February ART(202) Journal

FE B RU A R Y | 2 0 1 0

IMPRINT

Sojourn: The DNA of Perseverence

+PLUS

Art salon MARCH 11

Maa ART 101

Write Away: Poetry Out Loud

DC CREATES! PUBLIC ART

ART BANK: BLACK ARTISTS OF DC

1371 Harvard St. N.W. Washington D.C. 20009 (202) 724-5613 (202) 724-4493 TTY/TDD

www.dcarts.dc.gov

content IMPRINT Sojourn: The DNA of Perseverence

COVER|”Sojourner Truth” |Solomon Wondimu

EDITOR

SHYREE MEZICK

The DNA of Perseverance in three parts with Holly Bass, The Saartjie Project and Solomon Wandimu

3 5

DESIGNER ROD LITTLE

WRITERS

REBECCA LANDWEHR SAMUEL MIRANDA ELIZABETH PISANO ZOMA WALLACE

SPOTlight Holly Bass explores the dynamics of being a multidisciplinary artist in DC.

Have this issue delivered to your inbox—Subscribe now!

7

Small Projects Mini-Grant Program: February 24 Performing Artist Roster: March 10

14

Sneak Peak: Art Salon March 11

SPOTlight

extra

Dolores Kendrick: Get to know DC’s “first lady of poetry”

art 101 Write Away: Poetry Out Loud

15 19

Art Bank: Black Artists of DC

artisttoolbox Resources for artists

21 23 28

IMPRINT

S OJ ThE DNA OF

I

f DNA defines who we are genetically, what then, defines our humanity? A question investigated by countless people over countless years, we offer a creative solution to this abstract notion of identity. Life is always filled with tests we must endure. The mark of true strength can often be found in the ability to persevere amongst the obstacles we encounter.

3

ILLUSTRATION|ROD LITTLE

OURN Pers ever ance

While perseverance can be elusive, it is one of the traits found at the core of our human existence.

Those individuals throughout history we now revere as heroes, are typically remembered for their unfailing determination to persist in their journeys, beliefs, and battles. Isabella Baumfree, more commonly known as Sojourner Truth, was one such individual--an abolitionist and women’s rights leader whose “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech paved the way for future cultural movements.

Thus, for our February Journal, and in honor of Black and Women’s History Months, DCCAH wanted to highlight our city’s artistic perseverance—from the first melodies sung by Marian Anderson to the words penned by Dolores Kendrick today. This month take a brief sojourn with us in this part of DC’s identity, then and now, to appreciate the ongoing impulse to create that has persisted here through many obstacles, from many voices, and over many years.

L E E R DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES

Sojourn: The DNA of Perseverance Featuring: Holly Bass The Saartjie Project Solomon Wondimu

5

VIDEO|Chris Keener

SPOTlight

7

MULTI faceted Holly Bass has captivated audiences from the Kennedy Center to the Whitney Museum of Ameican Art. Her multifaceted artistry fuses hip hop into poetry, writings, and performances. The first journalist to put the term “hip hop theater� into print, Holly has contributed to The Wall Street Journal, Washington City Paper, and American Theater Magazine. The two-time DCCAH Artist Fellow explores the what it means to be a multidisciplinary artist in DC for our second Spotlight installment.

PHOTOS|McKenzie Johnson

MULTI faceted

1. What would you consider your most notable project funded by DCCAH? I received a Hip Hop Community Arts grant in 2008 for a multidisciplinary project. I was able to do several performances at area galleries, including a solo performance art piece called Pay Purview that deals with images of black women in hip hop and the legacy of Saartjie Baartman, the “Hottentot Venus.” That piece toured to Seattle and will be presented again in New York this spring.

2. From the time you were first involved with DCCAH, how would you describe your growth as an artist?

Volunteering as a judge on grant panels has been one of the most eye-opening and educational experiences for me. It exposed me to the range of artistry in Washington, but also the range of quality in terms of proposals. It pushed me to up my game in terms of arts administration. It’s all well and good to be talented and creative, but if you can’t write a successful proposal or manage the funds well, then your career will only go so far. The grant process, both as a recipient and as a panelist, has helped me grow as a manager as well as providing the resources to manifest my creative visions.

3. If DC were an instrument in a gogo band, what would it be?

The drum, duhhhh! : ) Percussion represents the heart and the soul and that’s what DC is about for me.

4. What is your motto?

No matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves it’s always possible to forge a life of beauty and to shine.

5. If you could work with an artist of a different discipline who would it be?

Video art. That’s the next frontier for me.

6. What is your favorite quote?

It often gets erroneously attributed to Nelson Mandela, but it’s from Marianne Williamson.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world…We are all meant to shine...” – Marianne Williamson

7. What is your ideal “DC” venue/ moment?

The corner of 14th & U on the night of Barack Obama’s election. That was a really special moment that I will never forget-- a spontaneous, international street party for change.

