Writers Marathon to commemorate Women’s Day

FLORENCE, ITALY – On March 7, 2014, the Advancing Women Artists Foundation, with the support of Syracuse University in Florence and the U.S. Consulate General in Florence, will commemorate International Women’s Day with a unique event called, “Women Artists and Wikipedia,” an Editing Marathon whose purpose is to bring together scholars, writers, art historians and art lovers to generate Wikipedia entries spotlighting the achievements of women artists, both historical and contemporary.

According to a 2010 survey, less than 13 percent of the 20,572,652 editors who contribute to the world’s most well-known online encyclopedia are women. This lack of female editorship may be one of the causes behind the dearth of information on women of historic significance online. Wikipedia, with its 470 million users per month, is a fundamental repository of shared knowledge – yet innumerable women artists have been either omitted entirely or do not have substantial pages appropriate to their standing.

Florence’s upcoming Editing Marathon is inspired by a recent worldwide effort on February 1 which saw the participation of the Advancing Women Artists Foundation in Florence as one of 31 satellite events organized at universities, museums, art libraries and cultural centers in Italy, the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K. and the Netherlands. Over 100 new entries on women artists were generated, including pages submitted by the Advancing Women Artists Foundation for several women artists whose works populate Florence’s museums, such as Renaissance nun-artist Suor Plautilla Nelli, Medici court artist Giovanna Fratellini, eighteenth-century copy artist Irene Parenti Duclos and twentieth-century Nabis painter Elisabeth Chaplin.

“Our last event’s success has encouraged us to organize another Editing Marathon, so that a vaster public may participate. It’s another step in a journey whose final goal is to value the lives and works of international women artists who have significantly contributed to Florence’s cultural wealth,” says Dr. Jane Fortune, founder of the Advancing Women Artists Foundation, a non-profit American foundation whose mission is to research, restore and exhibit art by women in Florence’s museums, churches and storehouses. “The city is a treasure trove for art by women. It’s time this fact became common knowledge.”

U.S. Consul General in Florence Sarah C. Morrison commented, “I really love the idea that women’s history now has the opportunity to go digital. Information may be lacking in the history books, but now it will be available to everyone online. Secretary of State John Kerry recently reminded us that ‘no country can get ahead if it leaves half of its people behind. This is why the United States believes gender equality is critical to our shared goals of prosperity, stability, and peace, and why investing in women and girls worldwide is critical to advancing U.S. foreign policy.’ It is a great source of pride to see the Advancing Women Artists Foundation, a U.S. non-profit organization, continue to grow and flourish here in Florence. The AWA’s mission is aligned with one of the mission goals of the Consulate, and other U.S. Consulates and Embassies around the world: that of promoting equality and advancing the status of women and girls.”

The Director of Syracuse University in Florence, Sasha Perugini, directly involved on numerous fronts to try and promote a different appreciation of gender-diversity, expressed her enthusiasm for being able to actively take part to this event.

The event will be held on Friday, March 7 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at Syracuse University in Florence, Piazza Savonarola, 15, Florence.

Volunteers can receive a list of suggested artists or sign up to “adopt an artist” by writing to [email protected].

Wikipedia entries or edits spotlighting each artist’s life and works can be written on site at the ”Women Artists and Wikipedia”event or sent to the above e-mail address by March 7. Entries can be written in English or Italian. No prior Wikipedia experience needed. Attendees should bring their own laptops, tablets and power cords. Admission is free but participants must confirm their attendance in advance.