DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities
Annual Report 2011
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THE NONPROFIT ARTS COMMUNITY IN WASHINGTON CONTRIBUTES OVER $746 MILLION EACH YEAR TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY DRIVEN BY ABOUT 4 MILLION ATTENDEES TO ARTS AND CULTURE EVENTS.
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FY2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4. Letter from Chair 6. Commissioner & Staff 7. DC Poet Laureate 9. Introduction 10. 2011 Revenue 11. Ward Report 12. Grant Program & Grantees 16. Art Education 18. Public Art Commissioned Projects 20. PABC by ward 22. Event-Dance DC Festival 24. Larry Neal Writers’ Award 25. Poetry Out Loud 27. Acknowledgement
The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities was founded in August 1968 after it was mandated that the National Endowment for the Arts provide equal block grants to the official state arts agencies in each state. Since then, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities has been committed to fostering the abundance of creative talent here in Washington through grant funds, programs and educational activities. This investment in arts and culture in our city has been returned many times over. In 2007, Americans for the Arts released a study showing that the nonprofit arts community in Washington contributes over $746 million each year to our local economy driven by about 4 million attendees to arts and culture events.
JUDITH TERRA Chair
Because of our investment in the arts, it is no surprise that our city benefits from additional jobs, economic growth, and an attractive quality of life. Investing in arts and culture has also made Washington more attractive to young, talented professionals - establishing this city as a strong competitor in a 21st century economy. This report highlights our commitment to arts, culture, and to the residents of D.C. We are proud of how far this city has traveled, and also how bright its future is.
LETTER FROM CHAIR AND DIRECTOR
Sincerely,
Judith Terra and Lionell Thomas
IN ARTS AND CULTURE “ INVESTING HAS ALSO MADE WASHINGTON
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MORE ATTRACTIVE TO YOUNG, TALENTED PROFESSIONALS ESTABLISHING THIS CITY AS A STRONG COMPETITOR IN A 21ST CENTURY ECONOMY.
LIONELL THOMAS Executive Director
2011 COMMISSIONERS Judith Terra Chair
Marvin Bowser Vice-Chair
Susan Clampitt Christopher Cowan Lou Hill Davidson Rebecca Fishman Rhona Wolfe Friedman Philippa Hughes Rogelio A. Maxwell Tendani Mpulubusi
Marsha Ralls Bernard L. Richardson Deborah M. Royster Michael Sonnenreich Gretchen B. Wharton Ian J. Williams Lavinia Wohlfarth
2011 STAFF Lionell Thomas, Executive Director Moshe Adams, Director of Grants and Legislative Affairs Ebony C. Blanks, Associate Grants Manager Marybeth Brown, Outreach Coordinator Tierra Buggs, Associate Grants Manager Tim Conlon, Online Marketing Coordinator Rachel Dickerson, Public Art Manager Deirdre Ehlen, Public Art Coordinator Kamau Hunter, Media Coordinator Erin Jackson, Grants Program Assistant Sharon Jeffries, Executive Assistant Charlese Jennings, Receptionist Yuyeon “Yuyu� Kim, Graphic Designer Carlyn Madden, Arts Education Grants Manager Steven Mazzola, Grants Program Manager Carolyn Parker, Office Manager Keona Pearson, Associate Grants Manager Marquis Perkins, Director of Outreach and Communication Ayris Scales, Interim Director (FY 2011) Earica Simmons, Finance Manager Zoma Wallace, Curator & Arts Collections Manager
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Photo | Issac Oboka
INTRODUCTION
17
MILLION
Visitors per year
1.4
$
BILLION
Arts contribution to our local economy
Washington, D.C. has a rich tradition of arts and culture. This city is the home to some of the nation’s oldest arts organizations, many of them still thriving today. The creative spirit is part of the very fabric that makes our city so remarkable. Our creative spirit has also boosted our city’s recognition as the cultural capital of the United States. With over 17 million visitors to our city each year (most visiting our monuments and cultural institutions) and over $1.4 billion contributed to our local economy, the arts touch practically every industry in the District. The arts benefit restaurants, hospitality, transportation, parking and many more facets of our economy. In Washington, D.C., the arts make a difference. The arts are part of the fabric of who we are as a city. The arts affect where our residents live, play, how they entertain and how they are entertained.
