They say you have to spend money to get it. Several D.C. institutions are testing that theory this week, with a grant going to the Anacostia Business Improvement District and a free apprenticeship to help young people find creative career paths. It’s basically raining money on the arts.
Art-wear: A new grant from the mayor’s office wants to ensure Ward 8 is a “premier destination for the arts in Washington, DC.” The Anacostia Business Improvement District has received nearly $4 million to support the creation of its Anacostia Arts and Culture District, according to Friday’s news release announcing the grant. The money is intended to support the neighborhood’s “long-standing cultural institutions” as well as local artists. The grant will also fund new programs to both engage residents and attract visitors, support public art in streetscapes and help expand the BID’s team of friendly logistics operators. Finally, the grant will also support “enhancement of access” to the neighborhood through a shuttle service for residents and visitors. Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio hopes the investment will also benefit other businesses, such as neighborhood restaurants and retail stores, which will also create more jobs for locals. “The Anacostia Arts and Culture District is a transformative placemaking plan that puts art and culture at the forefront,” Anacostia BID Executive Director Kristina Noell said in the release. “This grant will help us amplify the creativity and artistic innovation that has always existed in Ward 8 and create a vibrant place that speaks to the community and visitors.”
Honor Your Artists: The Kennedy Center has announced its 45th batch of Honors winners and what an…interesting…collection of artists they have assembled. Empress of Soul Gladys Knight finally gets a look after giving a rousing rendition of Garth Brooks’ “We Shall Be Free” at the 2021 Honors. I hope they reunite the voices behind “That’s What Friends Are For” during his tribute. Composer and conductor Tania León, known for her large-scale and chamber compositions as well as her work with arts organizations around the world, will also receive a rainbow medallion. The other three honorees did some of their best work in the ’90s, but are being recognized this year, including George Clooney, who is receiving one of the few awards he still doesn’t have. And perhaps a higher power advised the selection committee on the final two selections, U2 and Amy Grant. I think many of us were over the Irish rockers long before their 2014 album, Songs of Innocence, was mandatory for anyone with an iTunes account, but their prolificacy and lack of internal drama makes them worthy of recognition. With Grant, the Kennedy Center is diversifying its list of honorees: she is the first contemporary Christian artist to receive the award. Will someone lead the entire Opera House in a sing-along of “Baby Baby” or “El Shaddai” during their segment of the ceremony? We’ll have to wait until December to find out. In general, this group of honorees skews heavily toward popular musicians and leaves out stage performers and playwrights, disappointing many Broadway babies. Let’s hope the divas get their due next year. —Caroline Jones
Party On, Phil: On Friday, July 22, the Phillips Collection announced the return of its flagship evening event, Phillips After 5. Scheduled for September 1, the event revolves around the exhibition recently opened at the Lou Stovall museum: The Museum Workshop and will take place. focused on D.C. culture. The JoGo Project, with its mix of contemporary jazz and go-go, will play, while NoMüNoMü, a local intersectional arts collaboration, runs a printmaking workshop. The city’s second-oldest black-owned beer company, Soul Mega, will offer free samples, while half-smoked Ben’s Chili Bowl slings and beer and wine will be available for purchase. Tickets are $20, unless you’re a member, then they’re free.
Back in Technicolor: OutWrite, the city’s annual LGBTQ Literary Festival returns on August 5 with three days full of queertastic programming. Once more virtual, the event features 70 LGBTQ writers from around the country, including poets, novelists and playwrights, for a total of 19 readings, panels and workshops, including a tribute to D.C.’s own Essex Hemphill, all free and accessible online. Find the full schedule at thedccenter.org/outwrite-2022-festival-schedule.
Here’s what we’re looking for: Calling all local artists: Hillyer is accepting proposals for its 2023 exhibitions. Proposals will be reviewed and selected by Hillyer’s Artist Advisory Committee, which will also offer a mentoring program for accepted artists. , meaning artists and arts professionals on the committee will work with each artist to prepare their exhibitions and related programs. Accepted artists will receive a one-month exhibition in one of the gallery’s three spaces. The deadline to submit the application is Friday, September 16.
Allow me to introduce myself: The Arts Institute for Creative Advancement is a new year-long apprenticeship program that will train young people in technical theatre. Young adults, ages 18-24, who are struggling to engage with school or work are invited to apply for the intensive program, which will prepare them for off-stage theater careers such as now lighting and audio engineering, stage construction, stage painting, rigging and fixtures. stage direction
Led by the Theater Lab School of the Dramatic Arts, Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Sitar Arts Center and the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, along with more than a dozen local arts education organizations, the program was created by DC Arts Education Alliance to provide career options for young people in local communities most affected by the pandemic. It also aims to address the shortage of skilled technical production workers in the city, which is currently affecting the local theater industry, among others. With a matching grant of $500,000 for the first two years of the Equity Fund institute and an additional $250,000 in community project funding for the pilot year in the FY 2023 appropriations bills of the House (as assured by D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton), the program has $750,000 in funding in its first year. “If left unaddressed, this labor shortage will cripple DC’s nationally renowned theater industry,” says Theater J CEO David Lloyd Olson in the press release. “The Institute will be a boon to DC’s thriving creative economy.”
With an inaugural class of 20 students, the tuition-free program will launch in January 2023 and all participants will be paid to learn and work. Upon graduation, participants will receive nationally recognized certifications. The application deadline is October 1, and the program is open to youth who have not completed high school, as well as those with diplomas, GEDs, and some (limited) post-secondary experience; no previous theater experience is required. “We are excited to create and implement a curriculum in theater production that will be accessible to young adults who have faced obstacles in traditional learning environments,” says Deb Gottesman, co-executive director of the Theater Lab, which will host the program . “And at the same time, we hope to do our part to diversify a high-wage, high-demand field that is currently more than 80 percent white.”
