art

Mt. Pleasant’s New Temporium to be located in Upcoming Nana’s Storefront

By Prince Of Petworth

Last week I shared the good word that Mt. Pleasant had been awarded a grant to open a Temporium at 3068 Mt. Pleasant St. for Jan. and Feb.

As part of the city’s new Temporary Urbanism initiative, the DC Office of Planning (OP) has awarded Mount Pleasant Main Street (MPMS) a grant to establish a “Temporium” in an unoccupied retail space at 3068 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. A Temporium is a temporary, pop-up retail space for local artisans to exhibit and sell their work. The Mt. Pleasant Temporium is scheduled to open for 24 dates between late January and February.

The Mt. Pleasant Temporium, scheduled to open for 24 dates beginning in late January 2011, will feature handmade goods for sale from 20 local, independent crafters and artists, as well as special programming that includes autobiographical and theatrical storytelling, trunk shows, educational panels, and live music.

The Temporium will be developed in partnership with Mount Pleasant Main Street, SpeakeasyDC, Hello Craft, Radio CPR, Partners for Livable Communities, the DC Office of Planning, and several neighborhood-based community groups.

At the time a reader noticed that this is the space that Nana is moving into. I spoke with the owner of Nana’s clothing boutique and she confirms that it is indeed the same space. She assured me that Nana will still be moving into that space when the Temporium closes. Good news all around!

14th Street Bridge Art Display is Sweet!

By Prince Of Petworth


Photos from DDOT’s Facebook page taken by Alan Karchmer

DDOT writes:

Visitors who approach the District from the south will receive a colorful welcome when the 14th Street Bridge rehabilitation project is completed. The northbound bridge has not opened as a drawbridge since the 1960s, but the Operator’s Tower still stands and is now receiving a much-needed facelift as part of the project. That facelift includes the addition of a dynamic light feature in the tower’s six windows, that will serve as a beacon into the city.

Artist Mikyoung Kim’s kaleidoscope effect design was selected from 122 applications and four other finalists by the DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities (DCAH). Reflective and dichroic acrylic and light kaleidoscopes have been embedded in the frames of the six windows, and displayed with a rotating lighthouse beam. The light feature will be visible day and night.


Photos from DDOT’s Facebook page taken by Alan Karchmer

Scuttlebutt Confirmed, Mt. Pleasant Getting a Temporium!

By Prince Of Petworth


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Awesome, Mt. Pleasant is getting a Temporium. From a press release:

As part of the city’s new Temporary Urbanism initiative, the DC Office of Planning (OP) has awarded Mount Pleasant Main Street (MPMS) a grant to establish a “Temporium” in an unoccupied retail space at 3068 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. A Temporium is a temporary, pop-up retail space for local artisans to exhibit and sell their work. The Mt. Pleasant Temporium is scheduled to open for 24 dates between late January and February.

The Mt. Pleasant project will feature handmade goods for sale from 20 local, independent crafters and artists, as well as special programming that includes autobiographical and theatrical storytelling, trunk shows, educational panels, and live music. The Temporium will be developed in partnership with SpeakeasyDC, Hello Craft, Radio CPR, Partners for Livable Communities, the DC Office of Planning, and several neighborhood-based community groups. The vendor curator, Hello Craft, also helps produce the annual Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

The 5pm Post – Artist Talk: Theo Eshetu at African Art Dec 16 @ 7pm

By Prince Of Petworth


Theo Eshetu, Brave New World II, 1999 (2006 Edition). Multimedia and video installation. Photograph by Chris Ward Jones, courtesy of the artist.

From an email:

“Artist Talk: Theo Eshetu

Date: Thursday, December 16
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: National Museum of African Art

lecture hall, sub-level 2
950 Independence Avenue, SW
Take Metro to Smithsonian Station

Video artist, filmmaker and photographer Theo Eshetu discusses his recent projects with a focus on his video installation Brave New World II, now on view at the National Museum of African Art. He shows how aspects of his biography—born in London to Dutch and Ethiopian parents, raised in Senegal and other countries, and now residing in Rome—as well as circumstance influence his life and art.