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FY2011 REVENUES DCCAH received funding through the following channels:
Local Funding
Federal Funding
Intra-district Funding
Generated from D.C. taxpayer dollars. This provides support for the agency’s funding programs and general operations.
Provided by the National Endowment to support the arts in under-served communities and arts education.
Funding transferred between District agencies to support joint projects and programs.
Capital Funding One percent of city capital improvement project funds is set aside for the commission, purchase and installation of public artworks.
BUDGET AND FUNDING BREAKDOWN
Federal Funding $816,300
10%
Local Funding $4,280,000
Intra-district Funding $15,000
55% TOTAL REVENUES: $7,811,300
Capital Funding
(rolls over to next year)
$2,700,000
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35%
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*ward #
1 15 Awards totaling
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$153K WARD REPORT
45 Awards totaling
$393K
71 Awards totaling
$883K
16 Awards totaling
$142K
100 Awards totaling
$1.82M
$3,994,403.53 Totaling of
308 awards
38 Awards totaling
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$493K
11 Awards totaling
$108K
12 Awards totaling
$142K
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Arts Education Program (AEP) Supports programs and activities implemented during the school day, on-or-off-site, as well as in afterschool and summer programs. Arena Stage Assane Konte Capitol Hill Art Workshop CapoeiraDC Choral Arts Society of Washington City Arts, Inc. City at Peace, Inc CityDance Ensemble Community Help In Music Education (CHIME) DCScores Duke Ellington School of the Arts East of the River Boys and Girls Steelband Excel Academy Public Charter School Festivals DC, Ltd Folger Shakespeare Library Fords’s Theatre Society Friendship Public Charter Schools Gala Hispantic Theatre Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute International Child Art Foundation Joel Bergner Joy of Motion Dance Center, Inc Kevin Reese Latin American Montessior Bilingual Public Charter School Lucy Ann Jickling Mary Beth Bowen National Building Museum PEN/Faulkner Foundation Step Afrika! USA, Inc. The Congressional Chorus The Parkmont School The Patricia M. Sitar Center for the Arts The Phillips Collection The Selma M. Levine School of Music The Shakespeare Theatre The Studio Theatre The Theatre Lab School of Dramatic Arts The Washington National Opera Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Thurgood Marshall Academy Turning the Page Washington Bach Consort Washington Performing Arts Society Washington Youth Choir Words Beats & Life Young Playwright’s Theatre, Inc.
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City Arts Projects (CAP)
Artist Fellowship Program (AFP) Supports individual artists who make a significant contribution to the arts and substantively impact the lives of DC residents through their artistic excellence. Adam Davies Alexandra Silverthorne Alexis E. Gillespie Anna U. Edholm Davis Asmara Ghebremichael Avish Khebrehzadeh Barbara Josephs Liotta Brandon W. Bloch Colin Winterbottom Eleanor Walton Erik Snadberg Gediyon Kifle Janis Goodman John James Anderson Joshua Cogan Judy A. Southerland Kenneth George Khanh H. Le Mata Perez Garcia Mary J. Early Mia Feuer Michael Dax lacovone Michelle Herman Molly Springfield Rik Freeman Ruth Stenstorm Scott G. Brooks Tim Tate Virginia N. Durrin
Promotes large scale arts and humanities activities that engage the diverse communities of Washington, DC. Alexis E. Gillespie Art Museum of the Americas Capital Fringe Inc. Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Company Dance Institute of Washington DC Wheel Productions, Inc. (Dance Place) Edgeworks El Teatro del Danza Comtemporance de El Salavador Film Odessey, Inc. FotoWeekDC Grupo dc Artistas Lationamericano International Arts and Artists James Renwick Alliance John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Joseph Young Lorton Art Program, Inc. Mexican Cultural Institute Miriam’s Kitchen, Inc Moving Forward: Contemp. American Dance Company Opera Lafayette Post-Classical Ensemble, Inc. Rex Weil Ruth Stenstrom Solas Nua, Inc. Step Afrika! USA, Inc. Teatro de la Luna (The Moon Theatre) The Choral Arts Society The In Series, Inc. The Phillips Collection The Shakespeare Theatre The Textile Museum The U Street Theatre Foundation, Inc. The VIP Group, Inc. The Washington National Opera Theater Alliance of Washington Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art Washington Bach Consort Washington DC Jewish Community Center, Inc Washington Performing Arts Society
