Texas State juniors Kate Vita and Grace Wartman co-founded a blog for women and femme creators to have a platform to share both their journalism and photography in the music field. The platform is called Doll Partz. Vita is an electronic media major and an acclaimed photographer; having practiced the art for the past seven years, she takes photos within the San Marcos, Austin and San Antonio area. Wartman is a digital media innovation major, a music journalist and the photography director of KTSW, Texas State’s radio station.
“It’s a place to have an opportunity to request press passes and become more involved in the local and broader music scene in a way that’s a safe space for women creators to not feel intimidated by any counterparts or talked down to,” Vita said. “It’s a positive space where people are able to come together for the sole purpose of creating media in the music industry.”
The publication also welcomes those who are wanting to try something new and expand their horizons, nullifying the stage of intimidation in the spirit of flourishing along with the fairly new publication. The name Doll Partz has a connection to the song “Doll Parts” by Hole. Vita said she loves listening to Hole’s album and finds the female rage within the songs fun. Wartman said she wanted the name to have a ring to it and they wanted to keep it girly.
“I thought it’d be relevant, starting something for young women and femme creators in the music scene, just to have that fun little name, ‘Doll Parts,’” Vita said.
Co-founders Wartman and Vita have a team of photographers, graphic designers and journalists helping out the platform. Everyone involved is required to do one assignment per month within their specific department. People can be in more than one department and a key part of the process is that contributors are welcome to ask for help in finding shows and requesting press passes.
“We want to provide a platform for women and femmes in music,” Wartman said. “Somewhere where they can be inspired by others, feel a sense of community, feel encouraged by others to get out of their comfort zone and try new things.”
Vita said the decision to make a space specifically for women and femme creators holds true to the intention of creating a safe space within a shared lived experience.
“There absolutely is value in the shared experience of womanhood, identifying as femme, female, however you may identify,” Vita said. “Having that shared lived experience and being able to create art in a way where you can really reflect one another; that safe space that’s automatically created with another woman, I feel like is something we really want to emphasize in this community we’re trying to build.”
Applications are rolling, meaning they are currently being accepted, so the co-founders encourage people to join when it is a good time for them because they are always accepting new contributors. They have monthly meetings for their members. Both being photographers, Vita and Wartman have a special place in their heart for the photo art, but the space consists of photography, graphic designers, and possibly videographers in the future. They plan to be an active publication that engages heavily with the community.
“Women in the industry deserve somewhere they can be heard from a woman’s perspective,” Wartman said. “I think that is the most valuable angle that they can be perceived from.”
Those who are interested in keeping up with the publication or joining can follow @dollpartz on Instagram.