Friday, December 29, 2006

Pipe Dreams for Art in DC.

here are some ideas for the growth of art in dc.
i added one at the bottom. #9 #9 #9 #9.......

1. MLK- the national center for the creative arts.
I would LOVE to see the the ramshackled Martin Luther King Junior Library turned into a public arts center. I would support Williams proposal for a new central library if this could happen. ( my title post IS "pipe dreams....) I envision a center that is akin to the Kennedy Center, but for fine arts. also something akin to the Yerba Buena center in San Francisco. That it would exist within a Mies Van Der Rohe building is sublime.



2. DC Arts on Foot- Slighty as per the sentiment expressed by Richard Layman, Arts on Foot should be expanded, both in time and space. While i really love arts on foot, i think it is a grand stepping to to a truly wonderful ( and giagantic) street arts festival. I say block off more streets, hire sky writers, people on stilts, high wire acts across the buildings. art competitions. hands on grafitti boths. hire some artists to create sidewalk art.


3. ART/BASEL/MIAMI/DC. you know what i'm talking about. This thing is big, glitzy, staracious, spectacular spectacular. We need a big DC bling art scene. hell, maybe we could get Charo to perform!



4. A Grand Arts District Along North Capitol. I have a huge interest in north capitol street in the noma and just north of noma area. While it is somewhat blighted, it has a gorgeous view of the capitol building as it decends from the old soldiers home. It is an odd and underutlized gateway into the city. Ripe for growth an artistics enhancement, this street could be a very beautiful boulevard or arts and entertainment usage. Lets face it, what use do east coast cities have in the future but cultural and entertainment meccas? aint no production happening. aint no industry. We've got money and the need for entertainment and fullfilment that arts bring. Currently there are TONS of empty buildings along the stretch of north capitol from New York Avenue to Rhode Island Avenue. and its close to the new york avenue metro. Maybe DCAC would like to expand and find a home here? jus sayin.
future

5. DC will become a destination to buy and support arts.
while many people feel that they must go to New York to purchase art, many wonderful and wildly more affordable artists live and sell in DC. With the investment in artists, the investment in artworks will grow. Certainly my personal goal is to continuosly raise the prices of my pieces. As i sell more and more, the justification for higher prieces increase. This is great for me, but it is also great for collectors and those that want their personal collections to appreciate.


6. More galleries will open in centralized locations.
I know that being a gallerist is tough work. its hard to sell art in this town, and at prices that provide a healthy life. Still, I would love to see more galleries open in DC.
While many galleries have opened in Bethesda recently, i think it is vital to have centralized locations for galleries. 14th Street is an excellent example of a pocket. The dupont galleries seem a bit dead to me. 7th street is dying off. As i've said above, i see north capitol as a possible pocket. That these location are within the city itself, it helps promote national, and perhaps (someday!) international recognition. And as it is the center and reason for the metro area, it will bring together the most diverse group of interested people. Many in virginia and marlyland are reluctant to visit the other. Everyone comes to DC.


7. An ArtBoat Regatta on the Anacostia
like the kinetic sculpture race in baltimore
down by the river

8. The Great Great American Beer and Art Fest.

self explanatory. beer + art= fun casual time.




*****************updated.******

9. More galleries will start a blog.
thank you Nevin Kelly and The Katzen Art Center and also The Smithsoniam American Art Museum.
this really helps us keep track of the MILLIONS of things going on in dc, in an efficient manner. Seriously, RSS feed subscribable formats are the way to go. and pictures of the shows are nice too!


please discuss.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

These are some great ideas. I don't know enough about the whole MLK situation, but I hope that whatever becomes of it is something positive and useful, that could serve as a magnet for that whole part of the neighborhood.

And any time you put wine, cheese, and fruit out, I'm there! :-)

Merry merry and happy happy!