About the Artist:

Theo Eshetu received his degree in communication design from the North East London Polytechnic in 1981. Since then, he has taught film—most recently at the Accademia dell’Immagine in L’Aquila, Italy—and worked in a range of new media formats, from documentary and experimental films to video art installations and photography. His films include Traveling Light (1992), Art is Easy (1997), Blood Is Not Fresh Water (1998), Africanized (2001) and Body and Soul (2004). Eshetu’s work has appeared throughout Italy as well as in England, Germany, Sweden, South Africa, Canada, the United States, Brazil, China and Japan.”

New Art Gallery, Juice Bar and Tea House Coming to Capitol Hill

By Prince Of Petworth

The B Spot DC will be located at 1123 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (between Fragers and Mi Vecinidad). It’s Web site says:

The B Spot DC is a multi-purpose Art Gallery, Juice Bar and Tea House located in the cultural corridor of Eastern Market on Pennsylvania Avenue in South-East Washington, District of Columbia. The facility capitalizes on the community’s deep-rooted artistic milieu to provide exposure to varied expressions of the arts in a luxurious setting and intimate atmosphere. Situated in a backdrop of beautiful art pieces, – paintings, sculptures, mixed media collage and fine art photography, our patrons partake of a diverse selection of international coffees, hot and iced tea blends, exotic fruit smoothies, fresh vegetable juices and enriched beverages while sampling on gourmet appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, light fare, and desserts.

The B Spot DC utilizes a three-prong service approach that integrates:

(1) a gallery of select work for sale by emerging and established artists ,
(2) a Juice Bar and Tea House offering refreshments and light fare, and
(3) an open stage offering live entertainment and fine arts exposure and education.

The open stage is visible to all patrons and provides professional live entertainment from a repertoire of artists, including book and poetry reading, spoken word, short theater and musical performances.

Sounds awesome!

A “Temporium” Coming To Mt. Pleasant? + Any Mt. P Specific Food Banks?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ewilfong

Some folks may recall the Temporium that was on H St, NE this summer. It was very cool. I’m now hearing another may be set up in Mt. Pleasant (though the announcement will come this week).

There was an official notice in October for those seeking funding:

On Wednesday, October 6, 2010, the DC Office of Planning announced funding available through the Temporary Urbanism initiative to establish a Temporium. A Temporium transforms vacant storefronts or spaces into a temporary retail space for local designers to exhibit and sell their work. A Temporium helps meet several objectives established by the District of Columbia through the Creative DC Action Agenda and the Retail Action Roadmap including supporting creative entrepreneurs, activating commercial corridors and highlighting their retail potential, providing residents with unique services and activities, and promoting neighborhoods. The Temporium implemented on the H Street NE corridor in July/August 2010 attracted over 1,600 visitors to H Street NE over four weekends, and generated sales and new opportunities for seventeen participating designers.

I think adding one to Mt. Pleasant would be awesome. I hope they are selected for funding – stay tuned!

And in other Mt. Pleasant news – a reader asks:

“I’ve been reading the news stories about local food banks being short on available food and household supplies this year due to increasing need. My neighbors and I in Mt P. would like to drop off some supplies in the local neighborhood area and are trying to find the best options. The biggest food banks in DC have websites with all the info, but I’m wondering if anyone knows of any churches, shelters, community groups that are doing drives currently as well.”

Anyone know of any Mt. P specific food banks?

It’s the little touches…

By Prince Of Petworth

I like the little touches people put in. I’ve walked by this spot hundreds of times on Harvard St, NW (possibly Columbia Rd) hundreds of times before noticing it.

Garage Art in Kalorama

By Prince Of Petworth

In the past when I’ve posted garage art – most commenters thought it was a bit of an eye sore. But I’m gonna still try to point out some good ones. This one’s a bit more subtle than previous ones posted – thumbs up or down? (It’s also from Kalorama, which in my opinion makes it that much cooler because, in my experiences, it’s very rare to see street art in that neighborhood.)

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