CulturalDC News
Q&A with Lee Liebeskind
Source Festival Full-length Play Director, Lee Liebeskind, talks Jim Henson, high school theatre, and inspiring soundtracks in our latest artist Q&A. Don’t miss A Frontier, as Told by the Frontier, directed by Liebeskind at Source Festival.
Who is your favorite living artist? Why?
At this moment, choreographer and dancer, Christopher Scott. The lines he creates, the stories he tells, and the ways he gets people to move are incredible. At other moments, Neil Gaiman. He is an amazing storyteller and someone who believes in connecting with people directly.
Who is your favorite deceased artist? Why?
Jim Henson. Without a doubt he has been the most influential artist to me because of his ability to tell simple stories with big ideas. He also had an incredible ability to speak both to the child watching his work and to the child inside us all. The amount of technical skill the man had, his willingness to try and fail, his belief that we should be inspired and to have the freedom to experiment… he is one of my life inspirations.
What kind of soundtrack motivates you or inspires your work?
Depends on what I am working on…it changes a lot. I can tell you that the soundtrack for A Frontier, as Told by the Frontier during Source Festival is inspired by music from Native Run, We’re About 9, Guster, Afghan Whigs, Metallica, Harry Chapin, Jeff Buckley, Andrew Bird, Mumford and Sons, The Guggenheim Grotto, Better Than Ezra, Nina Simone, Owl City, SR-71, Beethoven, Jay-Z, and The Muppets.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
A politician. Pretty sure.
What role do you see art fulfilling in the greater community?
For me art fulfills many different roles, but the most important is to inspire. For me, art is communication and it’s a way of having a discussion between the artists, the art, and the audience. The best art should inspire you to act.
How did you begin your work as an artist?
I started in theatre in high school. The class play was A Few Good Men and when I told my teacher that I wanted to audition she told me that she would never cast me and that I wasn’t good enough. Being who I am, I decided to work my butt off to audition anyway. I worked hard enough to change the teacher’s mind. From there I constantly tried to prove expectations wrong.
What is your favorite piece/project you have worked on?
The current one is always my favorite. I don’t think I could choose a favorite out of the projects in the past…they all inspired me to work the way I work in different ways.
What work are you most proud of?
The work I am most proud of is the work I have done with The Inkwell in creating a place where new plays can grow and develop. Working with artists to devise plans for a piece and watching them grow has been amazingly rewarding.
Buy Source Festival Raffle Tickets!
Buy a $50 raffle ticket and you could win one of three great prizes and support Source Festival!
CulturalDC Performing Arts Package (Total Value: $428)
• One ticket to the 2014 Source Festival VIP Opening Night and cocktail reception
• Four VIP tickets to the 2014 Source Festival ($128)
• Two tickets each to all five 2013/2014 MTLP season productions ($200)
14th Street Package (Total Value: $400)
• Whole Foods Italian Al Fresco Dining Gift Basket, including Italian wine and gourmet treats ($300)
• $50 gift certificate to Logan Tavern
• $50 gift certificate to Policy
One-year Le Haute Monde CulturalDC Membership (Total Value: $500)
Get a VIP pass to the contemporary art scene in DC and be the first to see the latest art from today’s groundbreaking creative movement. Membership benefits include:
• Artist Studio Visits | Witness the creative process and take part in a dialogue on contemporary art
• Arts Salon | Connect with DC’s creatives and artists at an intimate reception
• VIP Opening Nights and Exhibition Previews | Be the first to see the hottest art at Source Festival Opening Night, Mead Theatre Lab opening events and Flashpoint Gallery Previews.
• Four Complimentary VIP tickets to the annual Source Festival
• Flashpoint Season Launch Party
• Member Networking Events
Purchase raffle tickets online (click on 2013 Source Festival Raffle ticket” on any given date from June 7 – July1), at the box office or by calling 202.315.1322. Cash and major credit cards are accepted.
Each $50 ticket puts you in the running to receive one of the three packages – you can’t purchase tickets for individual packages.
Raffle ticket donations are not tax-deductible.
Winners will be announced on July 2. Letter of winnings will be sent via electronic mail to the winning ticket holders. Winners can contact the CulturalDC office at 202-315-1322 within ninety (90) days of the raffle announcement to arrange pick up.
More questions? Contact Szu-han at szuhan@culturaldc.org or 202.315.1322
Q&A with Cory Oberndorfer
Get to know visual artist and Artistic Blind Date participant Cory Oberndorfer in our latest Artist Q&A. And check out his piece Uncle Cory’s Secret Playtime at the Festival!
Who is your favorite living artist? Why?
As a painter of confections, I will always have admiration for Wayne Thiebaud. His use of color in painting sweet treats and other still lifes is a constant source of inspiration.
Who is your favorite deceased artist? Why?
Jim Henson. I can’t imagine my childhood without the Muppets and Sesame Street. He created a unique and effective world that entertains and educates.
What kind of soundtrack motivates you or inspires your work?
