[unTITled]: how a breast cancer survivor learned to say goodbye to her boobs

Co-curated with Tiffany Antone, who recently went through breast cancer and a double mastectomy, this exhibit will offer space for community, connection, and healing through conversations around breast cancer and breast removal. Tiffany, and a community of artists with shared experiences of breast cancer, will showcase visual, literary, and performance artwork, and the Octagon will invite community members to participate in interactive art-making opportunities. This exhibit will interrogate our cultural obsession with breasts, bring light to the sometimes fraught (and oft-times under-realized) connection we have to them, and give voice to the myriad complicated feelings that comes with letting them go. 

From Co-Curator and Featured Artist, Tiffany Antone:  In fall of 2021 I had my first ever mammogram, which led to a breast cancer diagnosis and a double mastectomy.  Facing down the time-crunch of having to decide very quickly whether I wanted to also have reconstructive surgery, I found myself confronting an internal stew of contradictions.  I discovered that my relationship to my breasts was much more complex than I realized, and while having them removed was the correct health-wise course to take, reconciling myself to this new, now-altered, body has been a very tortuous experience. It is the complexity of this journey which left me yearning for ways to connect with others not only about breast cancer, but also about what breasts mean to them and what our breasts (or lack thereof) mean to the people around us. 

Octagon Class Discounts!

During the run of this exhibit, breast cancer patients, previvors, and survivors will receive a 20% discount on the purchase of an art class at the Octagon. Register in- person or call the Octagon Shop (515-232-5331) between January 5 – 21 to receive the discount. (Youth art camps excluded.)

Octagon Dance Studio

Join Melissa, founder of Soulful Healing Yoga, for a restorative yoga practice. This type of yoga is rooted in supporting the health of the body and the brain – rewiring functions of the nervous system – by enhancing the ability to reduce stress and process it; boosting the immune system; reducing muscle tension – imagine a sense of completely being able to let go! – and providing tools to learn how to relax and self-soothe. Each shape will be held in a supportive manner with no muscular strength required.

Combine this with yoga nidra, a “yogic sleep” in which the practitioner is in a state of consciousness between wake and sleep that allows for complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation. By allowing your physical body to fall into deep relaxation, you’ll withdraw from your senses and the world around to sink into greater inner awareness and in this meditative state.

This class will have seated and reclined positions, both on the floor. If you have a blanket, pillow or bolster, yoga mat, and blocks of your own, please bring them. If you do not have these items, no worries! Please let us know upon registration and they will be provided for you. If you prefer to do this class seated in a chair, please let us know as well.

This event is geared toward breast cancer patients, survivors, and previvors. However, anyone is welcome to join! No prior yoga experience is required. Please register (for free!) here by January 5th. 

Octagon Community Gallery

Bring your notebook and pen, and invite your muse to write to writing prompts inspired by the Octagon exhibit, [UNTITLED]: how a breast cancer survivor learned to say goodbye to her boobs.

After introductions and creating a safe space, we will write together for timed intervals. After each session of writing, participants will have the opportunity to read their stories to the group, which is healing on many levels, and a self-care surprise.

This afternoon of writing is led by Ana McCracken, founder of the Ames Writers Collective. For the past year, Ana has led virtual Writing Circle Wednesdays for the William R. Bliss Cancer Resource Center. Writing Through Cancer Writing Circles are inspired by the Amherst Writers & Artists method, which believes that everyone is a writer.

RSVPs for this free event are not required, but preferred. Please email ana@ameswriterscollective.org for questions and to RSVP. Visit ameswriterscollective.org for more information about Writing Through Cancer writing circles.

Quotes from Writing Circle Wednesday Participants:

“I’ve come to regard Writing Circle Wednesdays as an integral part of my cancer treatment. As much as I appreciate the efforts of my medical team and support from family and friends, I still feel an “aloneness” in this journey. Writing Circle Wednesdays has proved a convenient opportunity to air my worries, concerns, hopes and fears that only another cancer patient can truly fathom. It is a safe space to share insights, tears, and laughter.” —NJ

“This has helped with chemo brain SO MUCH.” —KG

“Living with cancer is a lonely journey. Only those who have been or are on that same journey truly understand the emotions, fears and challenges we face each day. I was hoping to gain some insight into how others coped with their diagnosis. I not only gained that, but also came to understand more fully my own reactions to my personal cancer story. This was a valuable experience for me. I don’t feel quite as alone as I did.” —PP

Octagon Main Gallery

Join Tiffany, and a host of talented artists, as they share an uncensored look at their breast cancer experiences through poetry, short plays, narrative essays, and a dash of stand-up comedy. Told with humor, heart, and sincerity, this performance offers audiences an opportunity to connect more deeply to the artists’ journeys, and one another. 

Image: “Heavy Lift” by Tiffany Antone.