Bookends by Mindi Rose Englart and Lily Grace Sutton. Photo: Lucy Gellman

By |

As the 50th anniversary of the first edition of “Our Bodies, Ourselves” approaches, a New Haven museum has launched an exhibition featuring art inspired and informed by the book.

The exhibition, also titled Our Bodies Ourselves, features a variety of media created by more than 70 artists. The works are on display at the Ely Center of Contemporary Art through April 10.

The exhibit includes participatory installations like Megan Shaughnessy’s video work, which is presented with a custom, wearable 13.5 pound “empathy sack” (offering viewers the experience of sharing gestational weight); sound art like Nicole Gugliotti’s cascading ceramic wall, which whispers the personal, powerful stories of women in her community; and relational aesthetic works, like Nadine Nelson’s Kitchen Sanctum, a participatory experiential space centered on wellness, self-care, and nurturing, where visitors are invited to help cook and sample globally-inspired soothing food and potions.

OBOS founders Judy Norsigian and Joan Ditzion were on hand for the opening reception on March 10. They joined author and artist Rachel Kauder-Nalebuff, Freedom Cup co-founder Vanessa Paranjothy, naturopathic physician Ginger Nash, and moderator and Yale associate professor Crystal Feimster for a lively panel discussion on what life is like as a woman today and what has and hasn’t changed in the last 50 years.

To find out more about the exhibit and the art within it, see:

“Our Bodies,” With Old And New Eyes

A fabulous article from the New Haven Arts Council featuring wonderful photos and descriptions of the different art works.

The Personnel Are Political

A New Haven Independent article that focuses on the panel discussion and the history of “Our Bodies, Ourselves.”

Throughout the run of the exhibit, the Ely Center will host a series of related public programming, including film screenings, workshops, and artists talks.