DCAC Celebrates 20th Anniversary At Halcyon House In Georgetown 5/29

Celebrate DCAC's 20th anniversary at the historic Halcyon House in Georgetown with an evening of dance, poetry, performance art, sound installation and live music. Join us as we pay tribute to the center's twenty years of supporting underserved artists in the community and realizing the vision of DCAC's founders.

Born in 1989 with the mission of providing the "missing link" between emerging artists and the broader community, DCAC has maintained its place in DC as an organization that operates with the needs of artists in mind, rather than focusing on commercial demands. DCAC also recognizes the need to support ongoing projects, including our Curatorial Initiative, which nurtures upcoming curators and enriches audience engagement with our exhibits, and SPARKPLUG, a collective of local artists and curators who exhibit at DCAC each year.

In 1987, a group of artists, arts advocates and administrators came together to address their frustration with DC's cultural climate. In order to bring local artists closer to the community, arts advocates Aaron Levine, Alice Denney, and Herb White, with the support of councilman William Lightfoot, established a center where local artists would become more visible to the community and receive the support that was largely unavailable. DCAC's founding board includes artists Jack Rasmussen, Lynn McCary, Sam Gilliam, Greg Hannan, Kathy Keler, Rockne Krebs, Evangeline Montgomery, June Shadoan, and Paula Schumann, critic and curator Annie Gawlak, and arts activist Eden Rafshoon.

Since the founding of DCAC, the city has seen a number of positive changes in the local arts community. With the growth of local galleries and art spaces, artists have a wider range of opportunities to exhibit their work than they did twenty years ago. While the original vision and purpose of DCAC remains intact, the arts center now seeks to address the growing needs of artists marginalized by the commercial demands placed on galleries. Even as we seek to expand our visibility and hope to become a primary staple in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, DCAC holds true to its grassroots tradition. We continue to recognize the need for a space where artists, regardless of their commercial viability, race, gender and educational background, can show or perform their work at any stage in their careers.

The Gala will take place on May 29, 2009, from 6:30 to 10:30pm. The happenings get underway at 6:30 with cocktails and light fare in the gardens and ballroom of the Halcyon House Mansion. There will also be a special VIP reception from 6:30 to 7:30 for the founders, our board of directors, the invitation committee and special level donors. At 8:00, the Studio opens for dancing to the sultry and swining Jenn and the Tonics along with desserts and more cocktails. Throughout the evening there will be performances, exhibited art, video projectors, sound installation, dance and more.

Artists featured at the event include performance artists Katherine Cornelius and Quique Aviles, poets Silvana Straw and Buck Downs, Alberto Gaitán with sound installation and visual artists Gretchen Schemmerhorn, Jefferson Pinder, Jose Ruiz and David Hartwell.

 

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