9

8. When did you know you were an artist and couldn’t turn back?

I’ve always written and I’ve always made up little plays and performance by myself in my room. I had my first poem published when I was 10 in the school newspaper. But definitely by high school I knew this was my career and life path.

9. If you could... …change anything about our societal beliefs about artists, I would eradicate the myth of the starving artist. Our culture would value and respect artists as essential contributors to the economy and community. And artists would learn business management skills in school, and see their profession the same as teachers, lawyers, plumbers, doctors.

10. Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I will still be making art, performing, teaching, living life. I’d like to do exactly what I’m doing now, just on a larger scale.

11. If you could be any other “discipline” which

would it be?

I’ve always wanted to be a really badass lead singer of a rock band. Like Beth Ditto from The Gossip or Shingai Shoniwa of Noisettes before they went pop.

12. If you could collaborate with one other DC artist in a different discipline than yours, who would it be and why?

I feel lucky in that I do get to collaborate with quite a few artists in DC and work across a number of disciplines. But I would say Sam Gilliam. It would be amazing to work on a such largescale pieces. He’s a master of his craft!

13. Who or what do you consider the greatest love of your life?

What art does is offer access to a deep human and spiritual connection, and that’s something I couldn’t live without.

And it’s something that makes all the other love in my life—love for my family, my friends, my relationship with God—all the more possible.

14. If you could have any super power, what would it be and how would you use it?

I would want to fly. I would just fly around and do crazy ish. I’d fly myself to other countries and to the tops of tall buildings. I don’t think I would necessarily use it for good or anything. Although you could make some crazy magical choreography with flying dancers.

15. If you could collaborate with any historical figure, who would it be and what would you produce?

Pina Bausch may not exactly a historical figure although she is no longer living. I would have loved to have studied with her and worked on a dance-theater piece.

I’d consider Michael Jackson historical. I would have liked to produce an actual Dancin’ Machine. It would be an immersive virtual reality video dance jukebox. You would select different dance video clips and actually feel the sensation of doing those moves. You could select and splice together clips from all your favorite dancers— anything from James Brown to Baryshnikov-- into new choreography and the machine would teach your body how to dance. It would be awesome. You’re inside of/wearing the Dancin’ Machine. But you also become the Dancin’ Machine and people could watch you perform.

2010grantees DCCAH will award 515 grants totaling $7.25 million to fund arts projects across the District of Columbia. DCCAH is proud to continue offering support to the District’s unique art­ists and arts organizations. Congratulations to these indi­viduals and organizations who received funding so far in 2010:

Artist Fellowship Program •Abdul Ali Addurrahman •Amy Saidman •Anupama Yadav •Assane Konte •Brian Wilbur Grundstrom •Frederic Yonnet •Gabriel Feldman •Henry Ofori-Atta •Issachah James Savage •Juan H. Gaddis •Karen L.B. Evans •Karen Zacarias •Katie Coogan •Kyle Dargan •Laura Zam •Lawrence B. Redmond •Marc Anthony Nelson •Mary Hall Surface •Maurice Michael Saylor •Premila Mistry •Randall Packer •Ryan Richmond •Sara Ilyse Jacobson •Sandra Beasley •Suzanne Zweizig •Vijay Palaparty

Arts Education Projects Individuals •Assane Konte •Dolores Kendrick •Joel Bergner •Marc S. Spiegel •Mary Beth Bowen

Arts Education Projects ORGANIZATIONS •Capital Fringe, Inc. •Capitol Hill Arts Workshop •Capitol Letters Writing Center •CapoeiraDC •Center for Inspired Teaching •Centro Nia •City Arts, Inc. •City at Peace, Inc. •CityDance Ensemble •Critical Exposure •DC Scores •Dumbarton Concerts, Inc. •Festivals DC, Ltd. •Folger Shakespeare Library

•Grupo de Artistas Latino Americano •John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts •Joy of Motion Dance Center, Inc. •Latin American Youth Center YouthBuild Public Charter School •National Building Museum •National Housing Trust Enterprise Preservation Corporation •PEN/Faulkner Foundation •Septima Clark Public Charter School •St. Coletta of Greater Washington, Inc. •Step Afrika! USA, Inc. •The Choral Arts Society •The Ellington Fund •The National Museum of Women in the Arts •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 Ballet •The Washington Middle School for Girls •The Washington National Opera •The Washington Theatre Awards Society •Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art •Turning the Page •Washington Bach Consort •Washington Drama Society, Inc. •Washington Performing Arts Society •William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School •WVSA School For Arts in Learning •Young Playwrights Theater, Inc.

