FRESNO – Wikimedia’s “gender trouble” is well-documented. In a 2011 survey, the Wikimedia Foundation found that less than 10% of its contributors identify as female.
The reasons for the gender gap are up for debate; suggestions include leisure inequality, how gender socialization shapes public comportment, and the sometimes contentious nature of Wikipedia’s talk pages.
The practical effect of this disparity, however, is not. Content is skewed by the lack of female participation. This represents an alarming absence in an increasingly important repository of shared knowledge.
Christina Rea, Audience Engagement Coordinator at the Fresno Art Museum, wants to change that. She invites women to gather at the Fresno Art Museum, 2233 N. First Street, Fresno, Calif., on Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a two-day communal updating of Wikipedia entries on subjects related to art and feminism.
This satellite event is one of many simultaneous edit-a-thons happening this weekend across the globe. The strategy is two-fold: 1. Attempt to diminish the disparity between male and female artists represented on Wikipedia, and 2. Get more women editing on Wikipedia.
Organizers will provide tutorials for the beginner Wikipedian and reference materials. Bring your laptop, power cord and ideas for entries that need updating or creation.
For the editing-averse, organizers urge you to stop by to show your support. Women, women-identified, and male allies are welcomed. RSVP on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/1LOv3Wl) and sign into the event on Wikipedia (http://bit.ly/1JSsODZ).
Edit-a-thons are taking place across the globe on International Women’s Day weekend, March 7 and 8 . Confirmed satellite edit-a-thon hosts include: Morton R. Godine Library at The Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston; F/LAT, Brussels, Belgium; Los Angeles County Museum of Art in collaboration with East of Borneo; Canadian Women’s Art History Initiative, Concordia University and Eastern Bloc, Montreal; Fondation Galeries Lafayette, Paris; Albert M. Greenfield Library at University of the Arts, Philadelphia; Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.; College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA; and online in a Google Hangout with Addie Wagenknecht, with many more in development.
This local event is organized by Christina Rea, Audience Engagement Coordinator at the Fresno Art Museum.
Contact Christina at christina@fresnoartmuseum.org or (559) 441-4221 ext. 105.