Cultural Facilities Projects (CFP)
One-time capital funding support in the form of matching grants to help defray costs related to the improvement, expansion and rehabilitation of existing buildings owned or leased by nonprofit cultural institutions. Dance Institute of Washinghton DC Wheel Productions, Inc. Ford’s Theatre Society Joy of Motion Dance Center, Inc. Mentors of Minorities in Education The Phillips Collection The Shakespeare Theatre The Studio Theatre, Inc. The Textile Museum The U Street Theatre Foundation, Inc. Woolly Mammoth Theater Company
GRANT PROGRAMS AND GRANTEES
East of the River Program (EOR) Support for arts presentations and programs that directly benefit residents living east of the anacostia river. Funding may include direct support for staff implementing activities. Arch Development Corporation Building Bridges Across the River East of the River Boys and Girls Steelband Interstages, Inc. Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Inc PEN/Faulkner Foundation The Corcoran Gallery of Art The Selma M. Levine School of Music the Washington Ballet Thurgood Marshall Academy Ward 7 Arts Collaborative Young Plyawrights Theater, Inc
Elders Learning Through the Arts (ELTA)
Funds artists and arts organizations that provide programs that serve DC residents ages 60 and older.
Festivals DC (FDC)
Folk & Traditional Arts Program (FTA) Provides funding for artists and arts organizations practicing or supporting folk traditions. Brendan Bell CapoeiraDC Joanne Henson Tango Mercurio The Church of the Epiphany, DC The Washington Ballet Wilma Consul
Funds arts festivals or festivals with significant arts components that: encourage growth and promote awareness of quality arts activities, support local artists, stimulate economic benefits to the community, promote a sense of community identity, and make arts experiences accessible to District residents and visitors. Chinatown Community Cultural Center, Inc Pan American Symphony Orchestra National Building Museum DC Blues Society, Inc American Turkish Association, Inc DC Caribbean Carnibal, Inc Columbia Heights Day Intiative Maru Montero Dance Company Building Bridges Across the River Capital Fringe Inc. Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Company DC Film Alliance FotoWeekDC French-american Cultural Foundation Grupo de Artistas Latinoamericano John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts National Cherry Blossom Festival Committee, Inc Shaw Main Streets, Inc. Washington Drama Society, Inc.
Audrey L. Brown City Arts, Inc. IOMA Senior Services Momentum Dance Theatre Tango Mercurio The Selma M. Levine School of Music The Washington Ballet
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Grants-In-Aid (GIA)
GRANT PROGRAMS AND GRANTEES
Hip-Hop Community Arts (HHCA) Funds artists and arts organizations that encourage the growth of quality Hip Hop arts activities and make Hip Hop arts experiences accessible to District residents.
Public Art Building Communities (PABC)
Small Projects Program (SPP)
African Continuum theatre Coalition Centro Nia CityDance Ensemble Festivals DC, Ltd Holly Bass Joy of Motion Dance Center, Inc. Latin American Youth Center, Inc. Raising Expectations Inc. Simone Jacobson The Patricia M. Sitar Center for the Arts The Studio Theatre, Inc. Truth Hall Words Beats & Life
Funds individuals and nonprofit organizations for the creation and installation of permanent public art projects with a life span of at least five years. Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District Cultural Development Corporation of DC Howard Theatre Restoration, Inc. Peter Waddell
Provides funds to individual artists and arts organizations for small-scale arts projects with budgets under $4,000.
