Watergate Equals Politics Equals Art - 'Reclamation' Exhibition Features Street and Primitive Styles

Archival artworks by Absurdly Well, Divorce Culture & Erik White

Washington, D.C.—Reparations, resistance, reprisal—these are the nouns of upheaval. Do you not feel a change afoot? A new generation of activists and artists march in droves, with phalanxes not seen since the civil rights movement, deposing false idols; myriad of declarative expressions exhort an awakening, both socially and politically. Much like the fate of their fore-fathers and fore-mothers, time will bare their commitment to radical progress.

Reclamation, Watergate Gallery's upcoming group exhibition opening on August 29th, posits three District artists in the present civil discourse. Absurdly Well and Divorce Culture are tenured street artists, celebrating print, graffiti, and wheatpaste styles with a regiment of public works--messages from the misrepresented margins of our nation's capital--encroaching the superstructure of Congress. Erik White, the cool itinerant of the trio, assembles primitive paintings, like X-rays, offering insight into the debasement of the black body, requiems for the legend of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Space is a hot commodity in D.C. Barricaded streets, and wooden sheaths shuttering storefronts create more canvas for guerrilla artists but cause other works to be lost in translation. "I'm stoked to be able to show art in a space during a time when there's so much going on," said White. This triad of creators does not take the gallery setting for granted.

Due to the concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, this month-long show is a restricted viewing. The gallery will permit groups of eight inside the salon at a time, with RSVP, temperature checks and face masks required upon entry. The opening reception will be Saturday, August 29th from 5-7 pm. To RSVP for the exhibition, please visit the Watergate Gallery & Frame Design’s website.

Watergate Gallery and Frame Design

2552 Virginia Ave, NW

Washington, D.C., 20037

District of Columbia Artists Rally to Provide Coronavirus Relief

Register to bid in the auction here.

Washington, D.C. -- In an effort to uplift the local arts ecosystem amid strenuous times, Absurdly Well, in collaboration with InTheRough and The Washington Informer Bridge, presents “Bid to Fight COVID,” a virtual art auction featuring select works from the District’s burgeoning artists. The event will take place on Friday, May 29th.

The unprecedented number of layoffs and furloughs caused by the coronavirus pandemic has left communities worldwide without resources to support some of their most primary needs. Food supplies and living arrangements are threatened as people struggle to find employment let alone money to purchase essential goods. Full-time artists and artists working part-time gigs to support their practice, as well, find themselves in similar positions, with museums, galleries and studio spaces shuttering to mitigate the viral spread. Compounded by the sad reality that grants, commissioned projects and funding initiatives have slowed or halted altogether, creatives are looking for enablement to support their vocation, their wellbeing and their loved ones.

“We’re attempting to transform our art into something that is going to ease the burden for families during this crisis,” said Absurdly Well, the street artist behind D.C.’s polarizing public images of Donald Trump, Greta Thunberg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the timely ‘Wash Your Hands’ motto. “We need a stimulus for our art, but we also need to create that stimulus for ourselves and give back to the community that has given us so much inspiration and opportunity to convey our visions.”

Historically, art has played a pivotal role in improving the public welfare during adverse periods. The Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project employed hundreds of painters and muralists to enrich civic buildings through the doldrums of the Great Depression. And in the throes of World War II, facing calls to reduce Great Britain’s arts’ budget, then Prime Minister Winston Churchill defended such funding, asking rhetorically, “Then what are we fighting for?” Artistic endeavors are noble pursuits. Artists capture the beauty, the humor, the hardships and the trauma of life in ways that allow observers to appreciate its fragility and cope with its obstacles.

In 2020 when quotidian life has been turned upside down, we need restorative power and we must remain optimistic. The COVID-19 relief virtual auction will aid artists in need of assistance and help subsidize the broader D.C. community. Patronage of visual artists will not only buoy practices during the tumult, but a portion of the proceeds from the event will also be donated to Martha’s Table. For 40 years, this Washington, D.C.-based non-profit has been an access point for healthy food, quality education, and family resources in the same communities that have cultivated the city’s strong arts heritage. Their commitment to protect the health and safety of District residents is more essential now than ever and they have doubled down on programming efforts during this crisis. We elect them as trusted recipients.

“Bid to Fight COVID” will be held from 7 to 10 pm, EST on Friday, May 29. Prospective bidders will be able to tender for artworks via the @bid2fightcovid Instagram page, only after registering through the Eventbrite portal. 

