PNCA Hosts Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon

February 19, 2019

three women behind a computer editing Wikipedia

We're looking forward to hosting an Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon Wikipedia Edit-a-thon on March 9, 2019, in the Shipley Collins Mediatheque at PNCA from 10am-2:30pm. Sponsored by PNCA’s Albert Solheim Library, this event is part of a worldwide effort to improve coverage of cis and transgender women, nonbinary folks, feminism, and the arts on Wikipedia. The edit-a-thon will include tutorials for the beginner Wikipedian, ongoing editing support, reference materials, childcare, and refreshments. People of all gender identities and expressions are invited to participate, particularly trans and cisgender women and nonbinary individuals.

In a 2011 survey, the Wikimedia Foundation found that less than 10% of its contributors identify as women. This lack of inclusive participation has led to an alarming gap of content in the world’s most popular online research tool.

Art+Feminism’s Edit-a-thons and other initiatives make an impact on the gender gap through crucial improvements to gender, feminism and art related subjects on Wikipedia. Since 2014, Art+Feminism has organized and encouraged others to organize edit-a-thons across the world, creating and improving over 11,000 articles. Our project lives on Wikipedia, one of the largest websites in the world and the largest general reference work to date. But our work doesn’t end there. This year, we’re expanding our project focus to include correcting and expanding the histories of gender non-binary artists and activists on Wikipedia.

This is the third annual Art+Feminism Edit-a-thon PNCA has hosted and we are looking forward to presentations by Portland-based artists and scholars as part of the event. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops and charging cables. A limited number of computer stations will be available.

The Pacific Northwest College of Art Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon is organized by Linden How, Reference and Instruction Librarian, and Taryn Tomasello, PNCA alumna with the assistance of Jason Moore, Senior Wikipedian. The space is wheelchair accessible.