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Bruce McNeil Cory Oberndorfer Dance Institute of Washiington Hello Craft Jaia A. Thomas Jared Lawrence Ragland KanKouran West African Dance Co. Kennth George Maida Withers Dance Construction Company Momentum Dance Theatre New Tang Dynasty Group, Inc. Nicole Aguirre Rachel Beamer Raul Zahir De Leon Rene Javier Moffatt Sufumar Srinivasan Tango Mercurio The Art Connection in the Capital Region The Studio Theatre, Inc The Washington Ballet Washington Bach Consort Washington Project for the Arts Woolly Mammoth Theater Company
General operating support for DC-based arts and humanities nonprofits. Art Enables Atlas Perfoming Arts Center Capital Fringe Inc. Capital Hill Art Workshop Capital Letters Writing Center City Arts, Inc City at Peace, Inc CityDance Ensemble Cultural Development Corporations of DC Dc Film Alliance DC’s El Teatro dc Danza Comtemporance de El Salvador Environmental Film Festival int he Nation’s Capital Federal City Performing Arts Assoican, Inc. Fesivals DC, Ltd FotoWeekDC Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop Friends of FIlmore Arts Center Hamiltonian Artist, Inc. Howard Theatre Restoration, Inc. International Arts and Artist James Renwick Alliance Joy of Motion Dance Center, Inc. KanKouran West Afrrican Dance Co. Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Inc. Lorton Art Porgram Moving Forward: Contemporary Asian American dance Company Multi Media Training Institute, Inc. Opera Lafayette Pan American Symphony Orchestra PEN/Faulkner Foundation Post Classical Ensemble Provisions Learning Project Smith Farm Center for he Healing Arts Solas Nua, Inc Taffety Punk Theatre, Inc The Ellington Fund The In Series, Inc. The Patricia M. Sitar Center for the Arts The Selma M. Levine School of Music The Washington Chorus Transfomer, Inc. Washignton Project for the Arts Washington DC Jewish Community Center, Inc. Washington Youth Choir Washington, DC International Film Festival
Upstart (UPS) Intensive capacity building program for DC-based arts and humanities nonprofits. Capitol Movement, Inc. DC Creative Writing Workshop, Inc. Dc Film Alliance Prisons Foundation Solas Nua, Inc. Washington Concert Opera
2011 ROSTER INDUCTEES Performing Artist Roster Keith Wesby Sonya Taylor
Teaching Artist Roster Joel Bergner Lizabeth flood Marcie Wolf-Hubbard
Young Artists Program (YAP)
Funds individual artists between the ages of 18 to 30 through the Emerging Artist Program and Community Service Program. Alex Pergament Ben Crosie Chajana denHarder Elissa Goetschius Elizabeth Dawn DeRoche Elizabeth Maestri Elizbeth Egan Tomber Jessica T. Solomon Jothnathan B. Tucker Katherine Jordan Maureen Dolan-Galaviz Maureen Elizabeth Andary Micheline Heal Michelle Herman Patrick McDonough Robert Patterson Shari Henry Simone Jacobson Tommy Bobb Vijay Palaparty William John Bert William Wytold Lebing
Photo | Tim Conlon
Grants Kick-off
at Arena Stage | June 2011
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ARTS EDUCATION ARTS EDUCATION ARTS EDU ARTS EDUCATION ARTS EDUCATION ARTS EDU ARTS EDUCATION ARTS EDUCATION ARTS EDU
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Arts education grants were awarded grants out of 77 applicants
“I believe arts education in music, theater, dance, and the visual arts is one of the most creative ways we have to find the gold that is buried just beneath the surface. They (children) have an enthusiasm for life a spark of creativity, and vivid imaginations that need training – training that prepares them to become confident young men and women.” – Richard W. Riley, Former US Secretary of Education
Photo | Dance Institute of Washington
UCATION ARTS EDUCATION UCATION ARTS EDUCATION UCATION ARTS EDUCATION
ARTS EDUCATION
SYEP: Summer Youth Employment Program
Friday Fundamentals
Pro. Dev.
Training in customer service, resumewriting, social media marketing; panels conducted by artists, arts administrators, designers and media professionals to develop understanding of career prospects and pipelines;
Personal Dev.
Youth were placed in internships to gain practical, hands-on experience in the offices of local cultural institutions including visual and performing arts and arts-based youth programs. Each week, each youth had an opportunity to attend a half-day workshop provided by DCCAH to build professional skill sets and experiences necessary to succeed in the creative economy.
Each week, participants were invited to half-day trainings and field trips designed to build professional skill sets and experiences necessary for youth to be successful employees in the creative economy. The components were composed of field trips, site visits, handson workshops, trainings and assignments.
