By Adrienne Boudreau:
The biennial WNY Women in the Arts Festival is already a few days underway, but it’s not too late to check out the entire month of March’s events.
The festival, organized by Canisus College music professor Dr. Carole Harris is an over-month long celebration of women’s creativity, highlighted with a week of free events by ArtsCanisus on the campus. Concerts by professional musicians, BPO embers, Canisus faculty, art shows, lectures by professional artists and student recitals are all included in the event schedule.
Harris found inspiration from organist and composer Dr. Barbara Harbach, who organized a year long women in arts festival at the University of Missouri’s St. Louis campus.
“Even in the 2000’s there are male conductors out there who write off women composers, the pocket of them is getting smaller-but it’s still out there,” said Harris.
All music in the festival is written or composed by women, though not exclusively performed by women.
“Even in modern days your event might not get a lot of exposure if you put women composers on the program, who people don’t know like they know Beethoven or Mozart or Bach. People aren’t jumping up and down to subscribe if you don’t have those big-name composers,” she said.
Though many of the events are classical music related that only traces back to Harris’s roots as a classical musician, the full schedule is full of variety with art exhibits, jazz performances and lectures.
On March 7, Andi Zeisler, co-founder of BITCH magazine, will give a lecture on “Why Pop Culture Matters to Feminism, Activism and Social Justice” for free at 7 pm., at the Montane Cultural Center, Canisus College.
On Wednesday, March 5, Harris’ inspiration for the festival, Dr. Barbara Harbach, will give a lecture on “21st Century Women Composers,” at noon, also at the Montane Cultural Center.
“Women’s interest and creativity go on everyday of the year but bringing a focus on it during Women’s History Month is important to getting people to remember and appreciate what they might have missed,” said Harris.
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Photo: Dr. Barbara Harbach presents “21st Century Women Composers” on March 5, at noon, in the Montante Cultural Center, Canisus College.