UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Technology meets art on Friday, March 29, when a Penn State wikistorming event, the 2019 Art+Feminism Wikipedia edit-a-thon, invites the public to drop by for exciting presentations throughout the day, to encourage the editors and to participate in (re)shaping knowledge on Wikipedia.
The fifth annual daylong event is part of a worldwide event of numerous satellite edit-a-thons scheduled to take place in March at universities and museums across the country and internationally, including locations in Amsterdam, Paris, Moscow, Brussels and Berlin.
Penn State’s Art+Feminism edit-a-thon, sponsored by the University Libraries, the College of Arts and Architecture, School of Visual Arts and the Graduate Art Education Association (GAEdA), begins at 10 a.m. March 29 in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, on the University Park campus. Interested participants are welcome regardless of level of technology knowledge or experience.
Karen Keifer-Boyd, professor of art education and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, is coordinating the Penn State Art+Feminism edit-a-thon, which she calls an “empowering” effort. She has been involved in similar collective efforts to edit Wikipedia entries.
“We would like the public to join us in person or from afar via Zoom video conferencing for the presentations on the half-hour throughout the day, and by adding articles and information about artists, feminist curatorial practices, feminist art pedagogy and other topics absent from Wikipedia,” she said.
Kimberly Henrikson, 1988 alumna with a bachelor of arts degree in art history, said, “I strongly believe in supporting efforts to increase the visibility of women and gender non-binary artists. Because Wikipedia often acts as an initial resource for reference — rightly or wrongly — about artists, providing educational opportunities like these, which expand the technical skills and knowledge needed to contribute to the online content, is invaluable for improving the coverage of traditionally unrepresented or underrepresented communities.”
Keifer-Boyd was encouraged by alumni to bring the annual Art+Feminism wikistorming event to Penn State annually after coordinating the first event in 2014.
“I was hooked and have coordinated the annual event each year since, joined by many others who believe in the work. I love to witness participants beam with accomplishment as they make their first edits in (re)shaping knowledge. Each year participation has grown with people participating both in person at the all-day event and from afar, particularly from the other Penn State campuses, but also alumni,” she explained.
Ilayda Altuntas, a doctoral candidate in art education in the School of Visual Arts who joined the edit-a-thon last year, returns as a presenter and facilitator to add feminist artists who work with soundscapes and sound art.
“It was empowering to contribute to the editing and learn to reshape Wikipedia. Gathering in a space filled with scholars to combat Wikipedia’s gender gap and coverage of women in the arts was a highly empowering experience,” Altuntas said.
The March 29 Penn State event includes lunch, funded by Graduate Art Education Association (GAEdA).
For more information about the Penn State Art+Feminism wikistorming event and to sign up to participate, visit https://tinyurl.com/PSUart-fem19.