2010 WPA PUBLIC ART RESIDENCY PROGRAM

2010 WPA PUBLIC ART RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Deadline: Friday, April 23, 2010  
Public Talk: Tuesday, April 6, 2010 4-6PM at the Corcoran Gallery of Art Auditorium

Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCAAH) are 
partnering with Socrates Sculpture Park (SSP, the Park) in Long Island City, NY to create a Public Art 
Residency (PAR) Program  to instruct and inform artists about practical and conceptual issues related to 
the creation of public art. Through this program, artists will learn the fundamentals of developing a 
proposal for public art work, identifying sources for materials and funding of projects, and access a 
support network for technical assistance and future opportunities related to creating and presenting art 
in the public realm. 
 
In this pilot program, one artist who resides in the District of Columbia will be selected to receive a two
month paid residency and exhibition opportunity at Socrates Sculpture Park.  The work will be 
exhibited under SSP's "Open Space" program from September 12, 2010 to November 2010 
(end/deinstallation date to be determined and agreed upon by the artist and SSP).  Once the exhibit has 
ended, the artist  will re-fabricate or re-install, in Washington, DC, the work made through the 
residency. The artist will be required to give a public presentation about his or her residency experience 
and may also be asked to advise WPA and/or DCCAH on other public art initiatives. 


To learn more about the Park, please visit their website:  www.socratessculpturepark.org. 


This opportunity is open to all artists who live in the District of Columbia. Artists who are enrolled in a 
school, college or university at the time of the residency (May - September 2010) are not eligible for the 
PAR Program.


Artists interested in this opportunity are asked to submit a proposal for an artwork to be created and 
exhibited at SSP.  Artists applying for this opportunity are strongly encouraged to visit SSP and/or 
attend the public talk by SSP Executive Director Alyson Baker at the Corcoran Gallery of Art  Auditorium on April 6, 2010 from 4-6pm before submitting their application. The auditorium is located 
at 500 Seventeenth Street NW, Washington, DC.


click here to download the full call for artists and entry form>>


The 2010 WPA Public Art Residency Program is funded in part bythe DC Commision on the Arts & Humanities DC Creates! Public Art Program and made possible with assistance from Socrates Sculpture Park.

Completed Edgewood Mural- a set on Flickr

Completed Edgewood - a set on Flickr: "Completed Edgewood"

If you missed the official opening of the Edgewood Mural, please see photos by see photos by Mika, Jazi, Dan Rosenstein and Chip Feise.

Meet the artists, Pose 2, Decoy, Chor Boogie, Joshua Mays and Quest Skinner in a comfortable cool place August 27 from 6pm to 8pm. They are presenting their work on canvases along with photos of the past work and ideas for the future. The event is organized by the Pink Line Project and is in the new Solea Building on 1405 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Edgewood Mural Dedication

Celebrate the completion of the Edgewood Mural tomorrow. The mural will be officially given to the community by the Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on Monday, August 24th at 4:30pm.

There will performances by the young artists from the Summer Youth Employment Program. The ceremony is in the parking lot of Rhode Island Avenue Center (behind Safeway and CVS) on 540 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington DC.

"From Edgewood to the Edge of the World" is commissioned by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Art in Public Places Program. Created with assistance of young artists from Summer Youth Employment Program, Beacon House, neighbors and local artists. The featured artists are: Pose 2, Decoy, Chor Boogie, Joshua Mays & Quest Skinner.

The DC Creates! Public Art Program / Call to Artists

Takoma Metro Public Art Project
Deadline: Friday, August 14, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Budget: $250,000

The DC Creates! Public Art Program at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH), in collaboration with the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority, Art in Transit Program (WMATA) and the Takoma community, seek an artist or art team to design, create, and install artwork that will be located within the Takoma Metro underpass. The goal of this project is to create a vibrant and inviting gateway to the Takoma DC community. The colorful artwork will provide an “avenue” for residents, commuters and visitors to enjoy, admire and revitalize the community as well as express the unique story of historic Takoma.

For more information, email Rachel.Dickerson[at]dc.gov or call (202) 724-5613.

Download the application

MAYOR ADRIAN M. FENTY AND THE DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS & HUMANITIES PROVIDE ART INSTALLATION FOR COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PARK

Columbia Heights Park Ribbon Cutting
14th & Girard Street, NW
Friday July 10, 12:00 pm

Community celebration of the opening of the new 14th and Girard Park will continue on Saturday, July 11, as DPR in partnership with the Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support Collaborative, will host a community celebration from 6 to 9 pm.

All are invited to come out and enjoy fun, food, and entertainment.

