Art All Night is this Friday and Saturday – Events in 22 neighborhoods!

photo by Victoria Pickering

From a press release:

“This week, Mayor Muriel Bowser presents Art All Night, the District’s annual overnight arts festival, that will be held on Friday, September 23, and Saturday, September 24, with an impressive lineup of visual and performing arts exhibits, workshops, and performances. The city-wide event will include activations within 22 Main Streets, 4 BIDs, DC Public Libraries, and several local establishments across all 8 wards.

“We know that Washington, DC is the capital of creativity,” said Mayor Bowser. “Artists and makers across DC help us celebrate the history and culture of our community, and this weekend, we celebrate and honor them. When we support our creatives and their businesses, we support the type of growth and innovation that help our corridors, neighborhoods, communities, and residents thrive. So, join us, bring a friend, and stay out all night!”

Art All Night will have over 100 artists featuring original artwork, activities for children and adults, and live entertainment. For two nights, guests can participate in collaborative art activities and enjoy performances by local bands and performers.

The overnight arts festival will help create new revenue and economic streams for small businesses around activations sites. These partnerships will be the catalysts for corridor revitalization by highlighting music, visual, literary, and performing arts, activating public spaces, bringing new foot traffic to small and local businesses, and ultimately increasing business sales. Art All Night is made possible by essential partnerships with sister agencies across the government, including financial support from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and DC Arts and Humanities.

“Art All Night has always highlighted the intersection of art and business throughout our commercial corridors, placing artists on the center stage,” said DSLBD Director Kristi Whitfield. “By amplifying the unique nature of our different neighborhoods and commercial corridors, we showcase our city’s vibrancy and the entrepreneurial spirit’s artistry.”

The all-night arts festival, modeled after Paris’ Nuit Blanche, debuted in the Shaw community. Each year, the event celebrates art and artists and the businesses that serve DC neighborhoods. In addition to showcasing local art and talent, the festival promotes neighborhood togetherness and small businesses. During last in person event in 2019, DC Art All Night generated over $2 million in revenue across all participating neighborhoods. And during the global pandemic, DC Art All Night went all-virtual and attracted more than 25,000 live viewers and over 2.5 million engagements on social media.

This year, Art All Night will continue to be celebrated across all eight Wards, and there will be activations located in:

Barracks Row
Bladensburg Road
Columbia Heights/ Mount Pleasant
Congress Heights
Deanwood
Dupont Circle
Eastern Market
Georgetown
Glover Park
H Street
Minnesota Ave
Pennsylvania Ave
Petworth
Rhode Island Ave
Shaw
Tenleytown
The Parks
Upper Georgia Ave
Uptown
U Street
Van Ness
Woodley Park

For more information about this year’s event, as well as a detailed list of each of the neighborhood exhibits and events, visit dslbd.dc.gov/page/dc-art-all-night.”