Infertility can be intense: intensely painful, intensely isolating, intensely emotional.
UWM Associate Professor of English Maria Novotny helps people capture that intensity and turn it into something beautiful. Novotny is the co-director of The ART of Infertility, a national arts organization that curates exhibits that showcase the struggles, joys, and realities of people living with infertility.
During National Infertility Awareness Week in April, Novotny was able to bring the organization’s work to New York City. In collaboration with Progyny, Inc., a fertility benefits management company helping private insurers provide insurance coverage for fertility-related service, and RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, The ART of Infertility curated and hosted an exhibition titled, “Light the Night: Stories through A.R.T.” which featured artwork from infertility patients from around the United States.
Over 200 fertility providers, advocates, and other stakeholders from around the U.S. attended the events to raise awareness surrounding reproductive struggle and grief, which often remains invisible and stigmatized in everyday life. The exhibit was shown in the Hudson Mercantile venue in Manhattan.
Not only was the art on display, but so was the group’s message: Novotny and her colleagues were able to light the Empire State Building in orange, the color symbolizing infertility awareness, for all of New York City to see.
“So much of the infertility experience is invisible; art can illuminate the pains and joys of trying to build a family,” Novotny said. “The ability to collaborate with fertility leaders and advocates at this exhibit also demonstrates that artistic storytelling can bring communities together and ignite social change.”
Progyny, Inc. reported the exhibit was well-received and featured over 25 patient-artists from around the country. It was a moving example of people’s grief, hope, and resiliency depicted in their own artistry. It also demonstrated how Novotny’s innovative approach to storytelling and art can foster community engagement and awareness for an often-overlooked aspect of reproductive healthcare.
View some of the pieces on display at the exhibit.
By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science