About Us

In 2012, US based artists Natalie Macellaio and Lesli Robertson established The Mother Load, in an effort to encourage dialogue and connection between women who balance artistic careers and motherhood. In 2011, Natalie had just given birth to her twins, Milo and Fina. She immediately reached out to Lesli, whose son Liam was 2, because they both needed to get back in the studio and did not know how to begin this next chapter of their lives as an artist and mother. The two started a series of long conversations and found that it was very difficult to locate other women in the field who were at this same intersection in their lives. We talked about other artists who became mothers; few and far between, or so we thought at the time. Those who we did know were very open to sharing their challenges and joys with us, filling a need we both had to understand what it meant to pursue both art and motherhood with our full selves. And through these conversations, The Mother Load project emerged.

As we began to network with other artists in our field, we found that this project could become a new dialog that could shape the way that we viewed our work, making a permanent impact on our professional lives. This project continues to grow alongside Liam, Milo and Fina. It has been a unique way, as an artist, to have a direct link to our children. Our collaboration and the ease of working with other women who understand these very important parts of our lives, gives way to new collaborations and dreams as an artist. We look forward to the next chapter.