MOTHRA: Artist-Parent Project

MOTHRA: Artist-Parent Project is a Toronto-based artist collective founded in 2018 to support and advocate for artists who are also parents or caregivers. The collective runs integrated residency programs where artist-parents work alongside their young children, challenging the dominant expectation that artists must sever personal relationships to succeed professionally. MOTHRA also publishes a zine, organizes exhibitions, conducts sector-wide research (including a national survey of Canadian artist-parents), and engages in feminist activism and institutional advocacy. Grounded in feminist theory, DIY culture, and intersectional awareness of how race, class, gender, and geography shape caregiving experiences, MOTHRA works to normalize children's presence across all levels of the arts sector. The project acts as a catalyst for new work, skill-sharing, collaboration, and community dialogue about the relationship between caregiving and creative practice.