SWAN Day CT — SWAN stands for Support Women Artists Now — has been going on ever year for 10 years. Parties are held simultaneously at locations worldwide to celebrate female visual and performing artists and welcome the people who want to support them.
But this year’s celebrations seems to have taken on added importance, the event’s Connecticut organizer says.
“It’s a fortunate and unfortunate thing that it took a political race to sort of open peoples’ eyes to more things involving women … to give women their due,” says Jennifer Hill, a singer-songwriter who performs annually at the event and who is known as “Mama Swan.” “It gets the momentum going even more.”
A “Nasty Women New Haven” exhibit open now showcases work by female artists and supporters of women’s rights. The worldwide “Nasty Women” movement arose out of the results of the recent presidential election.
“A lot of the SWAN women are in ‘Nasty Women,’ too. Some of the ‘Nasty Women’ artists said they are coming to SWAN Day,” Hill says.
SWAN Day CT is Saturday, March 25, starting at 5 p.m., at Trinity on Main, 69 Main St. in New Britain. Admission is $18 online, $20 at the door.
The SWAN Day movement has grown globally, Hill says, to more than 2,000 events happening on the same night. The New Britain celebration is Connecticut’s only SWAN event.
The celebration is made up a dozen or so female-fronted bands and female artists, including painters, video artists, designers, artisans, burlesque performers Mistress Leona Star, Vivienne LaFlamme and Harley Foxx, and dancers Visceral Movement Dance and Anatolia Firedancer.
The hosts of the event are Ryan Kristafer, who is host of CT Style on WTNH, and Ebony Amber Parish of Torrington, an artist and designer.
The bands’ frontwomen will perform wearing designer clothing and with styled hair and makeup, Hill says. After their performances, they will show off the clothes in a ramp show. The designers were curated by Hartford Fashion Week organizer Katrina Orsini.
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As in previous years, Kerry Kennedy of West Hartford will paint live on stage. A new feature this year is Kaylee Doll of North Haven, who will paint a female model on stage. Her artwork will take about five hours; she will start at 7 p.m.
Among the other visual artists to participate are Laura Urban of Middletown, Marsha Tate and Mandi Martini of Torrington, Jennifer Jacobs and Nicole Frances of Hartford , Claire Cronkhite of Meriden, Christiane Obrian and Angela Pinney of Manchester, Virginia Smeghini of Bridgeport, Lauri Maffeo of Wallingford, Stephanie Nave of Waterbury, Emily Falkowski and Sarah Elizabeth of Bristol, Marium Majid of New Haven, Adrienne Marie of New Britain, Mary Beth Oliver of Milford and Patti Rothberg of Westchester, N.Y.
Trinity on Main has a full bar and concession stand. In addition, food vendors including Hardcore Sweet Cupcakes, Underground Truffles and Olive a Little will set up booths.
SWAN DAY CT is Saturday, March 25, starting at 5 p.m., at Trinity on Main, 69 Main St. in New Britain. Admission is $18 online, $20 at the door. https://www.showclix.com/event/SWANDAYCT2017.
