Adult adoptees (23+) are invited to gather in a small, facilitated group to share and reflect on adoption-related objects that carry personal meaning. Hosted by AMS Ambassador Ellen Reeve—an adoptee and scholar of adoption’s material culture—this Zoom gathering creates space for careful listening, story-sharing, and layered conversation.
What is an adoption artifact? It may be an original birth certificate, photograph, letter, piece of clothing, jewelry, foster or adoption paperwork—or something less conventional, such as a lock of hair or even a birthmark. The object does not need to be visually striking, easily interpreted, or tied to a tidy narrative. Together, we will explore the complex meanings these artifacts hold—particularly those that originate from a time before the finalization of the adoption and continue to shape identity long after.
📖 Learn more about Ellen below:
Her blog post: My Uncle's a Sailor: A Journey of Reclaiming Birth and Belonging
Her publication in the Journal of Family Theory & Review: Becoming adopted: Rebuilding adoptive identity through artifacts
Her website: The Orphan Objects Initiative
*Space is limited - Six participants will be invited to the event.
*This event will not be livestreamed or recorded. If there is additional demand, we’d love to offer this special event again in the future.