The annual Muse Women’s Conference brings together local women & teens with internationally recognized artists, authors, athletes, entrepreneurs, activists, and social change leaders to celebrate International Women’s Day and kick-off Women’s History Month. Our sixth event is scheduled for March 1-4, 2018 in Bend, Oregon.
Join us for 4 days of art installations, interactive panel discussions, keynote talks, live performances, and breakout workshops designed to explore our individual and collective stories and deepen our sense of belonging to each other and our world… in this moment.
Youth Voices are always a highlight of the Main Muse Conference.
Men can Muse too. Wade Davis wows our crowd with words of wisdom.
The Muse Hub provides space and time to connect with community.
Muse Salons offer opportunities to listen, learn, and interact.
WHAT OUR MUSES ARE SAYING
Kind words from our Muses about their experience at the annual Muse Conference in Bend, Oregon. If you’d like to submit a comment about one of our programs or events, share your thoughts here.
Schedule
Thursday at Muse Hub
Muse Check-In 4:00-6:00 pm
*pick up materials, passes, programs
Muse Film Series 5:00-7:00 pm
Friday at Muse Hub
Muse Salon Series 9:00-5:00pm
*series of interactive panel discussions
Muse Art Show 5:30-7:30pm
Saturday at Tower Theatre
Muse Conference Main Program
*full day of keynotes, panels, and performances
Conference 9:00am-5:00pm
*with lunch break
Muse Hub Reception 5:00-7:00pm
*open to all at Muse Hub
Private Dinner 7:30-9:30pm
*Presenters & All-Access Pass Holders
Sunday at Muse Hub
Muse Integration Workshop 9:00-11:00 am
*gentle yoga, journaling, group dialogue to integrate the conference experience
Muse Check-In 4:00-6:00 pm *pick up materials, passes, programs
Muse Film 5:00-7:00 pm
We will be screening the documentary film “Radiance of Resistance,” which tells the story of Janna Ayyad 11 years old, and Ahed Tamimi 16 years old that live under military occupation in Nabi Saleh, Palestine. Janna Ayyad has been called the youngest journalist in Palestine. Ahed won the Handala Courage Award from Turkey when she was 13 and met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This film will take an intimate look at their everyday lives and their importance as the new generation of Palestinian non-violent resistance. The filmmaker will be here.
Muse Salon Series 9:00-5:00pm
Our Muse Salons are interactive panel discussions on important topics affecting our community. They feature local women and youth and provide opportunities for introspection and group dialogue. Our Muse Salon Series will be held in the Muse Hub located at 849 NW Wall St. You register for each salon separately. The cost for each is $10.
9:00-10:30 Women Who Reinvent Themselves
Featuring women who have made life changes for a variety of reasons.
11:00-1:00 Westside Meets Eastside *Bring Brown Bag Lunch*
Featuring community members and advocates for Bend’s Eastside.
1:30-3:00 Creating a Culture of Compassion
Featuring discussion of how we can shift our local culture towards more compassion.
3:30-5:00 Youth Voices
Featuring local youth discussing the issues that directly affect them.
Muse Art Show 5:30-7:30pm
Our Muse Art Show will feature local and visiting artists who are using Art as a tool for social change. We will be showcasing photography, painting, sculpture, and student art all created to spark conversation about issues in our community and beyond. Our Muse Art Show will be up throughout the conference weekend, but we invite our attendees to join us for a special reception Friday evening at the Muse Hub located at 849 NW Wall St. You do not need to register. The event is free to Muse Conference attendees.
Muse Conference Main Program
*full day of keynotes, panels, and performances
Conference 9:00am-5:00pm
*with lunch break
Muse Hub Reception 5:00-7:00pm
*open to all at Muse Hub
Private Dinner 7:30-9:30pm
*Presenters & All-Access Pass Holders
Muse Integration Workshop 9:00-11:00 am
Our Muse Integration Workshop is the perfect way to balance out the conference weekend. A gentle yoga practice will offer opportunities for guided mediation, intention setting, and movement. This will be combined with journaling, group dialogue, and personal reflection. This will be held in the Muse Hub located at 849 NW Wall St. The cost is $35 and pre-registration is recommended.
MUSE HUB SPONSOR
Thank you Twist Cocktail Catering Company for sponsoring our amazing MUSE Hub. Located in at 859 NW Wall Street the MUSE Hub is the gathering place for so many amazing events MUSE Conference weekend.
PRESENTERS
Each year, we feature the voices, stories and conversations of numerous women and girls and those who support them who are creating positive change in their lives, in their communities, and in our world. We are honored to share their wisdom and inspiration through our salons, conference day programming, and workshop series.