To learn more about the artists involved in the auction as well as a preview of works, please refer to the partnering websites of PR firm InTheRough or The Washington Informer Bridge.

Uptown Cypher to the Main Stage, Supporting Medhane, Wifigawd & Odd Mojo

A curious hotel guest listens to the first Uptown Cypher of 2020. Polaroid by Maxwell Young, The LINE Hotel, 1/29/20

‘Uptown Cypher to the main stage. Uptown Cypher to the main stage, it’s showtime,’ a sound engineer’s Walkie-talkie growls under the stirring crowd as stage crews prepare for opening curtain. At least, this is how I imagine Saturday’s show at Comet Ping Pong; the Cypher sharing the spotlight with boisterous ambassadors of D.C.’s rap conglomerate in Wifigawd and Odd Mojo, while Medhane’s shooting star passes through District limits. Hip hop in its most instinctive and communal moments juxtaposed with the more compositional and performative elements of the genre—this is an experiment controlled by Angelie Benn, founder and lead events director of Capitol Sound D.C.

“Including interactive performances at [Capitol Sound] events has been on my agenda since last year, but I rarely ever saw an opportunity to do so where it made sense,” Benn said over email. “Now, with the Uptown Cypher a part of this lineup, it furthers our mission of building the bridge between local and national acts…”

Throughout 14 episodes broadcast via the home base of Full Service Radio, the Uptown Cypher has served as a public service announcement, amplifying the myriad of sonic pockets evident in the DMV’s hip hop community: the street sense of MARTYHEEMCHERRY, Fleetwood Deville, Paydroo and SQ; the esoteric consciousness of Mavi, Thraxx King, NAPPYNAPPA and Nate G; the head cranking brought to you by Discipline 99, Johnny Caravaggio, Mfundishi, Supa Statiq, Suede Moccasins and Magnus Andretti; contemporary bops by Cozi Bob, Mesenfants Infinity, Tedy Brewski, Odd Mojo, Khan and Toothchoir; fundamental soul from legends YU, Fat Kneel and Thrty Smthng; the effervescent Greenss; backpack licks from Flex Matthews, Rafael, Nate Jackson Kills Niggas and Paris; the brand name presence from THFCTRY and Sir E.U—Andrew of ROOMHAUS and his necessary warmup mixes. More than 60 locally-based vocalists, emcees and producers have taken the pilgrimage to The LINE Hotel to expand the reach of the DMV sound. For hip hop heads young and old, for the rookies and the veterans, the Uptown Cypher is a platform for artists to hone their skills live and direct, on air. Ultimately, it’s an archive of the District’s musical ecosystem.

Thanks to the one-night triumvirate between InTheRough, Capitol Sound D.C. and Uptown Arthouse, we are proud to present a sampling of the Uptown Cypher program. While we invite all willing wordsmiths and beat-makers to participate, Saturday’s session will be kicked off by longtime friends of the Uptown Cypher, including Nate G, Greenss, Thraxx King, MARTYHEEMCHERRY and Master of Ceremony Jamal Gray. Tickets to this weekend’s show are available here.

The Uptown Cypher is broadcast live via FullServiceRadio.org from 7-9 PM, EST on the last Wednesday of every month. Listen to the one-year anniversary Cypher or the first Cypher of 2020 below.

Uptown cypher

March 7, 2020

10pm-1am

5037 Connecticut Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C., 20008

Carousel images from the one year anniversary episode of the Uptown Cypher, courtesy of Diana N.

InTheRough Presents Franchise Players: Sounds from the Gridiron

Art meets entertainment. Entertainment meets art. Or maybe they were always intertwined.

Flyer designed by Rob Stokes.

Sunday, September 8 begins an unorthodox spectating experience at Dangerously Delicious Pies in Washington, D.C. Part football game, part art piece, part game within itself—InTheRough presents Franchise Players: Sounds from the Gridiron—an audiovisual performance mashing together the 2019 NFL kickoff, music, food and art.

Football is America’s game, omnipresent during fall months, and although not everyone agrees with its gladiatorial competition or politics, it is an efficient geographical identifier. Of course, this is one way to delineate participants in a cultural community like D.C. that is transient and increasingly informed by non-natives. With the primetime matchup between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers as the focal point, Sounds from the Gridiron will bridge the gap between sports fanatics and artists with kindred creative experiences.

