This unique, free community event combines an open mic opportunity for women and their allies to tell personal stories, political education and hands-on art with Orion artist Showey Howey. This grassroots effort is designed to build on the energy of the Vaginas Take Back the Capitol of Michigan rally earlier this summer.
“Community is powerful. With this inspiration, the team has put together a unique program to celebrate and advocate the rights of women. Our creative-political action is all about building community around women’s stories,” said Hasbrook.
WHEN: Saturday, July 28 – 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
WHERE: Gone Wired Café, 2021 East Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI 48912
The theme for the open mic is Our Choices: Personal stories about women’s rights, bodies and lives. The goal is to provide a respectful environment where women and their allies can share stories drawn from their lives and the lives of women around them. (Participants are encouraged to sign up in advance by emailing vaginavoicevote@gmail.com.)
“It is crucial that we have an avenue where women’s stories can be heard,” said Melissa Osborn of the Peace Education Center. “We are in an era where women’s rights are becoming systematically dismantled, and we need to make sure that everyone around us can see what is at stake by making this personal, not just political.”
The political education element will offer voter registration information, a voter guide on primary endorsements from Michigan NOW and information on the political process.
The unique art event allows participants to bring their own “unmentionables” (preferably cotton and light-colored laundered without fabric softener) so that they can work with eco and fiber artist Howey to decorate them using stamps, paints and stencils. (A limited supply of free undies will be available for budding artists to work on.)
Creation stations offer collage and fiber art; no artistic experience is required. Individual collages will be shaped into one display at Gone Wired, and later returned to participants. Most supplies are provided; magazines are needed.
The event is co-hosted by the Women’s Rights Task Force (Peace Education of Greater Lansing) and the Lansing Area Chapter of NOW (National Organization for Women).
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