Muralists from across the globe will meet in NoMa in May to beautify the neighborhood, according to the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID).
NoMa will serve as host to POW! WOW!, “a global art movement that celebrates culture, music and art in cities around the world,” during the last two weeks in May.
During the festival, local and international artist will paint walls throughout the neighborhood and deliver “classes, performances and lectures in addition to live art installations,” the BID said in a press release.
Read more about POW! WOW! below:
Starting humbly as a small art exhibition with a handful of artists in Hong Kong, the newest editions of POW!WOW! now encompasses creatives from all over the world painting in Honolulu and other cities.
Over the past five years POW! WOW! has grown into a major market art festival with a line up and experience that rivals some of the best in the world. POW! WOW! is an amenity with substantial economic and brand impact. The event is also a vehicle to celebrate cities’ art and culture, and draws tens of thousands of people to its doors.
Photo via Flickr/NoMa Business Improvement District
Giant glowing rabbits will take over The Yards Park (355 Water St. SE) this weekend.
The bunnies will join Light Yards, a two-week art installation that began at the park last weekend. When the monstrous mammals arrive on Saturday, visitors can bask in their glow between 3 and 6 p.m. every day through March 6. The exhibit will also include an oversized Lite-Brite and other kid-friendly activities.
The glowing rabbits stand roughly 23 feet tall and are the work of artist Amanda Parer. Why rabbits? On her website, Parer says that in her native Australia, rabbits are an “out-of-control pest, leaving a trail of ecological destruction wherever they go and defying attempts at eradication.”
Parer continues:
They represent the fairytale animals from our childhood – a furry innocence, frolicking through idyllic fields. Intrude deliberately evokes this cutesy image, and a strong visual humor, to lure you into the artwork only to reveal the more serious environmental messages in the work. They are huge, the size referencing ‘the elephant in the room’, the problem, like our environmental impact, big but easily ignored.
Visitors to Google could soon see an illustration by a Eastern High School student on the site’s homepage.
Sophomore Akilah Johnson is a finalist in Google’s annual doodle contest, in which grade-school students compete to have their artwork featured on the search engine’s homepage. The theme of this year’s contest is “what makes me… me.”
Johnson’s illustration, titled “My Afrocentric Life” was selected as the best entry from D.C. and will now compete against the winners from all 50 states and two other territories.
In her illustration, Johnson used a box braid to spell out Google and surrounded the word with symbols of black pride and Afrocentrism, including a picture of Africa and a person holding a “Black Lives Matter” sign.
Johnson told the Washington Post’s Michael Cavna that the illustration took her about two weeks to complete and was inspired by her time as a child at Roots Public Charter School and Roots Activity Learning Center.
Supporters can vote for Johnson’s illustration online until Feb. 22.
The vote will select five finalists, from which a panel of judges will pick the winner. In addition to having their artwork featured on Google, the winner will also receive a $30,000 college scholarship and the winner’s school will receive a $50,000 Google for Education grant.
Photo via Google
Vendetta Bocce Bar to Become Brewpub Later This Year — The owners of Vendetta Bocce Bar and Italian restaurant at 12 12 H St. NE have partnered with the owner of Granville Moore’s and the founder of the Maison Dixon Hot Chicken pop-up to turn the eatery into a brewpub later this year. [Washington City Paper]
Another Residential Project Planned for Buzzard Point — Developers have submitted plans for the Stadium District Lofts at 1542 1st St. SW in Buzzard Point, an 8-unit infill development near the site of the future D.C. United Stadium. [Urban Turf]
Designers Behind Maketto Install Pop-Up Installation on Florida Avenue — Design firm septcarrés, who designed Maketto on H Street NE and plan to open a furniture showroom and store on Capitol Hill this year, built a pop-up art installation at 1231 Florida Ave. NE. [Washingtonian]
Concessions Provider to Hold Job Fairs at Nationals Park — Levy Restaurants, a concession provider at Nationals Park, is holding multiple job fairs at Nationals Park this month to prepare for the coming season. [JDLand]
Students at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, kids and adults alike, will present their work from the past semester at the workshop’s annual Winter Arts Festival Saturday.