Artists In school

•Hyde Leadership Public Charter School •Jose Gonzalez •Katie Coogan •KippDC •Marta Perez Garcia •Regie Cabico

City Arts Projects Individuals •Audrey L. Brown •Holly Bass •Holly Tank •Joy Jones •Kim Roberts •Rex Weil •Ruth Stenstrom •Sarah Browning •Sukumar Srinivasan

City Arts Projects Organizations •Art Enables •Building Bridges Across the River •Capital City Symphony •CapoeiraDC •CentroNia •Cultural Development Corporation of the District of Columbua •Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Company •Dance Institute of Washington •DC Film Alliance •DC Wheel Productions, Inc. •Ford’s Theatre Society •Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington •James Renwick Alliance •John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts •Mexican Cultural Institute •Moving Forward: Contemporary Asian American Dance Company •Opera Lafayette •Pin Points Theatre •Post-Classical Ensemble, Inc. •Sixth & I Historic Synagogue •Speakeasy DC •Teaching for Change •The Choral Arts Society •The Shakespeare Theatre •The Textile Museum •The Washington National Opera •Transformer, Inc. •Vera Institute of Justice, Inc. •Washington Bach Consort •Washington Drama Society, Inc. •Washington Improvisational Theater Co. •Washington Parks & People •Washington Project for the Arts •Washington Sculptor’s Group

EAST OF THE RIVER

•African Diaspora Ancestral Commemoration Institute

•Arch Development Corporation •East of the River Boys and Girls Steelband

•Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Inc •Northeast Performing Arts Group •Serenity Players, Inc. •Sewing Opportunities Never Ending Young Playwrights Theater, Inc. (S.O.N.E.) •Smithsonian Institution’s Anacostia Community Museum •The Washington Ballet •Ward 7 Arts Collaborative •Young Playwrights Theater, Inc. Elders Learning Through the arts program •Abraham and Laura Lisner Home for Aged Women •Audrey L. Brown •IONA Senior Services •Sharna Fabiano •The Double Nickels Theatre Company, Inc. •The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts •The Washington Ballet •Washington Improvisational Theater Co. Festivals DC

•Building Bridges Across the River •Cultural Tourism DC •Capital Fringe, Inc. •D.C. Blues Society •Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Company

•DC Film Alliance •El Teatro de Danza Contemporanca de El Salvador

•Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital

•Festivals DC, Ltd. •FotoWeekDC •French-American

Cultural Foundation

•Grupo de Artistas Latino Americano

•John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

•National Building Museum

•National Cherry Blossom Festival Committee, Inc. •One in Ten, Inc. •VSA Arts •Washington Project for the Arts •Washington, DC International Film Festival Folk & Traditional Arts Mini-Grant Program •Brendan Bell •Carlenia Springer •Interstages, Inc. •Lucy Ann Jickling •Sharna Fabiano •The Washington Ballet GRANTS IN AID

•African Continuum Theatre Coalition •Art Enables •Atlas Performing Arts Center •Building Bridges Across the River •Capital Fringe Inc. •Capitol Movement, Inc. •City Arts, Inc. •City at Peace, Inc •CityDance Ensemble •Critical Exposure •Cultural Development Corporation of the District of Columbia

•D.C. Blues Society •Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company

•Dance Institute of Washington •DC Film Alliance •DC Wheel Productions, Inc. •Edgeworks •Environmental Film Festival in the

•The Congressional Chorus •The In Series, Inc. •The Inkwell •The National Men’s Chorus •The Patricia M. Sitar Center for the Arts

•The Selma M. Levine School of Music •The Textile Museum •The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts •The Thomas Circle Singers •The Wagner Society of Washington, D.C. •The Washington Chorus •The Washington Theatre Awards Society •The Washington Women’s Chorus •Theater Alliance of Washington •Theatre Downtown, Inc, t/a The Washington Stage Guild •Transformer, Inc. •Twentieth Century Consort, DBA 21st Century Consort •Vocal Arts Society •Washington Bach Consort •Washington Concert Opera •Washington District of Columbia Jewish Community Center, Inc •Washington Improvisational Theater Co. •Washington Project for the Arts •Washington, DC International Film Festival •Words Beats & Life •Young Playwrights Theater, Inc. •Youth Organizations United to Rise

•Musica Aperta •Northeast Performing Arts Group •One Common Unity, Inc. •Opera Camerata of Washington DC,

Hip hop Community Arts initiative •CityDance Ensemble •Dance Institute of Washington •David Nicholas Adams •DC Wheel Productions, Inc. •Diallo Sumbry •Facilitating Leadership in Youth, Inc. •Festivals DC, Ltd •Jerald Bryant •Latin American Youth Center, Inc. •Magee McIlvaine •Mentors of Minorities in Education •Pediatric Aids/HIV Care, Inc. •The Patricia M. Sitar Center for the Arts •The Studio Theatre •William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School •Words Beats & Life •Youth Organizations United to Rise

Inc. •Opera Lafayette •Pan American Symphony Orchestra •PEN/Faulkner Foundation •Post-Classical Ensemble, Inc. •Smith Farm Center for the Healing Arts •Solas Nua, Inc. •Southwest Renaissance Development Corporation •SpeakeasyDC •Step Afrika! USA, Inc. •The Black Women Playwrights’ Group

•Allison Lince-Bentley •Carol Pineau •City Arts, Inc. •CityDance Ensemble •Consumer Action Network •DC Youth Orchestra Program •Eleanor Walton •Keisha Dene Mitchell •Khanh H. Le •Ryan Richmond •Shawn Short

Nation’s Capital

•Federal City Performing Arts Association, Inc.

