More than 30 artists interpret the many meanings of motherhood in an exhibition now on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

“Picturing Motherhood Now” focuses on work created in the last two decades by such artists as Wendy Red Star and LaToya Ruby Frazier, while integrating work by significant pioneers (Louise Bourgeois, Alice Neel, Betye Saar) to present an intergenerational and evolving story of motherhood.

In their art, made in a variety of media, motherhood becomes a lens through which to examine contemporary social issues — the changing definitions of family and gender, the histories and afterlives of slavery, the legacies of migration and the preservation of matrilineal Indigenous cultures.

According to CMA Director William M. Griswold, “‘Picturing Motherhood Now’ examines contemporary interpretations of motherhood against the backdrop of the CMA’s encyclopedic collections. Visitors to this compelling exhibition will understand how these artists challenge traditional representations of motherhood and how they diverge from historical treatments of the theme.”

“The subject of motherhood touches every human life–and its representation has been a major theme throughout the history of art,” added Emily Liebert, curator of contemporary art. “Images of motherhood reflect the eras and cultures in which they were created, and the art of the present is no exception. The artists whose work is in Picturing Motherhood Now cast new light on our own time.”

The work will be on view through March 13 in the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Gallery at CMA, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland.

Tickets for the special exhibition are $12 for adults, $10 for students and senior citizens, and $6 for member guests. CMA members and children 11 and younger are admitted free. For tickets or more information, go to clevelandart.org or call 888-CMA-0033.