Looks like Bloomingdale isn’t the only neighborhood to have an outdoor sculpture exhibit. Foggy Bottom has one too. With a cell phone tour! Find more info here. My favorite was by Alan Binstock found at 801 25th St, NW:
art
When I gave a preview of the new Shaw library last month, I mentioned a sculpture by Craig Kraft was going to be placed out front at 7th and Rhode Island Ave, NW. Here it is:
The one above is from H St, NE and the two below are from 9th St, NW near the convention center.
Danny Harris is a DC-based photographer, DJ, and collector of stories. In September, he launched People’s District, a blog that tells a people’s history of DC by sharing the stories and images of its residents. Every day, People’s District presents a different Washingtonian sharing his or her insights on everything from Go Go music to homelessness to fashion to politics. You can read his previous columns here.
“I had a pretty tough childhood and moved around a lot. We moved to Maryland when I was a teenager and I went to Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt. Back then, it was a pretty rough school. I never thought in my life that I would see a pregnant girl get kicked down a stairwell, but I saw that and more at school. So, it wasn’t the easiest place for me to be. At the time, I just wanted to burn off all of the crazy shit that was happening to me. There is only so much damage you can do to your own body with drugs, so I decided to take out my anger on something else. I wasn’t a violent person, so I took it out on walls.
“I was introduced to graffiti through a lot of hardcore shows and raves that I went to in D.C. There, I met some of the founders of the D.C. graffiti scene. They were these great and open people. It was one of the most accepting groups of people. Mind you, some of these guys were arms dealers and serious, burly tattooed dudes, but they were cool as long as you didn’t cross them.
“My first time throwing up a piece was on a wall across from a courthouse near College Park. We did it late at night and hide from all of the cars. It really got my adrenaline going, which is one of the best highs of graffiti. Turns out that piece wasn’t too great and you could barely see it from the street, but they got better over time. I met some other graffiti cats and we would go out tagging and bombing a lot. Tagging is when you write your name with a can of paint, it is usually one line and four letter. Bombing is when you have more than one color and it is larger format and in bubble letters. If you think about it like weapons, a tag is your fist. It tells people that you are here. Bombing is like a machine gun. You use it to destroy and raise hell.
Continues after the jump. (more…)
Above is from by Eve Hennessa and below by Leah Frankel.
I thought this was an interesting scene from Columbia Heights/Mt. Pleasant. You can see that the gutter system has been reconfigured and on one of the gutters is written, “creativity takes courage”:
But what if you think that your neighbor’s creativity is actually a bit of an eyesore for the block?
So a couple of questions – what do you think about this case in particular? Do you like how the gutter system is set up? Do you think it looks nice? Do you think it’s creative?
And also in this case or any other case where you don’t like your neighbor’s art – what do you do? At what point do you just suck it up and say this is life, we have a right to do whatever we want on our own private property? Or when do you approach your neighbor and have a discussion?
I mentioned yesterday that Bloomingdale hosted their First on 1st Artwalk this past Sat. Anyone else check it out? I won’t be able to get to all of them but I’ll try and highlight of pieces a couple each day. Above is some yarn art by m. gert barkovic and below is from my friend Sean Hennessey.
Photo by flickr user Carly & Art
The Sweetflow Mobile will be giving out free small yogurts on Sat. “12:00pm-2:00pm: 25th St NW + Pennsylvania Ave NW, 3:00pm-5:00pm: 5th St NW + K St NW”.
Photo courtesy of Albus Cavus
From an email:
“Please help us spread the word about work of our student artists, who have been working hard in the summer heat to produce art that beautifies DC’s public spaces.
The open studio is on August 7, 2010 from 2pm to 8pm at The Freezer Studio, 633 E Street SE in rear alley, in walking distance from Eastern Market Metro.
“Through this year’s Summer Youth Employment Program, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with so many energetic artists from Albus Cavus. From learning how to silk screen to creating large outdoor sculptures with fiberglass, my summer has been full of color, fun and new friends.
This Saturday, August 7th, we’re opening the doors to our studio and inviting everybody to stop by and see all the work we’ve produced this summer. Come interact with us, the young artists. Cut a stencil, make your own shirt or help decorate a hand sculpture. Buy a shirt and eat a hot dog. Or just dance!”
Courtney, 16
Albus Cavus artists and students have been working out of The Freezer, a space provided to us by Alex Gold of The Fridge. In the recent months we have completed a huge amount of work. Please tour the studio to learn about current public art projects and donate to keep the workspace open…
Discuss Future Murals on 8th Street and Penn Ave; Large Art Exhibit + Auction and Raffle; Music and Performances; Students’ Presentations; Refreshments…
On August 7, 2010 from 2pm to 8pm at 633 E Street SE in rear alley, in walking distance from Eastern Market Metro.”
SCOUT from Kelly Towles on Vimeo.
Great new video on the Kelly Towles mural at 12th and W St, NW, Scout.
Photo by PoPville flickr user kc.corcoran
This sounds like it’ll be a nice addition:
“The Columbia Heights Community Marketplace invites artists to apply to sell their own creations at the Marketplace.
Please send your contact information, description of your work and the products you will have for sale (100 words max/ please note that your statement will be used during the evaluation process) and five images of your work to:
[email protected] with “Artist application” in the subject line,
or you may send the application to:
Columbia Heights Community Marketplace
c/o CHANGE, Inc.
1413 Park Road, NW
Washington, DC 20010″
Details after the jump. (more…)