•FotoWeekDC •Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop

•Friends of Fillmore Arts Center •Hamiltonian Artists, Inc. •International Arts and Artists •International Capoeira Angola Foundation

•Joy of Motion Dance Center, Inc. •KanKouran West African Dance Co. •Maru Montero Dance Company •Moving Forward:Contemporary Asian American Dance Company

Small Projects Program

•The Selma M. Levine School of Music •Washington Project for the Arts •Washington Bach Consort •Alexis E. Gillespie •Building Bridges Across the River •Children’s Nat’l . Med. Ctr./ New Horizons

•Contemporary Music Forum/VERGE Ensemble

•El Teatro del Danza Contemporanca de El Salavador

•In Da Streets, Inc. •Jamelle G. Thomas •Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington

•Jes Therkelsen •Jessica Solomon •John A. Johnson •Justin Young •Lindsay Routt •Maria Emelyn Villa Bryk •Mark Perkins •Mary Christina Coble •Matthew Jordan Hemerlein •Maureen Elizabeth Andary •Nicole Aguirre •Patrick Crowley •Paul Joseph Thornley •Peter Chang •Rachel Beamer

•Lorton Art Program, Inc. •Noah Getz •Sherri Lyn Sosslau •SpeakeasyDC •The Washington Ballet •Washington Print Foundation •Women in Film & Video CULTURAL FACILITIES Program

stim10 •American Poetry Museum •Building Bridges Across the River •Capital City Symphony •City Arts, Inc. •CityDance Ensemble •Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Company •DC Youth Orchestra Program •Joy of Motion Dance Center, Inc. •Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Inc. •Opera Lafayette •Prisons Foundation •The Choral Arts Society •The Double Nickels Theatre Company, Inc. •The Patricia M. Sitar Center for the Arts •Theater Alliance of Washington •Washington District of Columbia Jewish Community Center, Inc •Washington Men’s Camerata •Woolly Mammoth Theater Company UPSTART Program

•Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital

•FotoWeekDC •Jones-Haywood Dance School, Inc. •One in Ten, Inc. •The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts

•Atlas Performing Arts Center •Dance Institute of Washington •DC Wheel Productions, Inc. •Folger Shakespeare Library •Grupo de Artistas Latinoamericano •Hillwood Museum and Gardens Foundation

•Meridian International Center •National Trust for Historic Preservation

•The National Museum of Women in the Arts

•The Patricia M. Sitar Center for the Arts

•The Shakespeare Theatre •The Studio Theatre •The Washington Ballet •Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art

•Washington District of Columbia Jewish Community Center, Inc PUBLIC ART BUILDING COMMUNITIES •Bill Warrell •Chinatown Community Cultural Center, Inc •City Arts, Inc. •Golden Triangle Business Improvement District •Kelly Towles •Latin American Youth Center, Inc.

•Youth Organizations United to Rise YOung artist program •Adam de Boer •Alexander Richard Clarke •Alexandra Silverthorne •Carmen Wong •Christon Bacon •Danielle M. Evennou •Elizabeth Dawn DeRoche •Eric Rubin •Graciela Requel Sedillo Lopez •Guarina Lopez-Davis •Hannah Naomi Kim •Jason Nickens

Public art commissioned projects •Takoma Metro Underpass – Sam Gilliam •NY Avenue BridgeDesign Team – Kent Bloomer •Girard Street Playground Mural – Words Beats and Life – Albus Cavus – Aniekan Udofia •Benning Library Project – Rik Freeman –Life Pieces to Master Pieces

12

•Anacostia Library Project – Kamala Subramanian –Bill Howard •New Beginning Youth Development Center Mural – Cheryl Foster –Joey Tomassoni •The New Saint Elizabeths Hospital Suspended Installations – Matthew Barinholtz – Walter Kravitz •The New Saint Elizabeths Hospital Murals – Sheila Crider – Roderick Turner – Bill Gibbons Public art bank Recent Acquisitions Artists •Aliza Lelah •BJ Adams •Carol Brown Goldberg •Caroline Thorington •Catherine Kleeman •Cynthia Connolly •David Allen Harris •Denise Wright •Elaine Langerman •Ellen Hill •Frank Hallam Day •Frank Smith •Gloria Kirk •Gwen Lewis •James Brown Jr. •Jarvis Grant •Jason Horowitz •Jenny Walton •John Anderson •John Aquilino •John Grunwell •John James Anderson •Joseph Craig English •Judy Byron •Karen Hubacher •Kay Hwang •Lely Constantinople •Lisa Fanning •Lisa Marie Thalhammer •Margaret Boozer •Matt Dunn •Michael B. Platt •Michael Dax Iacovone •Peggy Fleming •Robert Sanabria •Sandra Parra •Sharon Moody •Solomon Wondimu •Sondra Arkin •Stanley Squirewell •Steven Jackson •Susana Raab

