North Carolina Artists Shine a Spotlight on the Menopausal Journey
Opening at Rocky Mount Mills on World Menopause Day, October 18, 2023, M is for Menopause, Baby! is a major group exhibition that will use art to raise awareness and challenge the myths, stereotypes, and stigma that surround the menopausal journey. Featuring more than 50 works from North Carolina artists- including vibrant paintings, works on paper, assemblage, and mixed media artwork - the exhibition celebrates the diversity and complexity of the menopausal experience.
By 2025, it's estimated that 1.1 billion women will be experiencing menopause, or The Change as it is frequently called. Menopause is not a disease. Menopause is not a mental health condition. It is a natural part of the aging process when a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual period. In the United States, the average age for menopause is 51. However, it can occur earlier in life. But what is menopause? What does it mean to be perimenopausal or postmenopausal? Too often, these normal life stages are spoken about negatively in hushed tones as if they're something to be ashamed of or feared. Those with symptoms may be told it's all in their mind and struggling can become normalized. The M is for Menopause, Baby! exhibition will bring together creatives, healthcare practitioners, and librarians to help reframe the narrative around the subject of menopause.
Artwork: Top Row (left to right): Is it Host in Here? By Carol Torian; Going Gray by Kiki Piper. Bottom Row (left to right): Nubian Queen by Corliss R. Owen; Mother by Maria Tavarez; and Liminal no. 2: The Fall by Jacqueline S. Dulin
The exhibition will be presented by Drinking Gourd Gallery in partnership with Rocky Mount Mills, Kiki Piper, and UNC Health Nash.
Carol Torian, exhibition co-curator and Drinking Gourd Gallery founder, said, By sharing our questions, concerns, insights, and humorous moments, through this exhibition, we can be a support and help to those who are on the menopausal journey. We can also be a beacon of light for premenopausal individuals, so they are better prepared and informed when they begin their menopausal journey.
Kirsten Moore, exhibition co-curator and Kiki Piper founder, added, This exhibition provides fresh insight about a subject that is still relatively taboo. There's so much secrecy and silence about perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause, but together we can change that and have some meaningful discussions.
Featured artists include Kristin Barta, Lyudmila Tomova Clark, Jacqueline S. Dulin, Michelle Franklin, Brenda Harris, Debra Johnson, Lisa Kelbaugh, Art Love and Rendon Foy, Darryl Matthews, Kiki Piper, Barbara Outterson, Corliss R. Owen, Maria Tavarez, Carol Torian, and many others.
This project also highlights the urgent need for health equity to reduce the disparity in health status for underserved populations. Building on that perspective, the exhibition will feature a silent auction during the opening reception on October 18, 2023, to benefit My Sister's House, which is a nonprofit that aids victims of domestic violence. Likewise, to address period poverty, a period products drive is occurring in conjunction with the exhibition, and drop-off boxes will be available at Rocky Mount Mills, Eastern North Carolina Medical Group, and UNC Health Nash. Menopause and menstruation share many commonalities. For some, the first period can be shrouded in the same embarrassment and confusion as the last period. And in both instances, life changes forever in new and unexpected ways that are often not talked about. The M is for Menopause, Baby! exhibition will provide an art-centered space to start a conversation that welcomes all voices.
Related Content
The exhibition will be accompanied by a variety of in-person and virtual engagement programs at Rocky Mount Mills, Books & Beans, and Larema Coffee House. Programming includes Let's Talk About It: Menopause, Perimenopause, and Postmenopause, with Dr. Joanna Dauber, DO, NCMP of Eastern North Carolina Medical Group; Yesterday, I Cried: Menopausal Grief & Loss, with Camilla Y. Black, M.Ed., LCMHC; and Positive Pause: Circle Dance, with Judy Robison. Visitors can also enjoy an artist talk, artmaking workshops, book discussions, a nutrition session, and a comedy event. Programming details will be posted on the Drinking Gourd Gallery website. All programming is free and open to the public.
The exhibition will be featured on the Drinking Gourd Gallery website as well as on social media using the hashtag #MISFORMENOPAUSEBABY
Drinking Gourd Gallery
Based in Raleigh, North Carolina and established in 2018, Drinking Gourd Gallery is a commercial art gallery offering the works of established, mid-career and emerging artists in a virtual setting. Looking back and ahead, the gallery is dedicated to artistic freedom and committed to showcasing diverse voices and perspectives. Known for its eclectic, ever-changing collection, Drinking Gourd Gallery offers a relaxed space for visitors to discover and shop for unique artwork and gift items.
Rocky Mount Mills
Located along the Falls of the beautiful Tar River, Rocky Mount Mills is a development of historic proportions, bringing together residential, commercial, cultural, and entertainment amenities in one unique destination. The 82-acre campus of this restored cotton mill showcases a bold approach to historic preservation - honoring the past while also breathing new life into the plank floors, stout timbers, and intricate brickwork of this storied place that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rocky Mount Mills features vibrant community gathering areas, abundant restaurant options, craft breweries, River & Twine a tiny house hotel, indoor and outdoor event venues plus light-filled residences and workspaces. It's
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
01/06/2026
Designed to solve a common problem in broadcasting, the automated workflow detects, identifies, removes, and documents copyrighted music
AudioShake has introdu...
01/06/2026
The sports-analytics company combines its data with proprietary AI to help leagu...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
SBS confirms its broadcast sponsors for FIFA World Cup 2026
1 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has secured Hyundai, Hisense, Macca's, Rexona, bet365, Com...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Marshall Electronics is showcasing a comprehensive lineup of next-generation POV cameras, purpose-built to power today's connected AV environments, at InfoC...
01/06/2026
Adobe Announces Concept to Vector
Deepa Subramaniam June 1, 2026
0 Comments
One of the biggest frustrations we hear from designers is how difficult it...
01/06/2026
Vampire Feature Night Patrol Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton June 1, 2026
0 Comments
Colorist shapes dark, gritty tone for horror thri...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
31/05/2026
Olivia P rez-Collellmir to Premiere Original Work at Gaud Centennial in Barcelona The Berklee graduate and faculty member will debut her choral symphony with...
31/05/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Wins 15 Awards at the Canadian Screen Awards - See Pho...
31/05/2026
Taiwan is home to more than 500 NVIDIA ecosystem partners. More than 1 million N...
31/05/2026
As factories move from isolated automation to plant-wide intelligence, manufacturers need AI systems that can connect live machine signals, quality systems, wor...
31/05/2026
The NVIDIA AI Cloud ecosystem is accelerating the global buildout of AI factory infrastructure. Partners are expanding capacity to meet growing demand from ente...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
North Carolina Artists Shine a Spotlight on the Menopausal Journey
