Event:Wikicurious: Rewriting the Canvas on Wikipedia

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About the event

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Wikicurious: Rewriting the Canvas on Wikipedia is happening on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 from 5pm - 8pm at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, North Carolina hosted by the North Carolina Wikipedians User Group and Wikimedia NYC.

We'll explore the concept of content gaps on Wikipedia--particularly in the area of music and visual art from Black Americans and other underrepresented groups. The training will be led by Dr. Amy Carleton (MIT), co-founder of Black Notes Project.

This event is perfect for anyone looking to learn more about Wikipedia and how to create and edit articles related to art and artists. Artists can also come to learn how to navigate having a profile on Wikipedia and tips on how to get reliable sources in their pages.

About Wikicurious

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Wikicurious is a beginner level series that trains participants on how to edit Wikipedia, in order to promote free access to the world’s knowledge. Wikimedia NYC started the pilot in New York, is expanding this program across the country, and is pleased to be doing our first event in Charlotte. The Wikicurious series is supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies. Both Wikimedia NYC and the North Carolina Wikipedians User Group are official affiliates of the Wikimedia Foundation.

About The Bechtler Museum

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The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is a vibrant hub of artistic exploration and inspiration located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte. As the only museum in the Southern United States dedicated to European and American modern art and its legacies, the Bechtler is rooted in a remarkable era of art history from the collection of the Zürich-based Bechtler family.

About Black Notes Project

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Black Notes Project is a Charlotte-based music festival and nonprofit with the mission of celebrating and amplifying Black American music and artistry. Their third annual music festival weekend is coming January 2026 in Charlotte, NC. Follow @blacknotesproject for more.

Registration and Instructions

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Register here AND on our Eventbrite page.

Light bites and drinks will be available (cash bar), but please bring a laptop to edit, as we will have a limited number available for those who need it.

Attendees will need a Wikipedia account to edit pages; create your account here, before the event. Please note Wikipedia usernames are public. You do not have to use your real name; it is recommended to use a pseudonym or nickname for your username.

For further questions, contact info[at]wikimedianyc.org.

All attendees are subject to Wikimedia NYC's Code of Conduct.

Getting There

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GPS Address for The Bechtler Museum: 420 South Tryon

Levine Center for the Arts Parking Garage

  • GPS Address: 130 West Brooklyn Village Ave, Charlotte, NC 28202
  • $10 off parking validation coupon available at the admissions desk
  • From parking garage, take the Plaza Elevators to Level P. Take a left and you will see the Bechtler’s terra cotta building across the street.

Public Transportation

  • Charlotte Area Transit System bus routes 2, 16, 18, and 19 stop within walking distance of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.
  • LYNX Light Rail: Get off at 3rd Street Station at the Charlotte Convention Center. For additional information, visit the Charlotte Area Transit System website or call 704-336-RIDE.

Agenda

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5pm | Guest Arrival

  • Check-in and grab food
  • DJ Maal spins

5:30pm | Program begins

5:45pm | Dr. Amy Carleton

  • Theme: Black Modernism
  • Intro to Wikipedia
    • Wikipedia:Five pillars
    • Anatomy of a page
    • Talk page
  • Work List
  • Q&A

6:30 pm | Edit-a-thon

  • DJ Maal spins
  • Attendees can spread out across the museum, and edit/create Wikipedia articles amongst the art

7:45pm | Wrap-up

FAQs

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How reliable is Wikipedia?

Who edits Wikipedia?

Also worth knowing about

Thinking like a Wikipedian

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Basic guidelines, communication customs, editing customs

The focus here is on developing your "Wikipedia hat," so you can read and evaluate Wikipedia articles based on Wikipedia's standards, not those from your own areas of expertise. (n.b.: Modified from exercise created by User:AmandaRR123)

File:Editing Wikipedia brochure EN.pdf
Editing Wikipedia brochure EN

Read over the following Wikipedia policy/guideline pages, and then use what you've learned to evaluate one of the articles listed.

(Hint: Read "nutshells" and intros most carefully, then skim the rest of each policy/guideline page. That will give you the sense you need.)

Articles to evaluate: pick one, and use your new "Wikipedia hat" to evaluate them. How might they be improved?

Rating and Communicating on Wikipedia

Some options for making your first edit (and beyond!)

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Citation Hunt: A tool from made by volunteers and hosted on Tools Lab to help where [[citation needed]]

Some articles from WikiProject African Diaspora to edit or expand.

Some stub articles related to art and artists to edit or expand.

Requested Articles list (search and sort by affinity area!).

Amy's Handout: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZTp5laO8l_NdQPKh4xlq4r6nC_sQtPqmDfeOpEPoS90/edit?usp=sharing

Sainted Trap Choir if you want to edit!

Training to edit Wikipedia

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Going forward: some resources to help you determine what and how to contribute

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Good Digital Citizenship and Activism in Wikipedia: Underrepresented Groups and Topics

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Problem: Wikipedia is a globally distributed network where judgement of quality is not based around contributor expertise, but rather work according to the standards of the project itself -- the most legible unit of work is a good citation. As one of the oldest communities on the Internet, Wikipedia gives contributors to a chance to practice good digital citizenship: use their critical thinking skills to discover community values, norms and styles of communication, and contribute in a way that will make sense to other community members.

However, Wikipedia can, like many other communities, have a bias towards the status quo. Therefore, those working on issues related to underrepresented groups can expect to be accused of activism, bias, an agenda, as if those things do not already exist on Wikipedia.

Digital citizenship is doubly important to those working on issues related to underrepresented groups: one must know how to communicate effectively using community standards to convince the Wikipedian community that changes in the status quo does not automatically equal violating policy, and that you are still partners in the same goal of wanting to improve the encyclopedia.

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