what is ladyfest?

Ladyfest Tacoma is an event celebrating, encouraging and showcasing the talents of female artists and performers. We're giving women the space to create, share, shine and hold an event that gives back to the community in support of women. All proceeds from the event will be donated to DAWN, a South-Sound non-profit organization whose mission is to end domestic violence by empowering survivors and fostering communities where abuse is not tolerated.

the lineup

• Deborah Page

  Best described as a combination of melodic funk, folk, and beats with hypnotic electric guitar and haunting vocals that will find a place deep inside of you and stay there.

• Voxxy Vallejo

  performs powerful blues with a little southern kick, and looks forward to melting the stage and heating up the crowd for Ladyfest 2009.

• Brit Baab

  How do you bridge the gap between your dancy pants hyper colored rapping self and your country twangin’, whiskey guzzlin’, guitar strummin’ self, and all the other selves in between? Haphazardly I guess, cause you don’t sound too stable to begin with and who could ask for anything more?

• Civita

  exists because we all missed hearing women on radio. We want to bring back Heart, Jefferson Airplane, show that women can front bands. We're excited for Ladyfest because this festival celebrates creative women and benefits important women's causes.

• Mary Win & Meredith Connie

  Tacoma's only all-girl duo was formed very recently when two solo performers who mix up folk and pop in their songwriting decided to try playing together.

• Starstruck

  is an all girl "tween" band from Tacoma playing their own material and covers including Nirvana, Hole, Paramore, Pink, and Billy Idol.

• Tammy Robacker

  A poet and writer in Tacoma, Tammy owns a freelance writing and marketing communications company called Pearle Publications. Her poetry has appeared in Plazm, Women's Work, The Wild Goose Poetry Review, and the Allegheny Review.

• Mindy Barker

  Tacoma born and raised Mindy Barker creates ReMixes for those with small space and a gigantic need for art. Each piece is an individually hand painted, magnetized canvas or paper covered compact disc, signed, numbered, and sold separately with a paper case and metal wall display mount.

• Lindsy Read

  , owner of LMR Photography, combines her passion for photography with her eclectic art styles. She uses collage and paint along with photographs to create unique pieces.

• Mirka Hokkanen

  is an artist and crafter who takes her inspiration from nature to make prints, cards and sewn animals. She loves to incorporate green ideas in her works by using recycled paper, fabrics, and yarn whenever possible.

• Ann Koi

  is a visionary psychedelic and cute pop surrealist painter.

• Jada Moon

  is a fiber artist who specializes in artisan t shirts, tanks and arm warmers.

• Jayme Ferrari

  A local artist, Jayme, aka Mural Girl, creates wall murals in children's bedrooms, hand painted silhouettes and custom silhouette jewelry of loved ones.

• Jaime Cantara

  is a local abstract artist whose work is feminist in nature and inspired by the female form. Her art is meant to be both visual and tactile, inviting the viewer to viscerally experience her work.

• the BareFoot Collective

  is a member-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting movement and related arts in the community through education, development and presentation of works by professional artists.

HERstory

Ladyfest is a community based, not-for-profit, festival established to highlight female artists, performers, bands and musical groups.

This festival came about as a result of the DIY ethic and "Riot Grrrl" movement in Olympia, Washington as well as the many contributions by authors on inclusive feminist philosophy. The first LadyFest was held in Olympia, Washington in August 2000 with over 2000 people attending. Prime motivators in the event were Sleater-Kinney, Cat Power, and Neko Case. The primary organizers of LadyFest are women, but everyone is encouraged to attend and participate in the festival.

Since the first Ladyfest, events like it have been held around the world in locations such as Amerstdam, Atlanta, Belgium, Berlin, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Brooklyn, Dublin, Lansing, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Orlando, Ottawa, Philadelphia, San Fransisco, San Diego, Seattle, Toronto, Washington DC, and more. Primarily organized by local volunteers, each festival is held independently of other Ladyfest events. Proceeds from Ladyfest are donated to non-profit organizations dedicated to eliminating the sexist oppression of women.

Proceeds from Ladyfest Tacoma benefit Domestic Abuse Women's Network (DAWN). A silent auction will also be held at the event to raise funds for this worthy cause.

 

the schedule

1:00    Opening / Artists on display

3:30    Tammy Robacker

4:00    the BareFoot Collective

5:30    Starstruck

6:15    Meredith Connie and Mary Win

7:00    Civita

7:45    Brit Baab

8:30    Voxxy Vallejo

9:15    Deborah Page

our donors

press

Download the press release (PDF).