Unplanned Parenthood

By Michelle Hartney

September 13 – December 8, 2024

Opening reception: Friday, September 13, 2024 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Free

Light refreshments are included, and alcohol will be served to guests with proof of age. Alcohol served to guests 21+; ID required.

Accessible accommodations include a ramp entrance and elevator. If you need additional accessibility options or wheelchair seating, please contact us at info@imss.org.

Parking and Directions can be found here: https://imss.org/plan-your-visit/

About the exhibit:

Unplanned Parenthood is a collaborative mixed media installation about the history of birth control and the role racism played in the fight for reproductive justice in the United States. In 1928, Margaret Sanger published a book called Motherhood in Bondage, a selection of the 250,000 vulnerable and desperate letters the Planned Parenthood founder received in the 1920s asking for advice about birth control and contraception at a time when any information about such reproductive healthcare was deemed “obscene,” and disseminating it was punishable by law. Some wrote that they would rather die than be pregnant again. Many were living in extreme poverty, had abusive husbands, and suffered multiple miscarriages and stillbirths. This installation is centered on the stories of these mothers who longed for reproductive justice.

About the artist:

Michelle Hartney is a Chicago based artist and activist. Her work focuses on gender rights, reproductive healthcare issues, and cancel culture. Utilizing fiber, ceramics, wood, embroidery, and social practice, she has completed projects that address birth control access in America, obstetric abuse, postpartum PTSD, gender affirming care, and the roles racism and misogyny play in maternal health outcomes in the United States. Her interest in using art to address social issues began during her graduate studies in art therapy at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Hartney often offers cathartic actions for viewers to participate in. She has collaborated with the ACLU, Improving Birth, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, & Neonatal Nurses, and Birth Monopoly to raise awareness about reproductive health issues.

Hartney has performed guerrilla activations at The Art Institute of Chicago and The Met, calling on cultural institutions to provide the truth about artists they represent and context about problematic work in their collections. Her work has been published in the New York Times, CNN, BBC Radio, The Guardian, Ms. Magazine, Vice, PBS, Women’s Health, Artnet News, and Hyperallergic.

This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

The International Museum of Surgical Science acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.