Dress Smart Auckland is celebrating Mother's Day this year by partnering with the local school Onehunga Primary to learn from tamariki what modern motherhood looks like to them.
Dress Smart invited students to paint or draw the special person they want to celebrate and display it in Dress Smart's first-ever Art Exhibition, which seeks to showcase how 'motherhood' and the makeup and language around whānau in 2023 look very different from what it once did.
Dress Smart ran several art sessions with the school, providing art supplies and 'mum' assistance to help with the creations and answer short questions about their māma.
The Art Exhibition occupies ample wall space inside Dress Smart with a QR code to scan to learn more about some of the notable people represented.
"In Aotearoa, we see significant diversity in what a 'whānau' is and who the important and influential women in our tamariki's lives are. Often our tamariki don't see that in books, online or in the media. That's why activities like this are so important," said Viki Holley, Principal at Onehunga Primary School.
Holley continued, "Our tamariki might have a mum, a whānau member, two mums, a close whānau friend, an amazing dad, or sometimes a fortunate teacher who fills that role. Some have a 'mum', but many children don't use that word - they have a 阿媽, māma, fa'ee or tinā. And while there are many differences, this art exhibition shows we all have one thing in common - we all love our tamariki very much."
Dress Smart representative Chanel Areta agrees, "We know the important role that mums,
grandmothers, mum-figures (and absolutely dads and other men!) play in the lives of whānau. We've had a wide range of responses, and we're so proud to present their hard work to you."
The 'Meaning of Mum' Art Exhibition is on display inside Dress Smart from the 1st of May to the 21st of May, with people encouraged to come along to show their support - and to learn more about the fantastic stories behind these important people.
"Mums matter. For many tamariki and rangatahi, that looks different to what it used to, and they must see that they and their whānau matter. We are honoured to be able to play a small role in making that possible," Arteta said.
