SIAT students invited to help amplify women and non-binary artist representation on Wikipedia in participation with the Surrey Art Gallery

On March 8, students in SIAT will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Surrey Art Gallery for their event Art & Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon.

The Surrey Art Gallery event, in partnership with Rungh Magazine, is inviting IAT 222 Interactive Arts students and members of the public to celebrate International Women's Day through direct-action editing by researching, developing, and deepening content about underrepresented women, Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) and non-binary artists.

Gender inequities in digital public infrastructure like Wikipedia contribute to a bias in content and language, as well as the erasure of knowledge and histories of women artists and communities.

The goal of the event is to help close this information gap related to gender, feminism, and the arts, beginning with Wikipedia.

At the event, participants will learn how to research, create a user account, publish Wikipedia pages, and edit and maintain entries. Participants are welcome to come up with ideas for entries that need updating or creating. Pre-researched artists and artworks from the Gallery’s permanent collection will also be available for entry.

The event is an opportunity to promote female editorship, gender equality, and support BIPOC representation while reflecting on the diverse global art histories on one of the most popular public sites. 

Students taking IAT 222 Interactive Arts this semester with professor Gabriela Aceves-Sepulveda will be visiting the gallery in February to explore the winter exhibition "un/tangling, un/covering, un/doing" and its permanent collection.

The students will also have the opportunity to celebrate International Women's Day with direct action by participating in the Take Communal Action event to make on impact on Wikipedia.