In this episode of Mother And …, photographer Adrienne Maples reflects on her two decades behind the camera and the ways motherhood has shaped her creative vision. Maples has developed an artistic style that blends reality and fantasy, often layering multiple images to create magical, composite portraits. She speaks candidly about balancing her life as a single mother, artist, and business owner, and how her daughter has inspired her work through different life stages. Maples also shares her concerns about the influence of social media on young people and the intentional choices she has made to nurture her daughter’s creativity. Her story serves as a reminder of how parenting can fuel artistic practice and reimagine beauty in an image-saturated world. This conversation is part of the Mother And … exhibition, on view at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center in Kansas City from September 5 through November 21, 2025.