The free, all day festival will take place at CHAW at 545 7th St. SE and will include performances by students as well as galleries of student art for sale.
The annual festival is a chance for the over 400 students at the workshop to show off what they’ve created, but it’s also part of the curriculum.
“Most of the classes have presentation built in, because a really important part of creating art is being able to present it,” Hannah Jacobson, director of marketing development and strategy at CHAW, said. “All the classes are gearing up for this at the end of the semester.”
In addition to the performances and gallery exhibitions, the Humanities Council of Washington, D.C. will also be on hand in the afternoon to collect D.C. historic and pop culture items in their digital database. Residents can bring their favorite piece of D.C. memorabilia which the Humanities Council will digitize and add to their archive.
The festival will run from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., though visitors can come and go throughout the day. Here’s the schedule for the day, from CHAW’s website:
- 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. – Shop & Drop art sale
- 10-11:30 a.m. – Suzuki & Ballet dance performances
- 12-1:30 p.m. – Youth arts program art show and performances
- 1-4 p.m. – D.C. Digital Museum, Humanities Council of Washington, D.C.
- 2-3 p.m. – Adult solo and class performances with A Second Wind Chorus
- 2-3 p.m. – Pinocchio! presented by Faction of Fools Theatre Co.
- 5-6:30 p.m. – Adult student art show
All of the performances and shows are kid-friendly, but Jacobson says that the evening reception for the adult student art can also be a great time to relax away from the kids.
“Really fun opening reception for the adult gallery in the evening,”she said. “There are kid-friendly events throughout the day but this is always a great opportunity for adults to come have some wine and snacks and enjoy the galleries.”
Photo via Facebook/ Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
The Hill Center at the old Naval hospital on Capitol Hill will hold an opening celebration tonight for its latest series of exhibitions, which include work from eight local artists.
The reception will be held in the galleries at the Hill Center at 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE from 6-8 p.m. All eight artists with work on display will be at the reception tonight.
The works are organized into six different exhibitions which will be displayed at the Hill Center until Jan. 3. All of the works on display are also for sale, with a portion of proceeds going to future programming at Hill Center.
Though most of the exhibitions feature work from only one artist, one exhibition, called “Places and Faces” includes work from three local artists. Painted ceramic art from Kasse Andrews-Weller, paintings from Paula Cleggett and mixed-media pieces by Gwendolyn Aqui-Brooks all come together for the exhibition which focuses on memories and the sense of place attached to them.
Other exhibitions include intricate, black-and-white prints by Alex Gray and masks made of found and recycled objects by Noah Williams.
Attendees will have the chance to meet the artists and learn about the inspiration behind their works while sipping complementary wine, beer and sparkling water.
Maggie Myszka, director of programming and marketing for the Hill Center said that the show is a chance for people who may not have a lot of experience in the art world to meet artists and other art-lovers in a relaxed setting.
“A lot of times people are really intimidated to go to a gallery opening because they think they need to be a seasoned collector or an art guru,” she said. “But this is a great opportunity for people who aren’t big art collectors to meet with and talk to artists in a laid back environment.”
Photo via Hill Center
Man Shot Near Nationals Park in October Has Died — Daniel Brown, a 19-year-old man who was shot near Nationals Park on Oct. 23, died from his injuries at a hospital on Thursday. [Washington Post]
Man Who Flew Gyrocopter Onto U.S. Capitol Lawn Plans to Plead Guilty — A man who landed a gyrocopter outside the U.S. Capitol in April plans to plead guilty to operating the gyrocopter without a license, according to his lawyer. [WUSA 9]
Taste of H Set to Raise Funds for Wilson Elementary School on Sunday — Residents will get a chance to sample food and drinks from 15 H Street NE restaurants while raising money for a Capitol Hill school at Taste of H on Sunday. [Hill Now]
H Street Gallery to Host Live Music and Gallery Opening Reception Tonight — Gallery O on H at 1354 H St. NE will hold a reception from 7-10 p.m. tonight for the opening of new exhibit Trouble Makers: The Struggle featuring visual artist Lusi Peralta Del Valle and musician W. Ellington Felton. [Frozen Tropics]
Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for 2014 Hill East Shooting — James Joseph, who was arrested in June in connection with a 2014 shooting in Hill East, was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison. [Department of Justice]
Developers Plan for More Homes and Commercial Space Near H Street NE — A Virginia-based developer is planning to convert a Linden Court body shop behind the Atlas Performing Arts Center into several new homes and commercial space. [Washington Business Journal]
Affordable Apartments for Veterans Set to Open Next Year Near Union Station — The John and Jill Ker Conway Residence, a 124-unit apartment building at 1005 North Capitol Street NW that will serve homeless veterans and those with low income, is set to open next year. [Urban Turf]
H Street Corridor Participates in City-Wide Art All Night this Saturday — Several galleries, performance spaces and businesses on the H Street corridor will hold art events all night this Saturday as part of the city-wide Art All Night festival. [Frozen Tropics]
Photo via Twitter/U.S. Capitol
The organizer of the H Street Festival is looking to create a new logo for the annual celebration, with the help of locals.
