Sitar Arts Center Leads Community Mural Project with First Lady Michelle Obama

The First Lady and a group of Congressional Club spouses joined Sitar Arts Center, along with Higher Achievement, in a community beautification project at Marie Reed Learning Center

First Lady Michelle Obama and Congressional spouses partnered with Coming Up Taller Award-winners Sitar Arts Center and Higher Achievement for a service event Thursday, April 22 at the Marie Reed Learning Center in the Adams Morgan community of northwest Washington, DC.  The group painted a mural spanning seven walls designed by Sitar’s resident muralist and Director of Program Operations, Loretta Thompson, with the help of Sitar students, in addition to planting a butterfly garden, at Marie Reed to make the space more visually engaging and vibrant for the children and members of the community.

Sitar Arts Center was honored to be chosen along with Higher Achievement by the First Lady’s Office and The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to lead this project, giving Sitar’s students the opportunity to be engaged in giving back to the Adams Morgan neighborhood and to interact directly with the esteemed First Lady while making art.

Joined by Rachel Goslins, Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Mrs. Obama remarked to Sitar’s Executive Director Ed Spitzberg and Higher Achievement’s Executive Director Lynsey Wood Jeffries about their respective programs, “You guys are doing some phenomenal work.” To the students, Mrs. Obama said “We are so proud of you all and we want the world to see you all and understand your potential…we are so proud and we want to keep lifting you up and showing other kids that these opportunities are available.” Mrs. Obama completed a beautiful butterfly and signed it “Dream Big Dreams. Michelle Obama,” forever leaving a mark on the mural and the students who had the remarkable experience of interacting with her.

202-797-2145 or visit www.sitarartscenter.org


Sitar Arts Center
1700 Kalorama Road NW
Suite 101
Washington, DC 20009
10 Years of Celebrating Kids, Arts, and Community

Paint the Town: Provocation on Display | Washington Life Magazine

Paint the Town: Provocation on Display | Washington Life Magazine: "Paint the Town: Art Registry’s Provocation on Display"

NY photographer Gene Fischer’s solo show is on display at the Art Registry in Georgetown.

By Julie LaPorte

The Art Registry in Georgetown presents “Gene Fischer: Winter Trees, Moons and Baptist Camp – Provocation on Display…Photography and the Art of Reaction.” This powerful and challenging solo show is the New York photographer’s first exhibition in Washington D.C. and will run through May 4th.

The Murals DC program

From Councilmember Jim Graham's office.

The MuralsDC program has been recognized again – this time internationally with a major piece on BBC World.  at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8637972.stm

MuralsDC program is paying off. It has become such a great success, enhancing our arts and our youth programs. Murals DC was featured in The Washington Post Weekend section in January. There are more than 20 around town.

TAPE SCULPTURE WORKSHOP

Art by Mark Jenkins, the originator of this technique.

Are you familiar with the packing tape sculptures by Mark Jenkins? If not, this is your chance to learn everything about them. If you are Mark's fan, you already know that right now he is working with CON on a huge surprise show in The Fridge.

And this weekend, you will get a chance to work with Sandra Fernandez who will teach you how to create your own tape cast of any object or your body. Bring a small object (a vase for example) to create a cast of. Sandra is an artist living in the greater DC area. She has worked with Mark for many years and is one of the few masters of this technique in the world.

The tape sculpture workshop is on Sunday, April 4, 2010 in The Freezer, 633 E Street SE (rear alley), Washington, DC. It is in walking distance from Eastern Market Metro Station. Bring your friends. Suitable for all ages. Suggested donation $30 (sliding scale). Duration 2 hours. The workshop will be mostly indoors. Al supplies provided. Working clothes covering full body is recommended.

For more information about Albus Cavus Workshops, please visit www.albuscav.us/classrooms.

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.

Albus Cavus Workshop @ G:40

For more information about Albus Cavus Workshops, please visit www.albuscav.us/classrooms.

Thursday, March 18, 6-8pm, at G40
DC Creates Public Art – Rachel Dickerson / DCCAH (for artists, $donation)

The workshops is intended to serve needs of artists who are interested in participating in DC Commission on the Arts Humanities' grant process. Rachel Dickerson will present the history and recent accomplishments in public art and selected projects that were supported with their funding. She will explain the entire process of application, selection and evaluation of the grantees. In the second half of the workshop she will work individually with the participants so they present their artistic ideas in the most comprehensive and clear manner to the grant reviewers. Bring your ideas, notebook and pen.

Learn Something New Every Day / G40 The Summit

(Washington, DC) G-40: The Summit is organized by Art Whino in Crystal City, Arlington, VA. Albus Cavus has put together a series of workshops and classes. All the workshops are held on the 8th floor in a classroom next to the installation created by CRI, CD, RAIN, JAZI, DECOY, Peter K, Rosina Photo, CON and ULTRA. G-40: The Summit is at 223 23rd Street, Arlington, VA, easily accessible from Crystal City Metro. It will be open from March 3rd to March 27th, 2010. Please go to Art Whino's website for more details and full schedule of events. The first workshop is on Thursday: "Science and Art of Color" by Peter K. For more photos from press preview night, please visit Stephen Elliot's website.

WORKSHOP at G40: SCIENCE AND ART OF COLOR

(Washington, DC) Peter K will share his knowledge of color that he learned from his friends at the National Institutes of Health as well as the artists in Albus Cavus. We will explore our perception of color, its impact on our health and mood and try to figure out the colors that suit us the most. This workshop will open the series of 16 workshops at G 40: The Summit.

The workshop is held at G 40: The Summit on 223 23rd Street, Arlington, VA on Thursday, March 4, 2010 from 6pm to 8pm. The workshop is on the 8th floor. The show is easy to access from Crystal City Metro. Arrive a minute early and wear working clothes. The fee for the class is $25. Suitable for all ages.


WORKSHOP at THE FRIDGE: POINT AND SHOOT 101

(Washington, DC) Bring your camera to the next workshop in The Fridge. Rosina Teri Memolo will share her knowledge about photography. Whether you are taking pictures of objects, buildings, art or people, she will give you hints and help you take sharp looking photos. There will be some technical talk and explanations too, learning what is aperture, focus, brightness...

The workshop is on Sunday, March 7, 2010 in The Fridge, 516 8th Street SE (rear alley), Washington, DC. It is in walking distance from Eastern Market Metro Station. Bring your camera. Suitable for all ages. Fee $25. Duration 2 hours.

Rosina "Teri" Memolo was only four years old when she first discovered the magic of photography in her mother's darkroom. She furthered her education in the arts and photography at Woodrow Wilson Sr. High School, which lead her to study at Corcoran School of Art and Design. She has contributed to many magazines including Swindle, While You Were Sleeping, People, The Source and Urb as well as several notable artist publications and graffiti books.

MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE

(Washington, DC) Dreams For Kids present a benefit art auction to raise funds for their summer programs. The auction will be in Paolo's Ristorante, 1301 Wisconsin Ave NW in Georgetown on March 4th from 5pm to 9pm. Thank you for supporting Dreams For Kids.


G-40: The Summit is at 223 23rd Street, Arlington, VA,