It's Time to Talk
The Menopause Art Exhibit Gallery
Morgan O'Donnell
Kelli Judkins-Cooper
Denise Weaver Ross
Victoria December
Victoria December
Born in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, Victoria has traveled and resided in many other states; and now has the pleasure and privilege of calling Albuquerque, New Mexico home. As a loving, proud and devoted single mother, Latina, Feminist…a LGBT fiercely passionate and capable old school Femme (with a modern edge), a two time cancer survivor, an advocate for equality and inclusion, a faithfully devoted partner, and believer of the power of love, Victoria feels a sense of belonging, responsibility, empowerment and freedom in the expression of art. University of New Mexico Alumni, with Bachelor’s in Sociology, Psychology, Family Studies, and Women’s Studies- Feminist Theology. Victoria is a new artist to the exhibition world but has celebrated her work and passion as an artist for over 27 years through private commissioned pieces and collaborations.
You can contact Victoria about commissions at OneLoveDecember17 @ gmail.com.
a luz empoderadora del amor - $800
30 in x 24 in
Acrylic on canvas
“la luz empoderadora del amor,” meaning the empowering light of love, is a dedication piece first and foremost to my daughter, Madison, who has unknowingly been my inspiration, my strength, and my guardian angel from the moment she was in my womb…and every day thereafter. The love of my daughter, more specifically the love of being her mother, along with my faith and spirituality is what got me through a very sad and lonely time in my life. When my cancer returned, I was given the option for a hysterectomy and was told that I may go into early pre-menopause. So many fears, questions, shame, guilt, depression, and anxiety centered around the alienation and stigma’s society places on women, our worth, our abilities and all that encompasses our very womanhood seemed to be all laid out for me and others like me if we allowed. This was something I couldn’t accept. The love of and for my daughter, along with the love of and for my faith/spirituality (specifically, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the blessed virgin), is where I found my pride and love in my womanhood, and having pieces of my insides removed, never changed the fact that I am a fiery, loving, and capable woman.
This piece can be purchased through the National Minority Health Alliance's THEart Alliance. The Buy Now button will take you there.
Made possible by:
Support Menopause Awareness
1.3 Million Women Enter Menopause Each Year. We Have to Stop Ignoring Them.
Glamour, October 2020
What is Menopause?
Actual menopause is when a woman/person has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. Menopause is often used as an umbrella term for the 3 stages of menopause: perimenopause, which can begin 8-10 years prior to menopause; menopause; and postmenopause, where symptoms can continue to be experienced for a decade or more. All 3 stages can be marked by a variety of symptoms (some research has suggested up to 34 different symptoms) or, for some women/people, no symptoms, or very mild symptoms.
About This Project
When I first started thinking about this project I didn’t see a lot of people talking about menopause. Heck, when I started experiencing perimenopause, my first doctor chalked things up to stress at work and prescribed anti-anxiety medication. This was a woman doctor too. Eventually I found a doctor who knew about menopause and was fortunate to have my own support group born out of a program run by a company called Gennev.
Now, a few years later there are several FemTech companies focused on menopause and women’s health. I see more and more female celebrities talking about menopause and their experiences, including Oprah, Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more.
This is wonderful, but not everybody pays attention to celebrities. Not everyone can afford to get healthcare or education from private pay FemTech companies. So I wanted to help raise awareness about this topic that every woman who is fortunate enough to live long enough will experience. I also wanted to share women’s voices on the topic. And I wanted to do it in a way that resonates with me and that is art. I was fortunate that my proposal also resonated with the City of Albuquerque’s UETF Resiliency Residency committee! More recently, The National Minority Health Association has also signed on to help support the project.
Menopause and Work
“Menopause often intersects with a critical career stage. It usually occurs between ages 45 and 55 – which is also the age bracket during which women are most likely to move into top leadership positions (technically 53.46 years old for a CEO). Since menopause generally lasts between seven and 14 years, millions of postmenopausal women are coming into management and top leadership roles while experiencing mild to severe symptoms such as depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation and cognitive impairment, to name a few. A recent Korn Ferry analysis finds that women hold only around 25% of C-suite positions. If we want to continue to move the needle on the number of women in leadership roles and maintain their valuable contributions to a company’s bottom line, I believe we need to be more open about what menopause is and how it affects both individuals and organizations.”
“It’s Time to Start Talking About Menopause at Work” by Jeneva Patterson for Harvard Business Review
Other Headlines and Resources
- It's Time to Start Talking About Menopause at Work, Harvard Business Review, February 2020
- 1.3 Million Women Enter Menopause Each Year. We Have to Stop Ignoring Them., Glamour, October 2020
- Why We Should Celebrate the Joys of Menopause, AARP, May 2020
- Don’t hide the menopause – celebrate its creative power, The Guardian, August 2018