13

Artists Represented by Galleries •Colby Caldwell (Hemphill Gallery) •Franz Jantzen (Hemphill Gallery) •Godfrey Frankel (Hemphill Gallery) •James Huckenpahler (Hemphill Gallery) •Jamils Rahimi (ArtEnables) •Kate McGraw (Curator’s Office) •Kevin McDonald (Pyramid Atlantic) •Margie Smeller (ArtEnables) •Michael Farrell (Curator’s Office) •Nancy McIntyre (Jane Haslem Gallery) •Renee Stout (Hemphill Gallery) •Robin Wheeler (ArtEnables) •Workingman Collective (Hemphill Gallery) Artomatic Purchases •Arlie Hammons •Ben Nicholson •Carlito Cabading •Claudia Minicozzi •Jamea Richmond Edwards •Jeremy Arn D. Ramirez •Jessica VanBrakle •John Sawyer •Kerry Cavanagh •Kimberley Bursic •Lori Larusso (Jordan Faye Contemporary) •Lynne Venhart •Marina Reiter •Mark Jude •Matthew R. Carucci •Michael Torra •Pat Goslee •Patricia McDonald Hartnett •Rachel Thern •Rob Chester •Sam Vasfi •Sean Hennessey •Stephen Beardsell •Susan Finsen •Susannah Parnin

Upcoming DCCAH Grant Deadlines: Small Projects Program: February 24, 2010, 7pm

The Small Projects Program (SPP) offers quick response grants of up to $2,000 to individual artists and arts organizations. The program seeks to make grant funds more accessible for small-scale arts projects with total budget that do not exceed $4,000.

Projects may include but are not limited to: •Art presentations •Assistance in fundraising, marketing and management •Documentation of artistic activities through photography, brochures, portfolios and demo tapes •Conferences, workshops or seminars that will enhance artistic and professional development For more information, contact Ebony Blanks at ebony.blanks@dc.gov

Performing Artist Roster: March 17, 2010, 7pm

The Performing Artist Roster Program (PAR) will increase booking and management opportunities for DC performing artists by Maryland and DC presenters through their inclusion on the DCCAH Touring Artist Roster.

Selected artists will be eligible for all roster benefits for three years. The goals of the program are to promote the artistic excellence and development of DC performing artists by enhancing their marketability and touring capacity through successful touring engagements beyond their home state, conduct professional development workshops and create DCCAH roster campaign promotions. The Performing Artist Roster program is not a monetary grant.

For more information, contact Keona Pearson at keona.pearson@dc.gov

27TH ANNUAL LARRY NEAL WRITERS COMPETITION March 30, 2010, 6pm Since 1981, the DCCAH has recognized and celebrated the literary accomplishments of adult writers of DC in poetry, fiction, dramatic writing and essay. This program also recognizes young writers in three poetry, fiction and essay. Cash awards and prizes are given for artistic excellence in writing for each category.

For more information, contact Lisa Richards at lisa.richards@dc.gov

Other Calls to Artists •Artscape’s Call for Visual Artists •Americans for the Arts Award Nominations •Capitol Hill Arts Workshop Registration for Summer Arts Adventures •DC Water and Sewer Authority Logo Re-design Contest •Dekka (1338 U Street NW) has limited space available for talented and ambitious artists for only $75 a month: emailjoshuatiktin@msn.com •Golden Triangle BID Creative Bike Rack Call to Artists •Hamiltonian Artists 2010 Fellowship Program applications •Hillyer Art Space Cultural Exchange Programs •Manifest Equality National Call to Artists •National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America Fast Track Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth ArtWorks: design the new blog logo •Transformer Gallery has extended its FlatFile opportunity for emerging artists •Words. Beats. Life. The Global Journal of HipHop Culture is currently seeking essays and high quality art work for upcoming issues.

14

SPOTlight

extra

Dolores

Kendrick First Lady of Poetry

I read some of the new poems by Dolores Kendrick and they took the dryness out of my soul. Kendrick is the First Lady of Poetry in Washington, DC... Once again she examines the hearts of black women. Kendrick mixes holy water with words. Her poems will bless you. They will make you sing.

-E. Ethelbert Miller, Director, African American Resource Center, Howard University

F

or the past 10 years, DC’s own Dolores Kendrick has served as the Poet Laureate of DC. As both an educator and a scholar, Ms. Kendrick implores the District to experience poetry as manifested through other art forms, such as sculpture, dance, music, and visual arts and is considered one of the top African-American poets of today. While she is only the second individual appointed to this office, she has since expanded its reach through her Young Champion Poets Program to encourage DC’s future literary arts leaders.

