Pacific’s fifth annual MENSCH Festival, funded by the Center for Gender Equity, was held on Sept. 14 and promoted gender equity through various art displayed by both students and people from the community.
Since its founding five years ago, the festival has grown. Some of the artwork showcased ranged from jewelry and feather accessories to panoramic paintings and charcoal drawings.
Many of the artists found their way into the festival by email or posters around campus and this year, the festival was definitely larger than that of previous years.
“It’s bigger, we’ve got artists from Portland and attendance is more than we thought it would be,” said Katrina Lungren, who helped put on the event. “We’ve got about 20 artists showcasing art, ten students and 10 from the community.”
Michael Zane, a sophomore pursuing an art degree, had a stand of showing off his Hawaiian tattoo designs, many of them on shirts and posters.
“This festival is a great way to let people know that there are artists here on campus,” he said. “There’s a good atmosphere, it’s very positive here.”
Zane started his art career off at the age of 12 drawing sea animals, before branching off and becoming interested in tattoo design. He still incorporates sea animals in his designs.
Lauren and Dannika Sullivan, freshmen sisters, were anxious and happy to show off their art at the festival.
“This festival is just a good way to show of art to people,” said Lauren, who displayed her acrylic paintings and sketches of landscapes. Dannika shared her charcoal drawings of people.
The MENSCH Festival didn’t just showcase art; it also showcased musical talent.
In addition to the food and drinks provided, participants were able to sit down and enjoy music played by students themselves.
Alma Desnuda (meaning “Naked Soul” in Spanish), returned to the stage again this year after its successful performance at last year’s festival. The San Francisco band loved seeing the larger crowd this time around.
“Being able to come back and build each time is huge,” the members said. “We liked the vibe, it was a great setting.”
After their performance, the band sold autographed merchandise and announced that they could be found on Pandora and iTunes.
With the diversity of art, music and various other entertainment, this year’s MENSCH Festival was a great way for Pacific students and the community to come together.
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