RICHMOND, Va. — A Richmond art installation opening Friday aims to honor motherhood while shining a light on a sobering public health reality: Black women die at three times the rate of white women due to pregnancy-related complications.
Artist Haywood Watkins said the piece, called A Shrine to Motherhood, was inspired by the duality of Mother's Day — a day of celebration for many, but also one of remembrance.
"I can still hear their advice. I can still hear the stories they would tell that serve as a compass," Watkins said.
The installation, made up of over 1,500 live flowers, will be on display at 7 East Cary St. in Richmond. Watkins said the concept took shape after he encountered a statistic while working in New York.
"When I first heard that black women die at three times the rate of white women due to pregnancy related complications, I genuinely thought seeing that stat that it must be something from the 40s, and to find out that it's still present and has been getting worse over the last decade was really disheartening," Watkins said.
Watkins partnered with local floral designer Meredith Wheeler to create the one-day show, which features 250 bouquets stacked on top of one another.
"Sort of like how you would see a makeshift memorial on the ground," Wheeler said.
Wheeler said the installation is meant to add deeper meaning to the tradition of giving flowers on Mother's Day.
"I feel like, to add some more meaning to just giving a bouquet to your mom, taking a step back and thinking about what it means for those who aren't able to experience that," Wheeler said.
All proceeds from the show will benefit Virginia Union University's Doula Certification Program, which works to directly change the statistics that inspired the work.
Watkins said he hopes the piece inspires action.
"It is a solvable issue. It's something with more awareness, information, funding, training, we can reverse the stats. It doesn't have to be the way it currently is," Watkins said.
The installation will be open to the public Friday, May 8, from 6 p.m. at 7 East Cary St. in Richmond. Click here to learn more about the event or contribute to the cause.
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