During the live television broadcast of the game, two performing acts will each represent the Patriots and Steelers cohorts. By way of Connecticut, underground rapper Tedy Brewski and master blender/producer Greenss will be the sonic backdrop for the New England contingency, while Pittsburgh-based band Jack Swing and quintet October ‘71—who’s reinterpreting the soot and smog of a vintage Steel City—will amplify Steelers Nation. Beginning with the traditional coin toss and decided by possession of the ball, each band will take the stage with their respective team’s offense. At any given moment, however, performances will interchange due to turnovers (interceptions, fumbles & 3-and-outs) and score conversions. This will be monitored and officiated by referee Sir E.U as the game is projected onto the performers. Think the visual hodge-podge of Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable with the sounds of The Velvet Underground, but reoriented for football and contemporary tunes—it’s chaos.

On the sidelines of the show, Pittsburgh-inspired eats from the Pie Shop reinforce the fact that Steelers fandom extends beyond the three rivers and across the nation. Tedy Brewski along with Pittsburgh-based artist Quaishawn Whitlock will also showcase their latest 2-d works regarding sports history and popular culture.

Tickets for the event are available for purchase here. Until then, listen to a brief playlist of the acts below.

An unorthodox spectating experience... Pittsburgh (October '71 & Jack Swing) vs. New England (Tedy Brewski & Greenss) -- Sunday, September 8 @ Dangerously Delicious Pies, Washington D.C. (1339 H St. NE) Each "team" will be represented by two performing acts. Beginning with the traditional coin toss, each performer takes the stage during their team's offensive possessions. At any given moment, possessions may switch due to turnovers and score conversions. This will be monitored by the live broadcast of the game projected onto the stage. The game will be monitored by an official referee. 7pm until end of game

Franchise Players: Sounds from the Gridiron

Sunday, September 8

Dangerously Delicious Pies

1339 H St. NE

Washington, D.C. 20002

7pm — End of game

It's Never Too Late to Have a Quinceañera, Especially in the Name of Art

Ashley Llanes’ self-portraits will be on view today at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters.

Photographer Ashley Llanes abhorred the idea of a Quinceañera, but eight years later it became the inspiration to her thesis project. Polaroids by Maxwell Young

La Quinceañera—a coming of age celebration in Latin American culture when a young woman turns fifteen, transitioning to a mujercita. The extravagant ball along with the pomp-and-circumstance is akin to Judaism’s Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, except closely aligned with Catholicism.

Eight years ago, Ashley Llanes rejected her Quinceañera opportunity. A Cuban-American growing up in Miami, Florida, she was surrounded by the tradition and the lineage of women in her family who embarked on the ceremony. Portraits of her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother adorned her living room while her older sisters, who each elected to have Quinceañeras, memorialized their rite of passages, too. Through the task of being a mujercita, there are cultural and gender expectations that Llanes felt misrepresented herself. Wearing makeup and shaving was counter to the girl with the pixie haircut, challenging stereotypes.

“I wasn’t interested in conserving my culture,” the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design alumnus reflected back to her 15-year-old self.

At 23-years-old, however, the D.C.-based photographer has made peace with her “punk-ass” adolescence, and her self-portrait series, La Quinceañera, is a retrospective take on the aesthetics of the tradition. “Now is when I’ve been able to appreciate the tradition and the actual priviledge,” her hindsight is 20-20. “You don’t do this unless you want to look back at your ancestors and say, ‘They did this. Why not me?’”

Personifying the conservative ideals of the celebration and the femininity her parents wanted to see, Llanes’ portraits emulate stereotypical Quinceañera photoshoots. There’s the casual beach shoot and the studio shoot, everything mindful of the cultural notions. I stopped by one of these photoshoots in February to find her hair slicked in a bun, secured by a plentitude of bobby-pins and an encrusted tiara that accentuated her cinderella dress—she was quintessential Quince.

“I shaved everything for this. I became hyper aware of body hair, which was such a weird thing, and for months because I did this project for a year,” Llanes spoke to the vulnerability in the level of vanity she forced herself to maintain; a type of method acting she endured as she considers each of her self portraits performance pieces. “It was torturous because I subscribed to this character for so long.”

Relieved to return to her edginess, septum piercing and all, there is a stark contrast between the Ashley we see in the images and the Ashley who will share her work today at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters for The Latino GLBT History Project’s Voices of Pride exhibition. Come and view her series and stay for the artist talk to learn more about her work with identity.

Voices of Pride

5-9pm (Artist Talk 7:30pm)

1640 Rhode Island Ave, NW

Washington, D.C.