Among her many prestigious awards, Ms. Kendrick is the first Vira I. Heinz professor emerita at Phillips Exeter Academy and has received the Anisfield-Wolf Award along with a National Endowment for the Arts Award. She has been chosen by Chicago State University to join the International Literary Hall of Fame for writers of African-American descent. Most recently, she was invited to Aix-en-Provence, France, to host a program with high school students, student-teachers, and university professors, resulting in a vision for a sister city initiative between Aix-en-Provence, France and DC. Holy Week in Shanghai, her poem written during her teaching assignment at the Shanghai School of Foreign Languages was recently presented in both English and Mandarin to a Chinese delegation in Washington, DC.

15

1950’s: Starts

1997: Wins the

teaching in

New York New

Washington, DC

1969: Co-designs Washington’s School Without Walls

1971-1992: Professor at Phillips Exeter Academy

1989: The Women of Plums: Poems in the Voices of Slave Women published

1990: Receives National Endowment for the Arts Award for The Women of Plums

1990: The Women of Plums wins the Ansfield-Wolf Award

1990: Wins the George Kent Award for Literature

Playwrights Award for The Women of Plums

1999: Named Poet Laureate of the District of Columbia

2000: Inducted into the Chicago State University’s International Literary Hall of Fame for writers of African-American descent

2001: Why the Woman is Singing in the Corner is published

2002: Recieves Fulbright Award for Outstanding Accomplishments

1991: The Women of

in Education and

Plums wins Best Book

Literature

for Teenagers from NYPL

1991: Named the first Vira I. Heinz Professor Emerita at Phillips Exeter

2004: Honorary Doctorate of Letters degree upon giving the commencement address at St.

Academy

Bonaventure

1992: Receives the

University at

National Association

Bonaventure, NY.

of Independent

2005: Inducted into

Schools People of

the Washington, DC

Color Award.

PHOTO|Steve Lewis

Hall of Fame

Poetry Out Loud Hear great poetry as spoken through the youth of DC— This year’s Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest is the District’s largest yet!

17 District high schools are participating in the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation’s nationwide poetry initiative, where students compete for scholarship money and a bid to the national competition. DCCAH is proud to host the District’s state competition this year. Program director Ebony Blanks anticipates that the 2010 contest will take on a more theatrical role than in years past, as students have been hard at work attending workshops and classes hosted by literary artists Regie Cabico and Elizabeth Acevedo. These workshops started at the Commission on February 10 and will continue through the coming weeks as students refine their selected poems for the competition in March.

Now in its fifth year, Poetry Out Loud was piloted in Chicago and Washington, DC in 2005 and grew to include the capital region of every state in 2006. Its growth is due to the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form and thanks to the slam poetry movement. The program encourages the nation’s high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, helping them to internalize and perpetuate our rich literary heritage while mastering public speaking skills and building self-confidence.

For more information, contact Ebony Blanks at ebony.blanks@dc.gov

17 District Schools Ballou Senior High Benjamin Banneker High School Cardozo Senior High School Cesar Chavez Public Charter School Columbia Heights Education Campus DCPS @ Youth Services Center Duke Ellington School of the Arts Friendship Collegiate Academy Ideal Academy Public Charter School Hyde Leadership Public Charter School National Collegiate Preparatory CHS SEED Public Charter School St. Anselm’s Abbey School Theodore Roosevelt High School Washington Latin PCS Washington Math Science Tech PCHS Young America Works PCS

NEA’s Poetry Out Loud State Recitation Competition with special guests Tabi Bonney & The Poem-Cees

Monday, March 8, 2010, 5:30p.m.

GALA Hispanic Theatre 3333 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20010

art 101

19

“WritE Away” When was the last time you wrote a short story?

Did you ever get to perform a play?

Or give a speech for a class or a campaign?

How about a poem for a young writer’s anthology?

Maybe

you haven’t, or maybe it’s too far back to recall.

But even if you answered no to some or all of these questions, the literary arts undeniably impacted your education then, as well as the person you are today.

The literary arts are a necessary element in cultivating students who are critical thinkers, and who understand the value and power of language. When well integrated into a curriculum, programs such as Poetry Out Loud, the NEA poetry recitation project; or Young Playwright’s Theater, a local program that encourages participants to write plays performed by professional actors, present ample opportunity for students to become more invested in their education. These experiences coupled with authentic audiences allow students to truly understand what they are producing and why. As a result, students pay closer attention to detail, make more informed decisions, and learn to receive and give feedback that improves their work.

We might be contributing to the creation of playwrights and poets, perhaps essayists or journalists, or simply young people who buy tickets to a play or visit the Folger Shakespeare Library for a poetry reading. We might be encouraging the next Langston Hughes or Zora Neale Hurston. These are the maybes. What we are definitely producing are communities that think about the effect of what they say, and contributing to people who understand the importance of their voices and the importance of their stories in the world around them.

PHOTOS|RYAN HOLLOWAY

ART SALON|Sneak Peek

sojourn The DNA of Perseverance

March Art Salon The Historical Society of Washington March 11, 2010 7pm-9pm “Sojourner Truth”|SOLOMON WONDIMU

21

Dolores Kendrick

Black History and Women’s History months will be celebrated at the March Art Salon. This event will present an acknowledgement, display and conversation of transcendence above and beyond the struggles of history through today.

