Artemis Singers is an American lesbian feminist chorus based in Chicago, Illinois and a member of the feminist chorus cooperative Sister Singers Network.Sister Singers Network. "Chorus Listings." https://www.sistersingers.net/listings-alphabetical Named after the Greek goddess Artemis,Morris, Ann. "Artemis Singers: A Decade of Music by Women." Outlines: The Voice of the Gay and Lesbian Community 4, no. 1 (1990): 34. Archives of Sexuality and Gender (accessed October 16, 2025). its goals are to create positive change in cultural attitudes toward women and female artists and to "increase the visibility of lesbian feminists."
Founded in 1980, it is one of the earliest lesbian feminist choruses in the United States. In 1983, Artemis was the only lesbian chorus to take part in the first national gay and lesbian choral festival, titled Come Out and Sing Together.COAST program. 1983. Carton 25, Folder 5. San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus papers. GLBT Historical Society, San Francisco, California. In 2008, Artemis was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. The group only performs music created by female composers or lyricists, or arranged by female arrangers. Over the years, Artemis has sung music by many women, including women's music movement artists such as Holly Near and Kay Gardner (composer).Clark, Ruth. "Bring Us All of Your Dreams." November 10, 2015. https://artemissingers.org/2015/11/10/dream-with-us/. During the group's early period, they had an assigned traditional music director (Susan Schleef) but the system gradually evolved into a self-organized, non-hierarchical system.' Attinello, Paul. GLBTQ Archive. "Choruses and Bands." 2002, http://www.glbtqarchive.com/arts/choruses_bands_A.pdf. Currently, several members act as music directors during each performance.
Selected performances Source:
1983 - Come Out and Sing Together: First gathering of gay and lesbian choruses at Lincoln Center in New York CityGALA Choruses. "History." https://galachoruses.org/gala-choruses-members/history/.Rothstein, Edward. "CONCERT: 'FIRST GAY CHORAL FESTIVAL.'" The New York Times. Sept. 13, 1983, Section C, 12. https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/13/arts/concert-first-gay-choral-festival.html 1984 - First National Women’s Choral Festival 1986 - Hosted third National Women’s Choral Festival in Chicago 1987 - Participated in “A Show of Concern: The Heart of America Responds,” a fundraising event for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago at the Chicago Theater 2003 - Produced a concert to benefit the Lesbian Community Cancer Project (LCCP) 2006 - Performed at Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park as part of Gay Games VII 2010 - Hosted 10th Sister Singers Network festival, “Our Kind of Sound” in Chicago 2013 - Performed at the March on Springfield for Marriage Equality 2013 - Illinois Marriage Equality Bill Signing by Governor Patrick Quinn at UIC Forum in Chicago
Discography
ARTEMIS SINGERS: 25 Years (2005)
Awards
1982 - Paul R. Goldman Award, ONE of Chicago - for outstanding contributions in the field of performing arts in Chicago 2008 - Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame
References