I’m delighted to invite you to a meaningful and visually rich presentation, Motherhood in Art, which I will be giving on Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 from 4:30–5:30 PM EST at the Scarsdale Public Library in anticipation of Mother’s Day. Click here to register.
Explore Motherhood In Art
Fra Filippo Lippi’s Mother and Child with Two Angels, 1460-1465
As both an artist and art historian, I’ve long been fascinated by how artists across time have explored the idea of motherhood—not just as a role, but as a powerful, evolving expression of care, identity, resilience, and connection. Fra Filippo Lippi’s exquisite Mother and Child (above) is one of many images
In this talk, we’ll journey through centuries of art, discovering how motherhood has been depicted in different cultures, eras, and artistic movements. From tender, symbolic representations in early religious works to intimate, everyday moments captured in Impressionism and modern and contemporary art, these images reveal how deeply motherhood is woven into the human story.
Rather than focusing solely on struggle, this presentation highlights the richness of motherhood—its beauty, complexity, strength, and emotional depth – and the enduring bonds between parent and child.
Whether you’re an art lover, a parent, or simply curious about how universal themes are expressed visually, this talk offers a fresh and uplifting perspective.
Hybrid Presentation
This is a hybrid presentation—you can attend in person or online.
Scarsdale Library – an ideal place for a talk!
I enjoy giving talks here, which is why I keep coming back. This is my fourth talk at the Scarsdale Library, a wonderful space with a large 2 story screen that offers the opportunity to look closely at details and compositional elements in a grand space. It’s a uplifting, comfortable space with ample parking. What more can we ask for at an event like this?
Previous hybrid talks that you can view include A Bitesize View of Food in Art with Beverly Shipko, Creativity in Bloom: Flowers and Art, and A Magnificent Menagerie – Animals in Art.
Registration Requested
Click here to register to come In-Person or attend Online. It’s especially important to register in advance if you’re attending virtually to receive the zoom link an hour before the presentation begins. And it will begin on time. Registration closes 3:00pm on Tuesday, May 6.
Bring a bit of an appetite since Bonnie, my younger daughter, is serving light refreshments. A rough head count will help her plan quantities of “bites” and drinks. The last thing we want to do is run out of food!
And how could we not serve food? It’s a long standing tradition at any Shipko event.
Bring Your Family and Friends!
The more, the merrier. Please feel free to invite your friends and family by forwarding this blog post. This is a public event.
Transportation
The Scarsdale Public Library is located at 54 Olmsted Road, in Scarsdale, NY right off Boston Post Road in Southern Westchester Country. For those who plan to drive, parking is plentiful in the library lot and on the nearby side streets. Because of the positive response to this talk, and other simultaneous library events, parking could be more challenging than usual. Please allow extra time to park.
For non-drivers from NYC, the Scarsdale train station is on the Metro-North Railroad’s Harlem Line from Grand Central Station. The station is fairly close (1.6 miles or 5 minutes) and easily accessible by taxi, Lyft or Uber.
Questions?
Finally, for additional information, please go to the website at scarsdalelibrary.org or call (914) 722-1302. You can always contact me directly at beverlyshipko@mac.com or 914-954-7779.
Now the question for me is how is to organize and edit a large amount of material on this epic topic into 45 minutes….! I’m up for the challenge!
Come celebrate Mother’s Day with a new visually exciting perspective on motherhood through the lens of art. Following the formal presentation, I will be available for questions (and chatting, of course!). I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, May 5th at 4:30pm EST!
