The ART of Infertility

May 17, 2014

The ART of Infertility, a play on words for ‘assisted reproductive technology’, is an international art, portraiture and oral history project, and traveling art exhibit. Founded in 2014, the organization has conducted over one hundred interviews, curated innovative art exhibits, hosted writing and art workshops, and mentored college students invested in advocating for reproductive healthcare.  Through all these activities, the organization explores how individuals represent their experiences with infertility through creative outlets such as writing, art, or other multimodal means. Several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters (in fields such as the medical humanities, technical communication, and rhetoric) have been published on the significance of the work conducted by this organization.

In 2023, organization leaders Elizabeth Horn, Maria Novotny, and Robin Silbergleid published an edited anthology from this project. Infertilities, A Curation highlights the varied perspectives of individuals who have lived with infertility and include perspectives from women, men, and nonbinary and transgender individuals, as well as heterosexual couples, single parents by choice, and lesbian and queer-identified couples. This collection intentionally makes visible the emotional depths of infertility. From diagnosis and treatment, adoption, or living childfree, to miscarriage and pregnancy loss, editors, writers, and artists explore the range of experiences with infertility and their psychological, physical, and emotional impacts in all aspects of life. This carefully curated anthology reveals that infertility cannot be reduced to a singular narrative; instead, it is an assemblage of multiple embodied moments. Whether a reader comes to this book as someone personally affected by infertility or someone who wants to learn more about the experiences of individuals facing reproductive loss, Infertilities, A Curation invites readers to consider how creative practices such as art and writing can aid in efforts to heal individual traumas and more broadly as means of advocacy.

This creative fusion of art, storytelling, and medicine was recognized by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, which honored The ART of Infertility with the 2018 Hope Award for Innovation.  A list of current exhibits and events can be found on the project’s website.

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