Local Mother, CBC Studuent looks for help from local restaurants for breastfeeding project

2009 Oct 10
Leave a Comment Tweet this

Help with Breastfeeding study

A local Tri-Cities woman, Erin Schmidt, is looking for help from local restaurants who are in support of the right to breastfeed in public. If you are interested in this subject, please read below:

To restaurant owners in the Tri-Cities area,

My name is Erin Schmidt. I am an Art & Multimedia Technology student at Columbia Basin College. Over the next 10 weeks I will be working on a photography project to satisfy requirements for my degree. I am looking for participants in the community to help me in this educational venture.

The goal of my project is to shed light on issues that result in unsuccessful breastfeeding. Many times successful breastfeeding is hindered when women are made to believe that nursing in public is an obscene act. When nurturing children involves feeling socially shunned, mothers have an enormous challenge continuing to breastfeed. Recently, at a Hermiston civic facility, a mother was pressured to nurse her infant in the nearest restroom stall. I hope to share the feeling of shock that breastfeeding proponents had at this news.

I am considering calling the series, “If Eating Was Obscene”. I have two imagery goals that need public settings.

The first is to portray everyday eating establishments, full of customers, all of whom are eating their meals with blankets draped over their heads, covering up the obscene act of eating.

The second is to portray people, from all walks of life, eating in restroom stalls. Imagine, an old man in a stall, with his plate on his lap, fork in his hand, and napkin tucked in his shirt.

This is a very sensitive topic for some people. I completely understand if you are uninterested in participating in the project. However, if you are interested in helping me, you will not only be involved in my education, but you will also be a participant in creating thought provoking, empowering art.

For the dramatic effect I am looking for, and for the least amount of disturbance at the location, I would like the photographs to be taken during off hours. I have many volunteers who are excited about participating. We will order and pay for any food we need, we are not looking for anything other than locations.

I hope you consider being involved in my project. I am very excited about it, and I look forward to working with local business to see this project take shape.

Thank you very much for your time,
Erin Schmidt

Please Leave a comment (by clicking the box in the upper right hand corner) if you have information or a desire to help Erin.