Dolores Kendrick, Washington’s esteemed Poet Laureate, will read original works to open eyes, ears, and minds to voices of the past while opening the stage floor to the women of The Saartjie Project, an all female artist collective and versatile contemporary artist Holly Bass.

Perseverance is translated into visual terms, through Solomon Wondimu’s masterful portrait of Sojourner Truth.

For more information, contact Zoma Wallace at zoma.wallace@dc.gov

The District of Columbia’s “first lady of poetry” is the second individual appointed to the Office of Poet Laureate. The author of the award-winning Women of the Plums: Poems in the Voices of Slave Women, Ms. Kendrick is one of the foremost African-American women writers today. After 10 years in office, Ms. Kendrick is slated to release her latest anthology of remarks from her anniversary celebration later this month.

HOLLY BASS Holly Bass has captivated audiences across the nation. This multifaceted artist fuses the art of hip hop into her poetry, writings, and performances.

Saartjie Project The intersections of race, gender and power are manifested in DC’s own Saartjie Project.

Through the voices of black women, this artist collective produces and develops theatre by combining poetry and song with performing and visual arts.

Solomon Wondimu Ethiopian-born artist Solomon Wondimu has always been puzzled by the definition of race. Through this conflict he has developed the Skin Color Project, taking digital photos of the forearms of hundreds of participants. From these photos, he has extracted swatches that make up his Skin Color Bank to create digitally generated works as well as latex wall-paints for large-scale paintings.

Art MOVES A

s a collection of over 2,000 movable artworks, Art Bank transforms bare District Government walls and mirrors the color, vitality, and activity of our capital city. Scenes of Washingtonian life and lifestyle compliment landscapes and cityscapes of the metropolitan area. Portraits of residents are valued individual reminders of the purpose of government and the services agencies provide. Even abstract works bring psychological uplift to the daily routines of each day, brightening spirits and attitudes of both employees and members of the public that come in to conduct business. All genres, mediums, and subjects work together to open minds to the possibilities of creative expression and connect people to fine art and artists in a way that no gallery can. The Art Bank welcomes sojourners home.

“Joys of Yemonya� mixed media, 2003|AZIZA GIBSON-HUNTER

23

Black Artists of DC

Artists from Black Artists of DC (BADC) who are part of DCCAH’s Art Bank have created the works on these pages. Formed in 1999, the group’s purpose is to promote, develop, and validate the cultural and artistic expressions of artists of African ancestry in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. With a membership of more than 400, the group coordinates workshops, artist talks, peer studio visits, and other art enrichment activities, with an emphasis on educating the public and one another.

“The Woodley House” mixed media, 2002|LIANI FOSTER

BADC: Jarvis Grant Michael Platt Aziza Gibson-Hunter Cedric Baker James Brown Jr. Lilian Burwell Liani Foster Gloria Kirk Harlee Little (deceased) Percy Martin Camille Mosley-Pasley Frank Smith David Alen Harris Stanley Squirewell

25

“Puzzled”|Gloria kirk

“Connor Benton”|David Alen Harris

“The Spirit of a Child”|James Brown Jr.

THE

IN KNOW

‘In Pursuit of Me: The Story of Christylez Bacon’ Live music, dance and drama collide in this twist on the classic hero’s journey, chronicling the story of one of hip-hop’s rising stars. This musical extravaganza created by GRAMMY nominated, DC native Christylez Bacon and award-winning director Patrick Crowley will take place on on February 27th and March 5th & 6th as part of the Intersections New American Art Festival.

Stevie Wonder + Duke Ellington Enjoy an intimate evening with legendary singer Stevie Wonder at a benefit concert for the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. General admission tickets will be sold through the Kennedy Center Box Office, with VIP tickets starting at $500 and sponsorships of $2,500 -$75,000 available through The Ellington Fund.

For more information, contact ecoppley@ellingtonarts.org or (202 )333-1235

Support local artists at Cream Now in its 29th year, the Washington Project for the Arts Cream features works from over 100 regional artists. Join WPA on February 25 at American University’s Katzen Arts Center for the annual Art Auction and Gala. Tickets to the Gala are limited, but the exhibition will be on view through March 6.

For more information, contact atwpa.auction@gmail.com.

For more events, visit our website and Facebook page.

27

Art(202)Television DCCAH, in partnership with DC Office of Cable Television (OCT), launches Art(202) TV, an innovative one hour television segment showcasing the diverse talents of DC’s Art Scene on Friday, February 26 at 9pm. Tune in to channel 16 every Friday at 9pm and Saturdays at 11pm!

For more information, visit our website.

Arts Advocacy Day Be a voice for the arts in DC! Participate in Arts Advocacy Day on March 3, 2010. Visit DC Advocates for the Arts for more details on registration and participation.

