We hosted a Reproductive Well-Being Art Show last month and… It was a HUGE success.
The idea for a Reproductive Well-Being Art Show came out of a learning cohort honestly founded to explore how Power to Decide’s reproductive well-being framework can be used to improve sexual and reproductive health in Oklahoma County. Our Reproductive Well-Being Learning Cohort started in late 2023 and included professionals, youth caregivers, and young people who all showed interest in improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
The learning cohort was intent on promoting reproductive well-being (RWB) in the Oklahoma City metro. Everyone within the cohort also agreed on the power of creativity, and how it could be used to support access to sexual health education and resources. With these two beliefs in mind, the idea for a RWB art show was born.
We had a vision, but first we need the artists. There is so much artistic talent in Oklahoma City, and many artists already engage with the community via arts festivals and other city-wide events. We specifically wanted to give a platform to artists of every level – including young people who may not see themselves as fitting under the “artist” title. The submissions included a variety of mediums from artists of all ages and all backgrounds, and, most importantly, the artwork highlighted a wide range of reproductive well-being experiences.
Here are the pieces included in the art show:
And what would an art show be without the guests! We invited the entire collaboration as well as friends and neighbors from around the city. Attendance included some of our board members, friends from the county health department, and employees of our partner organizations. The artists also shared the opportunity within their circles, so we got to share our mission and vision with so many new faces.
To make the event even more engaging, we provided interactive art activities focused on promoting discussion on reproductive well-being topics. These activities included a table with quick-drying clay where attendees made body-positive sculptures and clay-versions of contraceptive methods. Another table instructed participants to select five words from a word bank to turn into a poem related to RWB topics.
And lastly, a portion of the room was dedicated to Biograffs and helping attendees tell a story about their own reproductive well-being experiences. This visual storytelling tool is a unique way to process experiences and communicate perspectives, in addition to just being fun and creative to play with!
The following visual stories were created using Biograffs.
Overall, we just want to say thank you to the artists and the attendees, because YOU are why this event was such a success. We hope everyone who was able to come left feeling empowered and motivated for the social change we can make in this community!