Connections to college access programs to ensure educational advancement opportunities are clear; tours of local colleges and universities with programs and degrees in fields related to the creative economy such as communications, fine arts, dance, theater, fashion merchandising, graphic design, and interior design;
Understanding Social Media
The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities was a host agency for the Department of Employment Services’ (DOES) 2011 One City Summer Youth Employment Program which placed up to 63 creative youth with arts-focused job opportunities at local nonprofits to provide an enriching and constructive summer experiences. Of the 63 students placed, DCCAH retained 58, representing a 92 percent retention rate.
Workshop series on social media in the workplace, critiques of social media in today’s culture, tours of ABC and National Museum of African Art.
DCCAH Worksites
Youth Deliverables
The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities engaged a group of professional art nonprofit organizations to provide enriching and constructive internship experiences to D.C. youth, including:
Youth walked away from this experience with additional skill sets and knowledge about career potential in the creative sector, including, but not limited to trainings on customer service, resumé building, business presentations, social media marketing and marketable skills acquired during hands-on arts internships.
DCCAH Offices Capital Fringe Festival City Arts City at Peace Guerilla Arts Free Minds Book Club FotoDC GALA Hispanic Theatre Theatre Lab
In addition, the Multi-Media Training Institute utilized SYEP participants to develop a media spot for DOES promotion purposes. A local nonprofit, Critical Exposure, worked with an SYEP cohort to teach youth empowerment through social media and photography. SYEP participants also learned the trade of art installation by working with the Critical Exposure photographs and curated an exhibition for DOES.
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PUBLIC ART
2011 Completed Commissioned Projects
“From a Model to a Rainbow” Artists Location Completion Date
Sam Gilliam Takoma Metro Station 327 Cedar St., NW June 2011
(Picture on the right)
A monumental-size mosaic mural, in cooperation with the Metro Art in Transit Program. The mural of multi-colored ceramic and glass tiles mounted on aluminum panels spans 400 square feet. It measures 14 feet high and 39 feet wide, and weighs 2,000 pounds. The artwork can be found at the station on the southern abutment wall along Cedar Street.
“Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium” Artists Location Completion Date
Multiple See Below Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium 1500 S Capitol St, SE April 2009 and April 2011
These exciting projects showcase public art to the approximately 2.5 million patrons attending baseball games at Nationals Park each year. This places significant artworks in Center Field Plaza and along the main concourse, which adds to the texture of an up and coming and vibrantly diverse retail neighborhood.
“Garage Corner & Vertical Elements” Artists Location Completion Date
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Thomas Sayer Raleigh, NC April 2011
A series of stainless steel “domes” ranging in size from 4 feet to 20 feet in diameter are bolted to the concrete face of the parking garage. Twenty domed structures accurately follow the theoretical model of the trajectory of a curving fastball pitch along the entire north elevation of the garage. Each dome is lit from within using LED fixtures. This installation commands the foreground of the parking garage facades, accentuate the corners of the garage to form the entry plaza, and say something of the lasting interest about the spirit of baseball.
Photo | Sam Kittner
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PABC:
Public Art Building Projects by Ward Communities
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The Public Art Building Communities grant (PABC) is available to individual artists and organizations to create and install permanent or temporary public artwork that enhances District neighborhoods. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to: sculpture, mosaics, artistic streetscape improvements, murals, paving patterns, video installations, custom benches, stained glass windows, artistic gates and railing, etc. Funding is available for all fees associated with the design, fabrication and installation of the artwork(s) including: artist fees, materials, insurance, engineering, shipping, fabrication and installation services, permits, copyright registration, and photographic documentation. Projects must have a lifespan of at least five (5) years.
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Peter Waddell
Howard Theatre Restoration, Inc
Golden Triangle BIDFarragut Spheres
COMPLETED 2011 The funds supported a historical mural in DuPont Circle showing its first two mansions in the 1870’s with an architectural framing device suggesting a theatre proscenium arch. Grant Amount: $20,000.00
Installation April 2012 The funds will support a Jazz Man statue to replace the original one that graced the roof of the Howard Theatre. Grant Amount: $60,000.00
COMPLETED 2011 Lighting and Sculptural Installation at Farragut West Metro Station by DC Artist Michael Enn Sirvet. Grant Amount: $75,000.
