Celebrate Women’s History Month in March with art, activities, and activism in Scranton
From a press release:
Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers, Artists, and Musicians (W.A.M.), in conjunction with the Lackawanna County Commissioners, have announced the inaugural use of The Globe Gallery in downtown Scranton to celebrate National Women’s History Month. The first event the venue will host is a kickoff on Friday, March 3 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. in conjunction with First Friday Scranton. The interactive exhibit is called “Festival of Bows” and will be free and open to public.
Anyone interested in celebrating the achievements of both local and global women is invited to participate. Viewers will be able to enjoy an array of activities to view, make, take, or create bows while sampling international snacks. The works created or submitted on the night of March 3 will become part of a bigger collaborative installation.
The collected bows and artwork donated or submitted on March 3 will showcase and highlight this year’s international theme, “Be Bold for Change.” As a symbol of female unity, each bow is made from one thread with opposing sides that are brought together, finding the loopholes within a knot in the inaugural International Women’s Day exhibit called “Female Threads: Boldly Unfurled,” opening Wednesday, March 8 from 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
It will be an evening of guest speakers, writers, performers, and musicians celebrating female achievements from the past to the present on this global day set aside to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
Co-directors Constance Denchy and Roxanne Pauline explain more:
For NEPA, the arts will feature prominently, showcasing musicians, photography, art, and events for both children and adults. The goal is to awaken local pride that will present, preserve, and inspire the possibilities of our collective shared visions for the future. We believe these collective local visions will serve as a keystone to showcase how “Bold for Change” we can be!
The bow is a symbol for Lackawanna County’s International Women’s Day and a symbol for NEPA’s historic connections to the textile and fashion industry! We are hoping by getting the word out with the story behind the bow, our greater NEPA community will join us in displaying or wearing a bow during March! The bow will serve as a tangible way to celebrate the collective story of our community and the bold women – wives, mothers, grandmas, aunts, sisters, healthcare providers, teachers, public servants, reporters, caretakers, mill workers, food servers, and businesswomen – who have worked tirelessly, their achievements humbly interwoven into the very fabric that has blanketed the Children of Anthracite Legacies (C.O.A.L.) with love! It is an unseen story worth sharing. Like the individual women of our area, there is no one correct color, size, or way to wear a bow. People can buy one or make one or many – the point is to rally the community to show their pride for the female faces of NEPA with a “bow”-dacious show of awareness for the month of March.
Established in 1911, International Women’s Day is a global celebration. This will be Lackawanna County’s first annual International Women’s Day event, joining forces with all who follow this tradition by motivating, inspiring, and shedding light on women in education, business, science, art, medicine, public service, health, and many other fields, encouraging proactive change for the future of all women, to champion unheard women’s voices, to break barriers, and keep visible women’s achievements and plights.
The Lackawanna Historical Society is providing W.A.M. with 12 local women to highlight during the entire month. W.A.M. will conclude the month with a conference at The Ritz Theater in downtown Scranton that will include refreshments, speakers, and breakout workshops.
The full month of activities and events is listed below. Anyone who wants to get involved and participate can reach W.A.M.’s planning committee directors on Facebook.
W.A.M. March events:
Friday, March 3
First Friday – “Festival of Bows”
An interactive installation: snack, chat, view, make, take, or donate
(a general call for bows and crocheted items)
Location: The Globe Store Gallery (123 Wyoming Ave., Scranton)
Time: 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
Cost: Free and open to the public
Wednesday, March 8
W.A.M. International Women’s Day – “Females Threads: Boldly Unfurled”
A community collaborative installation: speakers, music, poetry, performances, and Ms. BOWtiful Contest
Location: The Globe Store Gallery (123 Wyoming Ave., Scranton)
Time: 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
Cost: Free and open to the public
Saturday, March 11
W.A.M. Women’s History Month event – “Bold for Change” float
Women writers, artists, and musicians marching for bold changes
Location: Scranton St. Patrick’s Parade
Time: Noon
Cost: Free and open to the public
Wednesday, March 15
W.A.M. National Women’s History Month event – “Ladies of Letters”
An authors high tea will be served while meeting and greeting guest authors
Includes round robin readings leading into book signings and sales
Location: Rossetti Estate (1001 Vine St., Scranton)
Time: 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Cost: $20 pre-registration required, limited to 25 people
Open to all writers or bibliophiles wishing to participate
Tuesday, March 21
W.A.M. National Women’s History event – “Rock Music from Women and About Women”
Highlighting local female rock groups that focus on proactive messages about being women
Location: Irish Wolf Pub (503 Linden St., Scranton)
Time: 3 p.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, March 24
W.A.M. National Women’s History Month event – Symposium: “From Sappho to Emo: Women, a History within a History”
In a true Ancient Greek tradition of symposium, all will gather to drink, eat, and talk to a guest panel of diverse women exploring the economic, social, and political institutions that have formed us.
Location: TBA
Time: 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Cost: $20 for advance tickets, $30 at the door
Ages 18+, seating is limited to 300
Saturday, March 25
W.A.M. National Women’s History Month event – “Women in 2017: Engagement, Motivation, and Education”
Breakout workshops, speakers, performances, activities, and lunch
Location: TBA