H Street Main Street, which is holding the festival next month, is asking residents to send it logos that show the “vibrancy and uniqueness” of the H Street corridor, according to a notice for submissions. The designs must feature “H Street Festival” prominently and indicate that the celebration is in its 10th year, among other requirements.
Interested participants can submit their logos online until 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 29. The winning artist will receive $300, a $75 dinner for two people at Smith Commons on H Street NE and two tickets to the festival’s Sept. 1 launch party.
“The H Street Festival has always been about celebrating the H Street NE corridor and the District,” H Street Main Street executive director Anwar Saleem said in a statement. “Holding a contest to celebrate and honor the work of local designers seems like a fitting way to ring in our 10th anniversary. There is so much talent in the D.C. area, and we look forward to receiving artists’ amazing creations.”
The festival, which includes local food and music, will close down H Street between 4th and 14th streets NE from noon to 7 p.m. on Sept. 19.
Photo via Flickr/Ted Eytan
Día de los Muertos is coming to the H Street corridor early this year as bicycling skeletons start to take shape on the walls of a neighborhood taqueria.
The skeletons are part of a mural going up in in the patio dining area of the Chupacabra Latin Kitchen and Taqueria at 822 H St. NE
The mural, which is set to be finished early next week, was inspired by Mexican illustrator and political cartoonist José Posada, whose black-and-white illustrations and prints of skeletons have become some of the most recognizable art from Mexico.
While Posada was known for his political satire, the artists at Chupacabra hope to strike a more lighthearted tone.
“We’re sticking to the Día de los Muertos feel but with a sense of playfulness,” painter John Sigmund said, using the Spanish name for Day of the Dead, which Mexico celebrates in the fall. “We didn’t want to make it too grim, we wanted whimsical, happy skeletons.”
Sigmund is working on the mural along with Katie Quattrone, whose husband is one of the owners of Chupacabra. Quattrone said she and her husband saw some Posada prints and thought the style would go well with their restaurant.
They then enlisted Sigmund, an art student from Philadelphia and a friend of Katie’s, to help. Halsey Berryman, a local freelance sign painter and muralist, also is working on the mural.
Sigmund said they chose to paint with brushes instead of spray paint to better emulate Posada’s newspaper-cartoon style. Although the mural is based off of Posada prints, the trio is incorporating tacos, arepas and other Chupacabra menu items into the scenes.
But Quattrone and Sigmund said they’ve been been taking some suggestions from diners and adjusting their designs on the spot.
“People have to be careful with input though,” Sigmund said. “I just might put a paint brush in their hand.”
More than 100 works from regional artists will hang at a local exhibition near Eastern Market later this month.
The Hill Center will host an opening reception for its third annual Open Regional Art Exhibition at 6 p.m. on June 25.
Mark Leithauser, National Gallery of Art Senior Curator and Chief of Design, selected 96 artists from 485 submissions. He will also select three of those artists to receive cash prizes and five for honorable mentions.
The show will run until Sept. 29.
Since 2011, Hill Center Galleries has housed work from 383 artists among its six galleries.