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Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District
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Awarded Funding in 2011. Anticipated Installation, 2012. The funds will support the use color and light to transform the New Jersey Avenue, SE underpass into a gateway of water pylons.
Cultural Development (“Sweet Mural”)
2011 MURALS DC COMPLETED 2011 The funds supported a two-dimensional comic strip style mural at 3 Tree Flats. Grant Amount: $37,688.00.
MuralsDC was initiated in 2007 by Ward One Council member Jim Graham as a way to combat the rising tide of illegal graffiti, to revitalize sites within the community and to teach young people the art of aerosol painting. MuralsDC engages the District’s youth by teaching proper art techniques, providing supplies, and a legal means to practice and perform their skill in a way that promotes respect for public and private property and community awareness. MuralsDC taps into their inherent interests and uplifting them by providing opportunity, mentoring, and hands on experiences.A partnership with the Department of Public Works (DPW).
Latin American Youth Center COMPLETED 2011 Mural at Parkview Recreation center collected from oral histories collected North of Howard University. Grant Amount: $20,000.
Artists, Teams and Organizations participating in the program are selected by a committee based on their capacity to instruct and execute work in the graffiti style and engage youth and community members in the creation of the murals. Each mural reflects the character, culture and history of the neighborhoods in the District. Mural site selection is based on areas of the District with high incidence of illegal graffiti as identified by DPW and other agencies.
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$
2.7
MILLION
2011 Public Art Capital Budget
EVENTS
DANCE DC FESTIVAL July 22-24, 2012 DCCAH hosted the 8th Annual Dance DC Festival - a festival which highlights folk traditions of the world through live music and dance. The free events were held in various locations through the District. In 2011, the DCCAH celebrated the many styles of hip-hop and its influences on other cultures around the world. The festival commenced with Simply Marvin: Live at the Sugar Shack, a tribute to Washington, D.C. native, Marvin Gaye, at the Warner Theatre. The event explored the music of Marvin Gaye and its influence on hip-hop music through performances spanning instrumental, vocal and dance. The closing event, Downtown Battleground, celebrated hip-hop’s beginnings as a means of creative expression for inner-city youth - usually at block parties. This was the birthplace of the hip-hop DJ, b-boy, rapper and graffiti artist. Over 1,000 people were treated to a performance by hip-hop legend, Doug E. Fresh along with live graffiti art demonstrations, b-boy battles and hours of music.
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FRIDAY JULY 22 Pre Festival Kick-Off! (Woodrow Wilson Plaza) 12:30-1:30 pm Words Beats & Life | Elizabeth Acevedo Trinity | Da Originalz
Simply Marvin: Live @ the Sugar Shack (The Warner Theater) 7:00-9:00 pm Miri Ben-Ari | Capital Movement | DB MVP’s DC Casineros | Jennie Jones | Eric Roberson Levi Stephens | Urban Artistry
SATURDAY JULY 23
SUNDAY JULY 24
Let’s Get Physical!: Workshop series (The Atlas Performing Arts Center) 12:00-3:00 pm
Downtown Battleground (Chinatown - F St. btw 7th & 9th Sts, NW) 4:00 - 8:00 pm
12pm- JOYISM Mobile Dance Lab 1pm- Pontitango 1pm- Words, Beats & Life-DJ Workshop 2pm- Hip-Hop Dance Workshop by choreographer, Shontol Snider Hand Dance Mania (National Portrait Gallery) 2:00pm-3:00pm National Hand Dance Association
DanceAsia 2011 (The Atlas Performing Arts Center) 5:00pm-6:00pm
Hip Hop in Film (The Atlas Performing Arts Center) 8:00pm
Doug E. Fresh | Rane | Lionz of Zion | Batala Washington | Da Originalz | Lyn Dancin Club Black Cobain | Mambo Sauce | E/U | Future Shock Up & Up | Beat Ya Feet Kings | Farafina Kan East of the River Steel Band | Urban Artistry
Photo | Jati Lindsay
Larry Neal Writers’ Award
Since 1981, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities has recognized and celebrated the literary accomplishments of the District’s resident writers through the Larry Neal Writer’s Awards. The honor commemorates the artistic legacy and vision of cultural understanding of Larry Neal (19371981), a renowned author, academic and former DCCAH executive director. The DC Commission received more than 300 submissions from the local emerging and established writers. The award ceremony took place on Friday May 6, 2011 in the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Elizabethan Hall. Writer Deborah Eisenberg, 2011 winner of the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, provided opening remarks. Winners of the 28th Annual Larry Neal Writers’ Award
