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Heed the call of the Siren Nation Festival
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Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside at the Crystal Ballroom. Photo by Liz Devine.
Today marks the beginning of the Siren Nation Festival. Siren Nation describes itself as a collective, and as you might expect, the approach the organization takes to promote the arts community in Portland embraces all kinds of creative products. The four-day festival will feature female artists of many makes and mediums as well as numerous works that draw attention to the accomplishments made by women in different spheres as well as the pitfalls that accompany their jouneys.
Siren Nation's mission "is to inspire and empower women of all ages to create their own art and to highlight the many achievements of women in the arts." The festival's offerings provide some striking local and national examples of women who have devoted their lives to the acts of creation and expression, whether it's the composition of catchy pop ditties or revolutionizing the role of women in politics.
The latter subject is explored as part of the festival's film offerings, which will run from 12:00 to 5:30 at the Hollywood Theatre on Saturday, November 7. Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority details the career of the first Asian-American women to serve in the House of Representatives. The Congresswoman grew up on a sugar plantation on the island of Maui, spoke out publicly against the Vietnam War, and authored Title IX, which opened the door for women in public schools to participate in all educational and recreational opportunities. The filmmaker, Kimberlee Bassford, also grew up in Hawaii and currently heads a documentary film production company in Honolulu.
On the musical side of the spectrum, the Siren Nation Festival's musical lineup will perform at the Someday Lounge at 8:00 that Saturday. Bands for that night include Y La Bamba, led by Luz Elena and her lithe and introspective voice, and Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside. Ford lived in Asheville, North Carolina until her move to Portland in 2006, and her blend of Americana and power pop has helped to sell out her upcoming show with the Avett Brothers in her former town this December.
An arts and crafts sale as well as several workshops round out the final day of the festival. The workshops will focus on such topics as electronic music techniques taught by local sonic architect, Heather Perkins, dance, and quilting guerilla-style. The schedule of educational sessions can be found here and will all be held at the Kennedy School. All workshops are free of charge. If you have a budding artist of any gender in your household or wish to cultivate your own interests, you should spend some time with the Siren Nation this weekend.
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