The Heights of Change Young Playwrights’ Theater presents “Heights of Change,” exploring how our students have seen their neighborhoods change in recent years. This installment of their New Writers Now! series will be performed in the heart of of the Columbia Heights neighborhood, GALA Hispanic Theatre, on February 22nd at 7:00 p.m

Half Price Local Tickets Ticketplace, your source for half-price tickets to the performing arts in DC, now offers advance purchase and day of show ticket sales.

artisttoolbox PARTNERSHIPS Provides a forum for artists to convene, perform and exhibit; strengthening Washington’s arts community.

RESOURCES Arts Education •The American Alliance for Theatre & Education •The Kennedy Center ArtsEdge •National Art Education Association •National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts

C U LT U R A L A L L I A N C E

& SERVE

RESEARCH

CONVENE

A D V O C AT E GREATER WASHINGTON

This virtual arts marketplace connects users to more than 300 DC-area arts organizations and cultural institutions.

FUNDING •ArtsReady •The Foundation Center •Grantmakers in the Arts •Mayor’s Office of Partnerships and Grants Development (OPGD)

Provides access to arts and humanities education for DC Public and Public Charter Schools to encourage the growth of the whole child.

•Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers (WRAG)

MARKETING •National Arts Marketing Project •National Arts Strategies •Technology in the Arts

A private, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Humanities Council funds and conducts humanitiesbased cultural and educational programs across DC.

LEGAL •The Artists Rights Society •The Copyright Society of the United States of America •The Nonprofit Center •Porterfield’s Fine Art Licensing •Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA)

GENERAL Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, supporting excellence in the arts bringing art to all Americans, and leading the nation in arts education.

•Americans for the Arts •Cultural Development Corporation •National Council of Nonprofit Associations •National Endowment for the Humanities •National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts •The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation supports the richness and diversity of the region’s arts resources and promotes wider access to the art and artists of the region, nation and world.

•United States Artists

Provides education, advocacy and volunteer services through workshops, seminars, and clinics for artists and arts organizations, and pro-bono referral services.

•National Association of Women Artists

SPECIAL INTEREST •American Association of Community Theatre •The Actors Fund •International Society for the Performing Arts •National Alliance for Media Art & Culture •National Association of Latino Arts and Culture •PEN American Center •Poets & Writers

28

dccah

ABOUT MISSION

Our Mission at The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is to provide grants, 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.

COMMISSIONERS

Anne Ashmore-Hudson, Ph.D. | Chair WARD 1 Bernard Richardson | WARD 1 Rhona Wolfe Friedman, J.D. | Vice Chair WARD 2 Lou Hill Davidson | WARD 2 Rebecca Fishman | WARD 2 Marsha Ralls | WARD 2 Michael R. Sonnenreich | WARD 2 Christopher Cowan | WARD 3 Rogelio Maxwell | WARD 3 Deborah Royster | WARD 4 Judith Terra | WARD 4 Lavinia Wohlfarth | WARD 5 Susan Clampitt | WARD 6 Marvin Joseph Bowser | WARD 7 Tendani Mpulubusi | WARD 8 Philippa Hughes | At -Large Ian Williams | At-Large

office of the poet laureate Dolores Kendrick | District of Columbia

29

DCCAH STAFF

Gloria Nauden | Executive Director Ayris Scales | Deputy Director

Moshe Adams | Legislative and Grants Manager Curtia Ashton | Staff Assistant/Human Resources Advisor Ebony Blanks | Program Coordinator Catherine Cleary | Director of Grants and Legislative Affairs Rachel Dickerson | Manager, DC Creates! Public Art Deirdre Ehlen | Coordinator, DC Creates! Public Art Lamont A. Harrell | Director of Partnerships and Development Charlese Jennings | Information Specialist Yuyu Kim | Graphic Designer/Animator Rebecca Landwehr | Outreach Coordinator Rod Little | Graphics Consultant Shyree Mezick | Outreach Manager & Art(202) Editor Samuel Miranda | Arts Education Coordinator Victoria Murray | Program Coordinator Carolyn Parker | Office Manager Keona Pearson | Grants Assistant Lisa Richards Toney | Program Manager Zoma Wallace | Art Bank Coordinator, DC Creates! Public Art

INTERNS

Armando Lopez Bircann | Digital Media Intern E. Kimbell Hall | Outreach Intern Selema Jenkins| Programming Intern Leonice Joseph | Folk Art Intern

Khaula Malik | Grants Intern Elizabeth Pisano | Arts Education Intern Nijeul Porter | Special Events Intern Roland Spence | Programming Intern

Get Connected!

30

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH Over the past 18 months, Moshe Adams has made himself an invaluable member of the DCCAH team.

He brings to his position as the Legislative and Grants Manager a relentless determination to help DC artists reach their maximum potential. A talented singer himself, Moshe never shies away from offering the kind of constructive criticism that helps our grantees excel in their art forms and in their grant applications!

His intelligence, energy and professionalism make him the ideal manager of DCCAH’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant funds, which have been distributed more quickly than those of any other DC government agency. We admire him for his dedication and we love him for his humor.

31