Our Many 2018 Muse Presenters include:
Park Ranger, Activist
Betty Reid Soskin
Betty Reid Soskin has held many roles in her 96 years: a member of the California Legislature, a mother, a clerk in an all-black trade union during WWII, a Civil Rights activist & songwriter, and a tour guide at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Park.
Artist, Activist
Nadia Meer
Nadia Meer is an artist and social activist promoting education, cross-cultural awareness, and advancing peace and dialogue across the world.
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Movement Builder, Activist
Tarana Burke
Tarana Burke is creator of the #MeToo Movement, senior director of programs at Girls for Gender Equity, and part of Time Magazine’s Person of the Year Issue for 2017. More…
Activist, Author
Kelly Oxford
Kelly Oxford is an actress, author of Everything is Perfect When You’re a Liar and When You Find Out the World is Against You: And Other Funny Memories About Awful Moments and the creator of the #NotOkay social media movement. More…
Journalist, Activist
Janna Ayyad
Janna Ayyad is an 11 year old Palestinean, the youngest journalist reporting on event in the the occupied West Bank, and featured in the documentary film Radiance of Resistance. More…
Writer, Speaker
Sally Kohn
Sally Kohn is an activist, writer, CNN political commentator, host of the podcast “State of Resistance,” and author of THE OPPOSITE OF HATE. More…
Author, Athlete
Kate Fagan
Kate Fagan is a former D-1 student athlete and currently a columnist and feature writer for espnW, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine, a regular panelist on ESPN’s Around the Horn and author of What Made Maddie Run and Reappearing Act. More…
Poet, Activist
Mark Gonzales
Mark Gonzales is a Def Jam Poet, author of In Time of Terror, Wage Beauty, Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Amplifier Foundation, and CEO of the Institute of Narrative Growth. More…
Singer, Songwriter
Haley Heynderickx
Haley Heynderickx grew up in a religious household in Oregon, closely identifying with her Filipino roots, but also straddling multiple cultural identities. Her debut album, named I Need to Start a Garden out of a search for calm through these waves of uncertainty and upheaval, is due out March 2nd via Mama Bird Recording Co. More…
Runner, Author
Mirna Valerio
Activist, Storyteller
Carrie Sturrock
Carrie Sturrock is company storyteller for Indow, a small cleantech startup in Portland, Oregon that launched the We Hire Refugees campaign after President Trump’s executive order halting refugee admissions and banning travelers from six majority-Muslim countries. More…
Student, Activist
Nadya Okamoto
Nadya Okamoto is a student at Harvard College, Founder of PERIOD. and currently writing a book about youth activism and reproductive rights, to be published Fall 2018 with publisher Simon & Schuster. More…
Activist, Founder
Kirsten Hunter
Kirsten Hunter is the co-founder and VP of Nasty Women Get Shit Done PDX, an activist group that came together post-election 2016 and have donated over $72,000 to local charities through the sales of their “In Our America” flag. More…
Professor, Author
Lisa Wade
Lisa Wade is an associate professor of sociology at Occidental College and her newest book, American Hookup, is about the culture of sex that dominates college campuses today. More…
Activist, Founder
Nelly Lukale
Nelly Lukale is the founder of Hope in Action Network championing the rights of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa for over 10 years, a volunteer and beneficiary of Nomad charities and also the Volunteer Youth Leader at the YWCA (Kenya). More…
CEO, Activist
Mandy Multerer
Attorney, Activist
Brittany K. Barnett
Brittany K. Barnett is an attorney and founder of Girls Embracing Mothers, a Dallas based non-profit that empowers girls with mothers in prison to break the cycle of incarceration and lead successful lives with vision and purpose. More…
Entrepreneur, Fund Manager
Julie Harrelson
Julie Harrelson, a serial entrepreneur who has also led businesses, has participated as an angel investor on due diligence teams, and cultivated an extensive professional network and is the Fund Manager of Cascade Angels. More…
Production Editor, Co-Founder
Serita Wesley
Manager, Medalist
Tricia Wilder
Social Strategist
Rebecca Russell
Rebecca began her advertising career as Converse’s first community manager, and has worked as the social and digital strategist for brands like Coca-Cola, Bud Light, Heineken, Absolut, Topshop, McDonalds, among others, and is currently a senior social strategist at Wieden+Kennedy, Portland. More…
Founder, Catalyst
Kerri Kelly
Kerri is the founder of CTZNWELL, a movement to mobilize the wellbeing community into a powerful force for change. A yoga teacher, public speaker and change-agent – Kerri is recognized across communities for her inspired work to bridge transformational practice with social change and politics. More…
Writer, Entrepreneur, Strategist
Meron Medhanie
Meron Medhanie is an empathic writer and a creative entrepreneur, a student and teacher of the human condition, a soulful strategist at Wieden+Kennedy, Portland and a founding member of On She Goes. More…
Artist, Documentarian
Julie Keefe
Julie Keefe is an artist with 25+ years experience working primarily in documentary and community-based art, including collaborations with a variety of institutions, artists, children and communities. More…
Co-Founder, Activist
Jeannine Harvey
Jeannine is the co-founder of Feed Our Democracy, whose goal is to offer the inspiration and information necessary to turn each of us into citizen activists — one event at a time. For the past several years, Jeannine worked at the ONE Campaign where she developed and directed ONE’s Girls and Women’s initiative.