Washington, DC – On Friday July 10, 2009, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty along with Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham; the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities’ Executive Director, Gloria Nauden; Ximena Hartsock, DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Acting Director; will join the Columbia Heights community at the new 14th and Girard Street Park for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion and opening of DPR’s newest park.

Redevelopment of the park began with a community-driven planning and design process in spring 2007 with the goal of completely redeveloping the existing park to better serve the community. Demolition of the old park, which featured large amounts of concrete and little usable green space, began in December 2008, and construction of a completely new park began earlier this year. The DC Housing Authority provided construction management for this DPR capital improvement project.

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, located just one block from the park, has joined with DPR as a community partner and will be overseeing a mural installation by a professional artist or artist team which will work with local residents and youth to design and install the work on the 750 square foot east wall of the outdoor multi-use playcourt.

“The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is proud to participate in this great project. The Commission is committed to giving every community in the District the opportunity to experience the great work that our city's artists have to offer,” said Commission Executive Director, Gloria Nauden.

The Commission has recently received applications from DC artists and arts organizations to be considered by an art selection panel comprised of representatives from the community, youth, District government agencies, and architects. The selected artist will be required to facilitate at least five workshops for a group of youth in the neighborhood to participate in the design and installation of the mural.

Albus Cavus to Create New Mural in Edgewood

From Albus Cavus

(Washington, DC, June 25, 2009) — Albus Cavus has been creating innovative public art up and down the East Coast for seven years, bringing murals and events to community centers, bike trails, warehouses, and urban centers. This summer, 45 DC young people will work with the non-profit public arts organization to cover a wall in the Edgewood community of Northeast DC with beautiful art and to create a new curriculum on youth leadership in public arts. The result of their work will be a 300 foot-long mural alongside the new Metropolitan Branch Trail, which will serve cyclists and pedestrians when complete. The art will also be visible from the Rhode Island Metro station.

On day one of the nine-week program, Albus Cavus artists and 45 DC young people kick-started their summer with markers and charcoal on sheets of paper the size of tables. Flowers bloomed off the pages while bars of music ran in rainbows over a kaleidoscope of silhouettes and colors. “We start with tackling a big white space together by drawing and filling the page with color and images,” says project director Peter Krsko. “We learn how to work spontaneously and apply our unique personalities to a collaborative effort.”

Under the direction of Albus Cavus and artists Pose 2, Quest Skinner, Decoy, Joshua Mays, and Chor Boogie, the young people will develop their own plans, learn painting techniques, collaborate on projects, and connect with the community. They will learn how to attract attention and talk to the media, finance a project, and create art that reflects and complements the neighborhood. In addition to the large-scale artwork that will uplift the Edgewood community, the young people will write their guidelines for community-sourced public art process. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities sponsors the 45 young participants who work for the 2009 DC Summer Youth Employment Program.

Albus Cavus will be providing a toolkit that surpasses just the artistic. They are working with the participants to develop the skills to enhance their lives and neighborhoods through art and the ability to transform a plan into action. By mid-August, the Edgewood community and DC will also experience how public art can change urban spaces and lives.

Of Bricks and Beauty: Murals feed the urban soul - washingtonpost.com

In today's Washington Post Magazine article, Deneen L. Brown writes a compelling story about the place and need for murals in our communities.

"Beauty always seems to fall on the lowest step of the staircase of needs. You tread on it to get to other things, such as food, shelter, safety, companionship."

The article includes mention and a photo of the Westminster Playground mural, Community which I completed in 2002 for DC Creates Public Art. Information was provided by historian Perry Frank who is working on a book about Washington murals. Read this lovely article with an online photo gallery to see a dozen of DC's landmark murals.
HERE: Of Bricks and Beauty: Murals feed the urban soul. By DeNeen L. Brown

"Standing on the side of Bohemian Caverns on U Street NW, looking at a pair of jazz greats painted against black bricks, it seems a mistake to ignore the beauty set generously before you."

"Murals have the same claim to your attention."

"In the mural overlooking a playground in Shaw, blight is transcended, the red houses are leaning, yet never falling; swaying in a frozen dance in a happy neighborhood where the sky is always blue."

Featured Mural: Columbia Heights Community Mural by G. Byron Peck

Columbia Heights Mural/mosaic
City Arts recently unveiled its newest project located at the Columbia Heights Boys and Girls Club.

