their kids before
themselves, but this February, The Little Gallery Under
the Stairs, in Lynn, will bring their "voices" to the center
of our attention.

VOICES: Mothers Who Create II, is the second annual

exhibition of a collection of pieces that are not just One of the works on display at VOICES:
tributes to motherhood, but a collection of work created Mothers Who Create II, which runs from Feb.
by mothers. Women throughout New England contribute 6 to April 10 at the Little Gallery under the
to the survey of what women are accomplishing in the Stairs at LynnArts, 25 Exchange St.
arts with their varying artistic styles. It features the work
of more artists who are also mothers, grandmothers and maternal figures.

"Children are our future, but parents are the ones shaping the children, and not always, but more often
than not, the mother is the child's primary caretaker. It's pretty important that we stop and listen to
mothers' voices and also that we pay tribute to our mothers' hard work not only as caretakers, but also
as individuals. Unfortunately, in museums and larger commercial galleries, their voices are largely
missing from the conversation. I figure instead of griping about women being excluded from those
venues, I'd do something about it and have an exhibition myself," Jocelyn Almy-Testa, founder and
director of The Little Gallery Under the Stairs, said.

The purpose of the exhibition is to recognize female artists and celebrate a new era for contemporary
local women within the arts by exhibiting the varied style of works and the creative voices of mothers.
The exhibit will host a number of different artistic mediums including painting, collage, mixed media,
photography, ceramics, pottery and culinary art.

"This past year there has been an influx of attention on mothers who are also artists," Almy-Testa said.
"Last January the Museum of Fine Arts and a long list of community organizations and theaters
screened Pamela T. Boll's Who Does She Think She Is, a documentary focused on mothers who are
also artists, then we had our exhibition Balance, Mothers Who Create in February, and in the fall,
AXIOM Center for New Media gallery in Jamaica Plain also had an exhibition called Mothers
Expressing: Sharing the Work by Amber Davis Tourlentes and Nita Sturial."

As a mother of four, Almy-Testa knows how difficult it can be to balance motherhood and creating a
career in art - the gallery will showcase work from mothers whose pieces have been in major
collections as well as art from mothers in the beginning stages of their careers, adding opportunity to
diversity.

"Last year's opening reception drew over 200 guests from Lynn, the North Shore, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island and the Greater Boston area and it's surrounding communities," Almy-Testa said. "The
artists who receive Best of Show and Exceptional Works awards receive cash awards."
This year's exhibit participants include Patricia Crotty, Eileen de Rosas, Adria Arch and Claire Burke of
Arlington, Joan Sinatra of Ashburnham, Jane Coder of Durham, N.H., R. Peri Sossaman of Huntington,
Jessica Burko of Jamaica Plain, Luba Grenader of Marblehead, Liz Web Green of Needham, Jillian
Green of Newburyport, Christen Yates of Lynn, Christine O'Brien of Peabody, Kate True of Roxbury,
Rebecca deVries of Salem, Christine McShane of Upton and Becky Gibbs of Wayland.

The opening reception for VOICES: Mothers Who Create II, which runs from Feb. 6 to April 10, will
be held on Feb. 6 from 2-5p.m. Entry to the gallery is free and viewing hours are on Saturdays from 10-
6 p.m. and Thursdays by appointment.

On Feb. 27, the gallery will host "The Big Picture" from 1:30- 5 p.m. and will feature films created by
artists who are mothers, including FEMLink by C.M. Judge and Who Does She Think She Is? by
Pamela T. Boll. Refreshments will be on sale and the screening is limited to 50 people.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.tlguts.com or at the gallery the afternoon of the festival for
$15. The gallery will be open to the public, for free, before and after the festival.

The Little Gallery under the Stairs is located within the LynnArts Inc. community art center in
downtown Lynn at 25 Exchange St., directly across from the commuter rail stop.