Survival

In this cross-generational collaboration two Sarasota-based creatives - artist Ann Burroughs and poet Melanie Lavender - bonded over their common experience of motherhood.

Ann’s statement: The artist is a receptacle derived from life and nature. In this instance it is from a poem written by a friend. One mustn’t make a division between things for everything is related; one must take things as one finds them and express impressions through ones chosen medium. All art should reflect human experiences and this piece reflects our common experience of being a parent. It is important in this time of division that we remember we are all connected, and all have a lot of the same experiences.

Melanie’s statement: As a mother to a son, I wanted to express what it feels like to be a mother. In our first meetup Ann and I shared and talked about parenting at each stage of our children’s lives. What I learned in our first conversations is that as mothers we give our heart to our children and must learn how to live without our heart inside of us. When I say my heart, I mean all my hopes and desires for the future. It is in our children that we will live on. The lessons learned from generation to generation are guides but ultimately, we must surrender control of their lives and connect with the new person you have become now.