FARMINGTON—The UMF Art Gallery is hosting an Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon on, Saturday, March 25. The event will begin with a panel discussion at 10 a.m. followed by Wikipedia editing workshops from 12 to 5 p.m. The event is open to all; no previous experience is required and beginners are welcome. Light refreshments and childcare will be provided.

This is the fourth year Art + Feminism Edit-a-thons will be taking place internationally and the first year the program comes to Farmington. The event is one of hundreds of Art + Feminism Edit-a-thons happening all around the world throughout the month of March.

The event aims to improve coverage of women online and also to promote female editorship, noting that the gender imbalance on Wikipedia is well documented, reporting less than 10% of its editors were women as of 2014.

The day will feature a panel discussion about navigating information online and how to meaningfully address the underrepresentation of women on the internet. The panel will include artists Ann Bartges (new media) and Melissa Thompson (performance), Hope Williams (sophomore), Sarah Maline (curator) and arts activator Abby Flanagan.

“Wikipedia is both praised and criticized for its democratic model,” said Flanagan, “It is shared by all of us, the users and the editors. By contributing content to this growing body of knowledge, we directly combat terms such as ‘alternative facts,’ and ‘fake news’ by becoming more engaged and aware of online sources.”

According to event coordinators, the event is incredibly inclusive in that rural communities can tap into the larger network, needing only access to the internet. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop and power cord, though some loaners will be available.

Each year, the core group of Art+Feminism organizers meets in New York City at the Museum of Modern Art and they report over 300 node events happening in six continents. (http://www.artandfeminism.org/our-story/)

RSVP by emailing artandfeminism.edit.me@gmail.com or find the event on the UMF Art Gallery Facebook page. Childcare is available and requires advance registration: please include details on number and age of children with RSVP if applicable. 

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