Madison Womyn's Music & Art Festival seeks to foster empowerment

Christin Light performs in Holo Mink during the first annual Madison Womyn's Music & Art Festival on Sunday. She was one of the event's organizers (Kait Vosswinkel/Madison Commons).

The High Noon Saloon was filled with hoop dancers, artists and musicians on Sunday during the first annual Madison Womyn's Music & Art Festival.

Thistle Pettersen, one of the co-organizers of the event, was inspired after visiting the venue during Girls Rock Camp Madison, and wanted to continue fostering a positive environment for female artists in the community.

“That's when I got the idea to highlight women in the arts and music at a festival,” Pettersen said. “The vibe at that event was very much about providing role models for girls.”

Pettersen grew up seeing an under-representation of women in music groups, and hoped that anDozens of painters, jewelers, ceramicists and other local artists filled the High Noon Saloon on Sunday during the first annual Madison Womyn's Music & Art Festival (Kait Vosswinkel/Madison Commons). event would solidify a community for female musicians in Madison.

“Women know how to play music, and I want us to get some publicity and to meet each other,” Pettersen said. “I want for us to network, and for us to create a women's empowerment culture through music, arts and a good cause.”

The event doubled as a benefit for The Demeter Foundation, which advocates for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women in Wisconsin.

Christin Light of Holo Mink, a performer based out of St. Paul, Minn., was excited at the chance to collaborate with other female musicians.

“I mostly play shows with guys, where I'm the only woman there – especially because I'm venturing into electronic territory,” Light said. “The only time I've played my music where there have been other women, it's been a competition. Thistle Pettersen announces raffle winners at the High Noon Saloon during the first annual Madison Womyn's Music & Art Festival (Kait Vosswinkel/Madison Commons). I just thought it would be fun to mix it up.”

Despite moving from Minneapolis to St. Paul while planning the festival, Christin became one of the co-organizers of the event. After three months of planning, the festival had grown into a form of its own, expanding beyond simply music to all sorts of artistic expression.

“We decided to highlight women in the arts, too,” Pettersen said. “We want to create a culture where women are the leaders, and where we're not in competition – where we're holding each other up.”

Pettersen and Light were not only organizing the event by contacting painters, jewelers, hoop and aerial dancers and musicians. The women were also preparing their own sets as performers. As Sunday's performances began, the community responded.

“I think it's been great,” Light said. “Sundays are a little more laid back, but we've had a steady stream of people coming in and out. There's just been a lot of appreciation, and it seems like everyone is having a great time. We're already kind of thinking that we would like to do this next year."