MamaCita consists of both visual artists (painters, printmakers, collage artists, sculptors) and crafts people (jewelers, fiber artists, ceramicists). All members are active and serious artists/artisans and all members are mothers.

While some of MamaCita's members are represented by local galleries and some participate in local art shows and festivals, all of its members struggle to balance their responsibilities as a mother with their need for a creative outlet. MamaCita gives female artists working in isolation a voice. MamaCita's mission is to help each member reach her respective professional goals.

History of MamaCita - Melissa Tevere

In 2005, I founded MamaCita.

At that time, my children were four and one and I was struggling to be a mom and a wife while continuing to create meaningful art. It had been almost 20 years since I had graduated from art school and I knew no other working artists. Conversations with other moms consisted of the retelling of birth stories, complaining about spouses and housework and talking about our children. I felt like my identity as an artist was disappearing. I still made art but it sat in my studio, facing the wall.

I knew that in order to start showing and selling my work, I first needed a support network. And I needed a network that consisted of artists who shared the same experiences as me - art school graduates who hadn't given up the dream of making art but were also busy raising families - a mother's cooperative in the arts; a group of women who would support and encourage each other and look for group exhibition opportunities; a group of women that would share the responsibilities of promoting our work and installing our exhibitions; and a group of creative, smart women who would brainstorm ideas about how to get our work out there in the public's eye and on the walls of their homes.

I spoke with my sister, Loretta Borko, who was also an artist and mom. She became excited about the idea and came up with the name MamaCita. I began telling people about MamaCita, acting as if it were an already well-established group. If you build it, they will come. And sure enough, women who were also artists and moms, friends of friends, mother's of my children's classmates, etc., started coming out of the woodwork. I could not believe how many artists/moms there were in my immediate community! MamaCita was born.

Remember that woman I was telling you about in the beginning of this story - the other frustrated art school graduate? Well, she's a member of MamaCita now too - Lisa Basil. Check out her work!