Co-Founder, Activist
Isabel Kallman
Co-Founder, Activist
Nancy Freidman
Nancy is the co-founder of KidzVuz Media, a kid video network that lets kids have their say, and brands develop authentic relationships with real kids and families. She is also the co-founder of a newly launched initiative called Feed Our Democracy.BEND WOMEN’S MARCH
MUSE Conference is proud to kick-off Bend Women’s March: A Month-Long Series of Events to Celebrate Women. Please click here to see other exciting women-inspired events happening in the month of March in Bend, OR. 
TRAVEL TO BEND
welcome to the perfect inspiration + recreation destination
The Muse Conference is proud to welcome attendees to beautiful Bend, Oregon where we will gather to celebrate women and girls creating positive change locally, nationally and globally.
Nestled between the High Desert and the Cascade Mountains, Bend offers a lovely backdrop for visitors with an intimate setting, ideal for mixing inspiration and recreation.
Centrally located, we highly recommend reserving at the Oxford Hotel. With a luxurious approach and distinctly Oregon touches, The Oxford Hotel is also within easy walking distance of conference venues, premium shopping areas, a diverse collection of restaurants and bars, and a number of other attractions. The boutique hotel has an intimate footprint with 59 eco-friendly, urban decor suites all elegantly appointed.
Find more lodging, attractions, recreation, and a map of Bend at VisitBend.com.
FLYING TO BEND
The Bend Redmond Roberts Field Airport (RDM) Airport is only 20 minutes away from the downtown Bend, host to a number of Muse-related activities.
Flights are provided by Alaska, United, Delta, and American Airlines. These carriers offer arriving and departing flights daily to and from Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Seattle.
DRIVE TIME TO BEND
- Portland: 3 hours
- Seattle: 6 hours
- Boise: 5 hours
- San Francisco: 8 hours
Please allow additional travel time as needed, weather conditions are variable and the views are amazing!
ATTRACTIONS NOT TO MISS
These are just a few of the attractions and beautiful spots to visit while in Bend. Check out Visit Bend’s website for more trip ideas and how to make the most of your stay.
- Mt. Bachelor
- Old Mill District
- Tumalo Falls
- Cascade Scenic Byway
EVENT SPONSORS
If you would like to become a MUSE sponsor, please see our sponsorship opportunities.
We’d like to extend a special thank you to the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund.
The Bend Cultural Tourism Fund (BCTF) is a grant program dedicated to enhancing the local economy through the promotion and cultivation of Bend’s cultural tourism programs. Grants allocated through the BCTF support art and culture based projects and programs that attract tourists to the City of Bend.
Visit Bend established the BCTF with the goal of attracting cultural tourists during the shoulder seasons and winter months – a time of year when the city’s tourism industry struggles, yet a time when cultural tourism organizations are most active.
Muse Conference is supported in part by a grant from the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund.
SUSTAINING PARTNERS
NORTH AMERICAN FOUNDATION
PRESENTING PARTNERS
Heather Tenbroek
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
EVENT PARTNERS
Princess Athletics, Barre3, Bigfoot Beverages, Bryant, Lovelien & Jarvis, Groove Yoga, Brooks Resources, RBC Wealth Management, Curated Event Rentals | Styling, InFocus Eye Care, The Bend Store
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
OnPoint Community Credit Union, Euijin Gray, Bellatazza, Simply Baked by Christy Designs, Cascade Street Distillery, Ellen Waterston, Sunny Yoga Kitchen, Dani Naturals, Deschutes Brewery, Ninkasi Brewing Company
MEDIA PARTNERS
LODGING PARTNERS
