EP 61: Designing Motherhood, Part 1 | Zoe Greggs & Gabriella Nelson

Why have the designs of motherhood remained hidden? What can we learn from the design history of pessaries? How can we expand the definition of motherhood? Zoë Greggs (she/they) is a Black, queer, femme, nonbinary Philadelphia-based artist and non-profit administrator. She holds a BFA from the University of the Arts with a concentration in printmaking and book arts. In 2020, they participated in ArtWell’s Equity fellowship program that champions the power of women and nonbinary people of color as change agents to tackle institutional race and gender bias in their organizations and beyond. Zoë is also the Curatorial Assistant for Designing Motherhood, where she brings her expertise of community engagement, project management, and art history. In addition, they co-leads the Designing Motherhood Storybanking Initiative, which utilizes the power of storytelling to advocate for a future where caregivers can birth with dignity, parent with autonomy, and raise babies who are healthy, growing, and thriving. Through their passion for Black feminism, critical race theory, and systems change, they strive to create processes and joyful relationships that uproot systemic harm and shift mainstream narratives about our shared history and trajectory. Gabriella Nelson is a mother and city planner, possessing a strong interest at the confluence of urban development, public health, and critical pedagogy. She currently works as the Associate Director of Policy for Maternity Care Coalition, advocating for the best policies and practices regarding maternal-child health and early learning. She believes the city is for everyone, especially for those who want to stay after bearing decades of disinvestment and devastation. Gabriella has lectured widely on topics of maternal-child health, city planning and advocacy, including at TEDxPhiladelphia. Gabriella is interested in redesigning cities, systems and policies that oppress and work against the liberation of those historically left behind. She identifies as a problem-solver, an inquisitive thinker, and a creative person whose experiences and opinions are deeply rooted in her womanhood, motherhood, and Blackness.