Columbia Heights Community Mural, 16' x 60', G. Byron Peck, City Arts

This prominent 16 by 60 foot mural celebrates Columbia Heights landmarks including Cardozo High School, Meridian Hill Park, and the Tivoli Theater. Also featured are dancers from the Dance Institute of Washington and a Boys and Girls Club double-dutch team. The mural is framed by a colorful one-foot mosaic border. More than 15 professional artists and student apprentices worked to create the mural, which was funded by the DC Neighborhood Investment Fund and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Location: 2400 14th St, NW Washington, DC, 20009

G. Byron Peck
--------------------
Founder/Artistic Director
City Arts
1857 Lamont Street, NW
Washington, DC 20010
202.331.1966
www.cityartsdc.org

Selected for the 2008-2009 Catalogue for Philanthropy
"One of the best small charities in the greater Washington region."

GET INVOLVED: OPEN HOUSE FOR DC'S PUBLIC ART COMMUNITY

Thinking of a Master Plan? DCCAH wants visions, concepts and opinions about public art (murals, sculptures, installations) from the entire DC community!

The public is invited to participate and share their thoughts on public art throughout the city and in their neighborhoods. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is in the midst of creating a strategic plan for DC Creates Public Art. Over the past several months, they've met with artists, curators, DC government agencies and community members to shape their vision for the future.

The communities' ideas and input will be included in the overall DC Creates Public Art Program vision in the District of Columbia.

Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Time: 5 pm-7 pm
Location: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library
901 G Street, NW, Washington, DC

Metro: Gallery Place-Chinatown (Red/Green/Yellow) and Metro Center (Red/Blue/Orange)

To RSVP and for more information call or email: Deirdre Ehlen at (202) 724-5613 or Deirdre.Ehlen@dc.gov.

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
1371 Harvard Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 724-5613
http://dcarts.dc.gov

Featured Muralist: KARLISIMA

Karlisima has created the first major mural in Washington DC to include President Obama, standing with the 10 most recent presidents of the United States. The mural, beginning with President Dwight Eisenhower in chronological order all the way to Obama, is now on display at 1967 Calvert Street NW, Washington, DC at the Mama Ayesha’s Restaurant.

Washington, DC artist Karlisima has created a 60’ x 25’ mural for the community which will educate and delight generations to come. Working nonstop for months, the artist unveiled the presidential mural in January. This historical mural is funded by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Mama Ayesha’s Restaurant, the ANC (The Adams Morgan Advisory Neighborhood Commission) and Private Sponsors.

The mural is being unveiled at President Obama’s Historical Moment: The first African-American President ever elected in the History of the USA. The mural also includes major D.C. landmarks such as the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol and Washington Monument, giving the mural a look of DC's largest postcard on a wall.

The 60’ x 25’ Mural was unveiled on Monday January 19th 2009, prior to Obama’s inauguration. The Mural is now available for Public viewing anytime at the Mama Ayesha’s Restaurant, location outside restaurant wall, at 1967 Calvert Street NW, Washington DC, 20009 by the Duke Ellington Bridge.(www.mamaayesha’s.com)

Creating a mural of this magnitude takes the support of many segments of a community and the dedication and vision of the artist to contribute to and enliven a space for its citizens. The subject matter and theme of this mural are relevant to the times. There's also a surprise element in the mural for the future. You won't want to miss seeing this beautiful new creation to DC's Public Art feasts.

Karlisima would like to thank the Art Initiative of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities:

“The P.A.B.C. initiative (Public Art Building Communities), has allowed me to make a bridge between the community, the Restaurant Mama Ayesha’s, the arts and all the people who have made this mural a reality. This could not be done without the support of all the community and the help of the DC Commission and the Restaurant and all the entities who funded the project. I hope that this mural will become a teaching tool of the History of the Presidents for schools, children and the public in general. This is a gift to the City of Washington DC to celebrate this historical moment in American History and will remain open to the public to see for generations to come. This is fulfilling the idea that mural art is available for the public and for the masses.”

You can see more work by Karlisima at
www.Karlisima.com

Contact Press Coordinator: Mayamerica Cortez
703-731-9841

Mural location:
Mama Ayesha’s Restaurant (by the Duke Ellington Bridge)
1967 Calvert Street NW
Washington DC, 20009
(www.mamaayesha’s.com)

O' Christmas Tree

Here's the community christmas tree decorated every year by kids, parents and friends in a little get together in the Westminster Playground. The mural,"Community," loves the company.

Westminster Playground
913 Westminster Street NW (between S and T Sts.)
Washington, DC

DC Creates Public Art mural by Anne Marchand
Community, acrylic, 34' x 34'

Map of DC Creates Public Art Projects

DC Public Art
This map provides photos, videos, and location information for public art sites in the District of Columbia.
View Larger Map

Courtesy DC Creates Public Art