Correcting Wikipedia’s Gender Trouble

Pittsburgh Artists and Researchers Join International Movement To Add More Women to Internet’s Largest Encyclopedia

Back-to-back editing marathons on Friday, Feb. 26, and Saturday, March 5, inaugurate Pittsburgh’s first Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, free and open-to-the-public “meetups” dedicated to introducing more women in the arts into Wikipedia, and empowering women to edit the Internet’s largest encyclopedia.

Carnegie Mellon University’s event is from noon to 7 p.m. in the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry (College of Fine Arts Building), and will include an emphasis on women working at the intersection of art and technology. The following weekend’s event on March 5 takes place from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the University of Pittsburgh’s Frick Fine Arts Building and will coincide with the New York City chapter’s Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon at the The Museum of Modern Art in advance of International Women’s Day on March 8.

Both Pittsburgh Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thons are happening in solidarity with Art+Feminism, led by Siân Evans/Art Libraries Society of North America’s Women and Art Special Interest Group, Jacqueline Mabey/failed projects and Michael Mandiberg, in collaboration with the Professional Organization for Women in the Arts (POWarts) and The Museum of Modern Art, and with support from Wikimedia of District of Columbia.

Led by regional artists, researchers and curators, these walk-in events welcome people of all gender identities and expressions, including transgender, cisgender and gender non-conforming women, to participate. No prior Wikipedia editing knowledge is necessary. Introductory tutorials for the beginner Wikipedian, reference materials and group research sessions will enable people to participate at their own pace.

Wikipedia’s gender trouble is well-documented. Wikimedia’s 2013 study, “The Wikipedia Gender Gap Revisited,” revealed that 84 percent of Wikipedia’s editors were male. The Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-A-thon seeks to encourage more women to contribute entries on female-identified artists and creatives of all backgrounds and correct the bias inherent in the lack of female participation.

Initiated in 2014, Art+Feminism events have attracted significant interest around the world, with more than 1,500 participants at more than 75 events in 2015 that resulted in nearly 400 new pages and substantial improvements to 500 articles on Wikipedia.

CMU Art+Feminism Wikipedia Meetup
Friday, Feb. 26, 12 – 7 p.m.
Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, College of Fine Arts Room 111
Contact: CMU Visiting Assistant Professor of Art Angela Washko, awashko@andrew.cmu.edu.
For information on disability services, send email to access@andrew.cmu.edu.

Tutorials will be held at 12 and 4 p.m. Register online.  Refreshments will be provided, and a limited number of computer stations will be available, so please bring your laptop and power cord, if possible.

As part of the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry’s Design & Alterity series (Feb. 25-27), this event will focus on adding and enhancing articles about women and non-gender conforming artists working at the intersection of art and technology, although no one will be discouraged from adding individuals in other fields.

Participants are encouraged to prepare a list of names for Wikipedia entries that need to be added or updated. For those not interested in making articles, there will be opportunities to help research and network with other participants.

This event is organized in a collaborative effort by Kevin Brophy, Brittany De Nigris, Echo Eggebrecht, Lauren Goshinski, Kate Hansen, Claire Hentschker, Thomas Hughes, Golan Levin, Leah Mackin, Jill Miller, Adam Milner, Katie Rose Pipkin, Melissa Ragona, Suzie Silver, Lee Webster, Alisha Wormsley, Madeleine Varner and Angela Washko.

Pitt Art+Feminism Wikipedia Meetup
Saturday, March 5, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Frick Fine Arts Building, University of Pittsburgh
Contact: Independent Art Critic Alexandra Oliver, alexandra.oliver@gmail.com.
For more information on disability services on site, contact Kate Joranson at kmj19@pitt.edu.

Tutorials will be held throughout the day. Register online.

This inclusive one-day event brings together diverse communities to create and improve Wikipedia articles related to women in the arts. The day includes, artist presentations, tutorials for beginners (no prior Wikipedia experience is necessary), library resources and research help on site. Youth and teens are welcome and women/artists of color and diverse gender expression and ability are especially welcome. Childcare (requires RSVP), lunch and refreshments will be available.

Schedule of Speakers / Performers
11:11 a.m. - Tabernacle of Immaculate Perception w/ Bekezela Mguni, Joy KMT
12:20 p.m., Lunch - Sabren Kadhim, City of Asylum
1:15 p.m. - Christiane D

This project is supported in part by a Seed Award from The Sprout Fund. Sprout Seed awards are modest financial awards ($500–$10,000) that provide critical financial support for projects and programs in the early stages of development, when just a small amount of investment has the potential to yield big results in the community. This project is also supported by Google and the University of Pittsburgh Library System.