Photo via Facebook.com/HillCenter
Go-go musicians, a symphony and a performing arts group descended on a Navy Yard park today for a pop-up showcase, as part of a new program to encourage art in D.C. neighborhoods.
Teaching for Change, the Gourmet Symphony and the Atlas Performing Arts Center came to Canal Park to show off projects they’re working on for the Capitol Hill area and other parts of the District. The event launched “District Innovation Zones,” which Mayor Muriel Bowser said will provide a temporary “stage for artists” at Canal Park and other locations across D.C.
“We want to open up the arts to all of the people of the District of Columbia,” she said at a news conference at Canal Park. “We want our city to be known for more than the Congress and the White House and the downtown museums on the Mall. We will make arts a signature activity in the District of Columbia.”
A group of musicians with Teaching for Change performed go-go music, while children danced nearby. Through its “Teach the Beat: Go-Go Goes to School” program, Teaching for Change aims to bring the District’s homegrown music genre to history, language arts and music classes in Ward 6 and other portions of D.C., said Deborah Menkart, the group’s executive director.
Across the park, members of the Gourmet Symphony played near a table of Italian food. The group is working with local social service groups to bring live chamber music to the District’s homeless when they eat.
Atlas Performing Arts Center representatives also showed examples of mobiles it will use in a installation that is set to go on display in September. The organization is looking for the public to help it make more than 50 mobiles for the project.
To help create the mobiles, the arts center will have workshops in its space on the H Street corridor, as well as D.C. community centers and schools.
“We look at these mobiles as a great metaphor of many different parts coming together to create a new whole,” said Douglas Yeuell, the organization’s executive director.
Teaching for Change, the Gourmet Symphony, the Atlas Performing Arts Center and other organizations received grants for their projects earlier this month through the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
A construction site in Navy Yard is getting a little color, with the help of D.C. students and an artists collective.
Dozens of students, under the guidance of Albus Cavus Open Walls DC artists, are creating a mural inside a temporary covered walkway in The Yards, according to a spokesman for the development. The pathway runs between Foundry Lofts on Tingey Street SE and the Arris mixed-use building under construction on Water Street SE.
The students started painting the walkway’s walls with spots of blue, green and orange on a yellow background Sunday. Work on the mural is expected to conclude this upcoming Sunday. The mural will be almost 300 feet long when finished.
The final design of the mural is unclear, however. A representative of Albus Cavus Open Walls DC didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Students from Capitol Hill Day School, DC Scholars Public Charter School and DC Scholars Stanton Elementary are among the young artists participating in the project.
Albus Cavus Open Walls DC has five other murals, including public art behind 128 M St. NW and by the ad hoc skate park under the Southeast Freeway near 2nd Street SE.
Mayor Bowser Wants Redskins at RFK Stadium Site — Mayor Muriel Bowser said she wants to bring the Washington Redskins back to the District, possibly to a new stadium at the current RFK Stadium site. “We know that the perfect location for the Redskins is where they played for decades very successfully. We have the infrastructure sitting on top of a Metro station,” she said. [NBC Washington]
Archery Champs at Hill School — Four students at Capitol Hill Montessori (215 G St. NE) are competing in a national archery tournament in Louisville. The school’s archery program is part of a citywide D.C. Public Schools initiative. [Hill Rag]
Art Events This Weekend — New art will be on display this weekend at the Capitol Skyline Hotel (101 I St. SW) and Cove Capitol Hill (611 1/2 Pennsylvania Ave. SE), among other locations. [Frozen Tropics]
The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop isn’t just for kids.
The 545 7th St. SE arts center is hosting two events tomorrow night for the older crowd: a “Painting Clay & Sipping Cabernet” session and a figure drawing class.
The events are part of the Friday Adult ARTnights that CHAW began last week. They’re aimed at giving locals “a great excuse to get out of the house and get creative in a fun and social setting,” a statement said.
The clay class starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday and costs $40 per person. Participants will paint and use stencils on tiles, with artist Clay Hollenkamp.
The “Working from the Figure” class is also set to start tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. Classes cost $20 each and easels but not drawing materials will be provided.
Later this winter, Paint & Sip classes will be held, plus burlesque for beginners.
Photo via Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