POETRY
DRAMATIC WRITING
FICTION
Adult Awards
1st Miranda Rose Hall 2nd Richard Herstek 3rd Timothy Guillot
Adult Awards
1st E. Laura Golberg 2nd Samuel Miranda 3rd Patricia Gray Teen Awards
1st
Cherrie Coachman Banneker High School
ESSAYS Teen Awards
2nd Reginald Conway
1st
3rd
2nd Stephanie Guzman
Ellington High School
Robin Jones
Ballou High School
Honorable Mention Nicandra Merchant Banneker High School
Sharri Barnes Hart Middle School
McKinley Tech High School
School Without Walls High School
3rd Niya Watkins
The Potomac School
Honorable Mention Enoch Ajayi
McKinley Tech High School
Youth Awards
1st
Adera Toye
Youth Awards
2nd Zachary Nachbar-Seckel
1st
3rd
2nd Daniel Freymann
Deal Middle School
Zoe Zitner
Lafayette Elementary School
Irina Benson
Thompson Elementary School Lafayette Elementary School
3rd Claire Shaw
Lafayette Elementary School
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1st Tania Rachel James 2nd William John Bert 3rd Binahkaye Joy Teen Awards
1st
Sarai Reed
Ellington High School
2nd Zachary Clare 3rd
Ellington High School
Bria Bailey
McKinley Tech High School
Honorable Mention Kehinde Dosunmu
School Without Walls High School
Youth Awards
1st
Alexandra Heinrich
Lafayette Elementary School
2nd Talia Zitner 3rd
Lafayette Elementary School
Sophie Weich
Lafayette Elementary School
Poetry Out Loud Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by building on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the popularity of hip-hop music. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. On March 21st, Studio Theatre hosted the D.C. state finals for Poetry Out Loud where eight students participated at The Studio Theatre for the chance to compete at the national competition held in Washington, D.C. at the historic Lincoln Theatre. The theme was “Rhythm in Literature� hosted by local hip-hop artist, Black Cobain & DJ PrievoSpecial with guest performances by Elizabeth Acevedo, Luke Spring, Brandon Hill and Christopher Pree.
WASHINGTON, DC FINALS First Place:
Grey Butler
Coolidge High School Second Place:
Chinwe Obodo
Banneker High School Third Place
Jonathan Avila
Cesar Chavez Public Charter School
Photo | Ryan Holloway
Hip-Hop Theater Festival The ongoing goal of Hip-Hop Theater Festival (HHTF) is to elevate hip-hop theater into a widely recognized genre by empowering artists to develop new works and build coalitions with artists and institutions around the world. For a decade, Hip-Hop Theater Festival has showcased the stories, people, music, dance, and word of Hip-Hop live and on stage. All around the world HHTF is known as one of the most influential outlets showcasing Hip-Hop performing arts.
HHTF kicked off its tenth year of invigorating culture inaction from July 11th - 16th, presenting live, professionally executed theater written by and about the hip-hop generation. HHTF and its annual line-up of free and low cost events once again brought the best in local and international hip-hop culture, creating lasting and positive impacts on the Washington, D.C. community. The 2011 Hip-Hop Theater Festival launched on July 11th, with M3: MC’s, Mics & Metaphors [Re/Mixed], which explored the creative power of the lyricism and poetry of hip-hop music through visual imagery.
OKAYAFRICA:
Hip-Hop from the African Diaspora
OKAYAFRICA, a concert and open dance workshop, brought on Maija Garcia, Associate Choreographer for Fela! on Broadway, and ONE dancer Rujeko Dumbutshena to lead dancers of all levels through a physical fusion of hiphop and African dance. At the concert, acclaimed indie MC Tabi Bonney hosted and celebrated hip-hop’s new African Renaissance along with other artists who blended flavors and cultures from all over the world. Now in its sixth year, the annual J Dilla Tribute & Fundraiser, as part of HHTF, paired a live band of D.C.’s most prolific musicians to reproduce some of legendary hip-hop producer, J Dilla’s, best work. J Dilla has been a key figure in the music industry as evidenced by his work with Common, D’Angelo, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, and Janet Jackson amongst others. On July 13th and 14th at Arena Stage’s
Kogod Cradle, HHTF presented the stage production SEED, written by Radha Blank, a Public Theater Emerging Playwright Fellow, directed by Niegel Smith of Fela! SEED explores themes of abandonment, poverty, class differences, distrust and byproducts of the crack epidemic that swept through Harlem in the 1980’s and 90’s. It tells the story in a vibrant and exciting style, using rhythms and verses that are an integral part of hip-hop culture.
