Vol 1: Issue 1 | The Time is Now
Small Relief Sculptures at The ARC, LA TI DO turns 10, and Day Eight takes on the crisis of local book reviews
Editor’s Note | The Time is Now
Welcome to issue no. 1 of DC ArtsWire! In the newsletter is a selection of stories that I hope will inspire you to explore the arts in the Washington, DC area. As Spring begins to tease us with warmer and longer days, the time is now to get out and support your local arts community. I am always on the look out for stories, people, and events to highlight, so please send any tips directly to my email, editor[at]dcartswire.com
— Sasha
What a Relief: Small Sculpture at THEARC West
What a Relief is a juried exhibition of small relief sculptures organized by The Phillips Collection and Washington Sculptors Group (WSG) and presented at Phillips@THEARC. The artists-members of WSG were invited to submit works that engage and expand upon the tradition of relief sculpture in contemporary terms.
The 40 selected works by greater Washington, DC regional artists ranging in age from 15 to 81 and reinvigorates this traditional sculptural practice through various conceptual and aesthetic approaches.
Explore the exhibition online through their rich multimedia including a 3-D virtual tour and audio guides or make a free reservation to view it in-person on Thursdays and Fridays from 1-6 pm until March 18, 2022.
Foundry Gallery’s New Members Show
Foundry Gallery was established in 1971 by four students of well-known Washington, DC painter Gene Davis. For fifty years, it has supported and showcased some of Washington, DC’s most promising and accomplished artists. As a non-profit, artist-owned cooperative gallery, Foundry offers a rich diversity of original works of art and focuses on providing exposure and recognition to new and emerging artists.
This year’s New Members Exhibit - Fragments of Collective Memory - celebrates the human experience through the prism of four unique artists - John Koebert, Denzel Parks, Zhaojuan Sun, and Brian Truesdale. These artist’s work range from hard edge abstraction to dream like figuration with all using dazzling color and texture that must be experienced in person. Foundry Gallery is open to the public on Fri, Sat and Sun from 1 - 7 pm. Show closes on Sunday, Feb. 27. Learn more by clicking here.
LA TI DO turns 10: An interview with Don Mike Mendoza
Co-Founded by Don Michael Mendoza and Regie Cabico, LA TI DO (LTD) made its debut to a full house in Washington, DC on January 23, 2012, at The Black Fox Lounge in Dupont Circle. On June 9, 2013, the show opened a touring chapter in New York City, made a special appearance at Feinstein’s/54 Below in 2015, and continues to present cabarets on a bi-monthly basis. In 2017, LTD became LA TI DO Productions and on March 12, 2018, made its west coast premiere at The Three Clubs in Los Angeles. Recently, the company officially launched its newest chapter in Pittsburgh, PA virtually on June 8, 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
This little history lesson is important because LTD recently celebrated their 10th anniversary with an in person show at Union Stage. Even with the challenges of the pandemic, the energy was back with old favorites and new faces taking the stage. I sat down with Don Mike for the first ever DC ArtsWire Podcast to find out how it started, how it’s going, and what’s next for this home grown cabaret series that has gone nationwide.
Click below to listen to the podcast on the DC ArtsWire Soundcloud.
To learn more about LTD and support the next chapter coming to Old Town Alexandria, click here.
Day Eight Conference On the Crisis in Book Reviews for Area Authors Starts Today
Books published by DC-area authors are a cultural highlight of each year yet many books by area authors don’t receive a single book review. DC-based arts nonprofit Day Eight is focusing on this “Crisis in Book Review” in its annual arts journalism conference to be held February 22-26. The conference consists of a series of workshops, panels, and keynote sessions. The conference is produced in partnership with The DC Line, The Washington Independent Review of Books, Alan Squire Publishing, Barrelhouse Press, Dryad Press, Pen/Faulkner, The Writer’s Center, Tagg Magazine, and through support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and HumanitiesDC.
The conference opens with a virtual panel discussion Tuesday, February 22, 7:00 pm, featuring critics, editors, and publishers, including Sarah Marloff, Washington City Paper Arts Editor; Rob Brunner, Washingtonian Arts and Culture Editor; Regie Cabico of Capturing Fire Press, Merrill Leffler of Dryad Press, and Rose Solari of Alan Squire Publishing; moderated by Day Eight’s Robert Bettmann.
A highlight of the conference are the free workshops for prospective book reviewers that will be taught the morning of Saturday, February 26 by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post book editor; Ron Charles, Washington Post book critic; and Holly Smith, editor in chief of The Washington Independent Review of Books.
Day Eight’s annual arts journalism conference is produced within the DC Arts Journalism Fellowship program operated by the organization. Founded in 2016 the Fellowship hires cohorts of four to six early career arts writers ongoing. Day Eight is also an arts producer and non-profit press, publishing the arts magazine Bourgeon, producing exhibitions and performances, education programming for children and youth, and publishing books.
Recent books by Day Eight include: Ashes to Justice by Quetta Nelson, So Much of Everything by Jenn Koiter, and The Forgotten River: an Anacostia Swim Club member anthology edited by Kim B Miller, Hope Greenleaf, and Thea Joselow.
For more information about the organization and conference please visit the Day Eight web site.
Fourth Friday’s Busboys & Poets Open Mic hosted by Regie Cabico presents Jenn Koiter and youth poet Herman Buckman
Regie Cabico, DC's iconoclastic and quixotic spoken word poet, hosts an evening featuring author Jenn Koiter and youth poet Herman Buckman at the Brookland Busboys and Poets on Friday, February 25 at 8:00pm. For two hours, audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices, and a vast array of professional spoken word performers, open mic rookies, and musicians. Expect to be moved, expect a packed house, expect the unexpected, but above all come with an open mind and ear.
Featured poet Jenn Kolter anchors this month’s program. She is a writer, marketer, entrepreneur, and breathworker. The winner of the 2021 DC Poet Project, Jenn’s debut poetry collection, So Much of Everything, was published in 2021 by Day Eight. Her poems and essays have appeared in Barrelhouse, Smartish Pace, Bateau, Ruminate, Copper Nickel, and other journals.
Regie Cabico won the Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam and took top prizes in three National Poetry Slams. Cabico was featured in Queer Nuyorican edited by Dr. Karen Jaime and will be a featured poet at The 2022 Whitney Biennial in New York.
Online ticket sales are $5 plus handling fees. Buy your tickets as soon as possible as this event tends to sell out before show time.
Open mic sign-up list opens at 7.45pm. All acoustic music acts are welcome as well as reading poetry written by other poets – 5 minutes max. This program asked that open mic participants refrain from queerphobic, racist, and/or misogynist material as this is a safe and supportive space for people speaking their truths through poetry for the first time.
Thanks for reading.
DC ArtsWire is a bi-weekly newsletter reporting on local visual, performing and literary arts and artists in the Washington, DC metro area. If you enjoyed this publication and are currently a free subscriber, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription which will help cover the cost of production, writers, photographers, and support staff.
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Coming up in March…
March 8 - DC ArtsWire Issue 2: Women’s (Arts) History Month + tour of the news DC ArtsWire website (free subscriber edition)
March 11 - Launch of DC ArtsWire weekly events recommendations and reviews (for paid subscribers)
March 22 - DC ArtsWire Issue 3: Cherry Blossom Festival Arts Guide (free subscriber edition)