B-Girl Be 2005

B-GIRL BE SUMMIT
:: A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN IN HIP-HOP ::

art . dance . dialogues . dj . fashion . film . graf . history . media . poetry . rap . b-girl bbq

JUNE 2–5, 2005
INTERMEDIA ARTS
Minneapolis, MN

Intermedia Arts presents the B-Girl Be Summit, a multidisciplinary event celebrating women in hip-hop. The summit brings together international, national and local girls and women in hip-hop to Minneapolis for dialogues, art-making, screenings, performances, workshops and networking opportunities. The B-Girl Be Summit showcases live performances, films, videos, workshops, panels, and the first international exhibition of art in the Midwest created by women involved in and influenced by hip-hop.

Graffiti artists Lady Pink (NYC), ZORI 4 (Puerto Rico), Phem 9 (Kansas City), Siloette (Phoenix), Toofly (New York) and Asia One (L.A.); DJ Kuttin Kandi of the Anomolies (NYC); MC Psalm One (Chicago) and Poetess/MC Desdamona (Minneapolis); B-Girls Asia One (L.A.), Beta (Oakland), Seoul (Twin Cities), and Shorty (L.A.), keynote speaker Gwendolyn Pough, PhD; and photojournalist/historian Martha Cooper will perform, present, and engage in panel discussions and workshops alongside local Minneapolis/St. Paul artists.

The B-Girl Be Summit is the culmination of B-Girl Be: A Celebration of Women in Hip-Hop, a multimedia festival encompassing the four elements of hip-hop—MCing, DJing, breakdancing, graffiti—and more. The mission of B-Girl Be is to open doors to the community of all ages and cultures to celebrate the accomplishments of women in all elements of hip-hop culture. This first annual event is a place to make connections, build confidence, sharpen skills, and to gain access to the tools to create music, film, poetry, rap, aerosol art and dance.

Preceding the summit, B-Girl Be kicks off with an exhibit of multimedia work by women in hip-hop, the first international exhibition of art in the Midwest created by women involved in and influenced by hip-hop culture. The exhibit features local, national and international artists from South Minneapolis to South Africa. The exhibit runs April 22–June 11, 2005. The celebration continues in May with exploratory workshops designed to introduce women in the Twin Cities to disciplines within and about hip-hop—graffiti, rap, hip-hop dance and digital media. 

Over the last two years, a group of Twin Cities’ women have been meeting weekly at Intermedia Arts to develop the idea and concept for B-Girl Be. This winter, with money raised through fundraisers, sponsors and foundations, Intermedia Arts took a chance to produce the first-of-its-kind women in hip-hop summit in the Twin Cities. Women of all ages, colors and nationalities will convene to celebrate hip-hop and share their knowledge, skills and experiences with the world. For the first time ever Intermedia Arts’ exterior will be painted by an all-female crew. B-Girl Be comes at a crucial time in hip-hop, where images of women are often stereotypical and one-sided. It is the intention of B-Girl Be: A Celebration of Women in Hip-Hop to dispel these myths and demystify the roles of women in hip-hop.