Word Becomes Flesh Word Becomes Flesh, a theater production stemming from Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s landmark solo work, now features new writing and direction. On July 15th and 16th at Dance Place, the talented collective Youth Speaks Living Word Project vets Khalil Anthony, Daveed Diggs, Dahlak Brathwaite, Dion Decibels, BenTurner, Mike Turner and B. Yung delivered a series of performed letters, spanning a nine-month period through spoken word, dance, DJing and visuals, reflecting a young single father’s thoughts and emotions in anticipation of an unborn son.
The Freshest of All Time This exhibition first appeared at Flashpoint Gallery in 2010 and received critical acclaim. M3, remixed by Simone Jacobson and Tewodross Melchishua uniquely for the 14th Street Busboys and Poets, gathered a group of emerging artists from around the country, each responding to the theme of the MC (Emcee, or Master of Ceremonies) or simply a favorite hiphop verse or song.
Presented by Words, Beats & Life, All Ways Rocking,and Lionz of Zion in association with HHTF, Freshest of All Time is D.C.’s largest b-boy jam celebrating one of the cornerstones of hip-hop culture – the Battle. In FY 2010, the Freshest event attracted over 800 people. The event has featured some of the most prominent cdance rews from D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Philadelphia, Boston and New York including the DynamicRockers, Evade and Meen 187, Flying Fists from the Floor, Rhythm Fetish, Beat Whacks, The Wild Ones, Mystery Meat, Breakfamous, Killa Groove, Blackout Crew, Lionz of Zion, Vaz and Rawned, and Problems Crew.
DOLORES KENDRICK Poet Laureate of the District of Columbia
On May 14, 1999, native Washingtonian Dolores Kendrick was named the second Poet Laureate of the District of Columbia. Ms. Kendrick authored the award-winning poetry book The Women of Plums, published in 1989. A musical CD based on the book was released in 1996, winning rave reviews from music critics nationally. Ms. Kendrick hosts a variety of events annually to raise awarence and respect for the art of poetry in the District. For Black History Month in February 2010, she hosted a day of AfricanAmerican poetry for the community to engage with famed local and national literary activists at her Poet in Progress (PIP) event. Additionally, Ms. Kendrick’s Young Champion Poets Program enhances the creativity and vision of DC’s energetic young poets by providing opportunities for them to write and perform original poetry. Her recent readings include the Celebration for Lucille Clifton, held at James Madison University in Richmond, VA. She also continues to work on her Aix-en-Provence program, developing poetry exchanges between French and American students.
DCCAH Mission
Our Mission is to provide grant funds, programs and educational activities that encourage diverse artistic expressions and learning opportunities, so that all District of Columbia residents and visitors can experience the rich culture of our city.
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
1371 Harvard St, NW Washington, DC 20009 202.724.5613 | 202.724.4493 dcarts.dc.gov | art202.com
Photo | Sam Kittner
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DCCAH Partners
Acknowledgements
Artomatic
Vincent C. Gray, Mayor
Cultural Alliance DC Arts & Humanities Education Collaborative Humanities Council Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts
2011 D.C. CITY COUNCIL
Kwame Brown | Chairman Yvette Alexander | Ward 7 Marion Berry | Ward 8 Muriel Bowser | Ward 4 Michael Brown | At-Large David Catania | At-Large Mary Cheh | Ward 3 Jack Evans | Ward 2 Jim Graham | Ward 1 Phil Mendelson | At-Large Vincent Orange | Ward 5 Harry Thomas, Jr. | At-Large Tommy Wells | Ward 6
Vincent C. Gray
Mayor of the District of Columbia