It really depends on the painting or body of work I am creating. I will find one album or artist and listen to it incessantly. I think my old grad school classmates will forever be exhausted of Pearl Jam.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
Miserable.
What role do you see art fulfilling in the greater community?
Art is all around us and inescapable. Once creativity is released, it saves our society from stagnation.
How did you begin your work as an artist?
It begins at the end. I will have a vision in my head, then spend a lot of time figuring out how to share that image with others.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found yourself doing for your art?
Come to my performance during the Source Festival and you will find out!
What is your favorite piece/project you have worked on?
Please. I love all of my projects equally.
What work are you most proud of?
Anything that creates lasting memories for others. The best compliment I ever received was, “That was the most fun I’ve ever had at an art show!”
Q&A with Linda Lombardi
Get to know Source Festival Full-Length Play director, Linda Lombardi in our latest Artist Q&A. She directs Perfect Arrangement, which opens June 14.
Who is your favorite living artist? Why?
I can’t choose favorites and I certainly can’t say why. One artist always leads to another, but I would be lost without Eric Clapton.
Who is your favorite deceased artist? Why?
There are way too many to choose from! But I have been missing August Wilson quite a lot lately.
What kind of soundtrack motivates you or inspires your work?
Music is very important to me as a director. Of course, the sound of the play changes from show to show but I do find that every script has a certain style of music that just fits. Once I can hear the show — it’s rhythm and tempo — then I can see the show. After that, it’s just about surrounding myself with talented people and guiding their instincts.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
Miserable – seriously. I tried the “real” world for a while — to be practical and earn money — and it just made me unhappy and not very fun, or nice to be around. That didn’t last very long.
What role do you see art fulfilling in the greater community?
It’s essential. A community without art would not survive. But it goes both ways. The community has to be engaged in the art or the art won’t survive. Art should reflect both the community and be an agent of change. That doesn’t always mean it has to be heavy-handed or from a soap box; it should still be entertaining. Tell me a good story, make me think, make me laugh. I’ll get the social message too.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found yourself doing for your art?
I seem to move across the country quite a bit!
What is your favorite piece/project you have worked on?
Getting to direct Henry IV, Part I, Part II and Henry V with the same company over the course of multiple years with several of the same cast members, including the same actor playing Prince Hal/King Henry V. I really enjoyed the closeness you get, the amount of trust that comes with working with people over and over. I had the chance to see an actor grow as an artist while the character is growing, and while I was growing as a director. It was a terrific opportunity to really spend time with a story and do it justice. I don’t know that anything can really come close.
Support us during Do More 24!
On Thursday, June 6 we will participate in Do More 24 – one day of online crowdfunding for local nonprofits. Check out the note below from one of our artists, Nekisha Durrett, to learn more and please take a minute to donate to our campaign!
CulturalDC is participating in Do More 24, a 24-hour online fundraiser for nonprofits throughout the national capital area and I hope you will support this great organization! The fundraiser lasts through June 6 only, so act quickly!
It’s difficult to think about my place as a visual artist in Washington, DC without thinking about CulturalDC. Their services to artists are an amazing resource and a benefit to me and hundreds of other emerging artists. You can help them continue their vital work in the community by donating today through Domore24.org.
When I finished my MFA program, I had fancy art degrees and big ideas. But I wasn’t sure what to do with them. I moved back to DC, focused on finding a job, and it took me awhile to start creating again. One day an artist friend told me that he was submitting a proposal for a group show at Flashpoint. He told me, “Oh, they’re awesome. It’s CulturalDC’s gallery space and you make the work, they buy the wine and cheese, and people show up and see your work! They’ll get your name out there. Just do it.”
So, I did it. An art dealer was at the opening and he showed my work to some collectors in New York, California and Arizona. I made enough money to make more even work which I showed in Virginia, New York and Miami.
But I wasn’t satisfied with showing solely in galleries and I wanted to work in a public platform. I got a call from CulturalDC informing me that I had been selected to create a mural in what turned out to be my very own neighborhood, Petworth. CulturalDC was working with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and JAIR LYNCH Development Partners and gave me a generous stipend. This helped me to buy new equipment and gave me the opportunity to show my artwork more publicly.
Most recently I’ve spent a lot of time creating my first graphic novel and I was thrilled when CulturalDC asked me to participate in their CONNECT 4 public art project at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. After a lot of hard work, six large-scale panels from my graphic novel, O’er Yonder, were hung in the windows at the Library for four weeks in May.
CulturalDC helped me turn my fancy art degrees and big ideas into a career. And they are a vital source for so many other visual and performing artists throughout the District. Please help support the amazing work that CulturalDC does and donate to their Do More 24 campaign.
You have until the end of the day and any amount helps!
Cheers,
Q&A with Nekisha Durrett
Learn about CONNECT 4 artist Nekisha Durrett’s childhood break dancing award, her “obsessive” studio tendencies, plus find out how she learned to draw Fred Flinstone – all in this awesome handwritten artist Q&A. Durrett’s CONNECT 4 piece, O’er Yonder can be seen in the windows at MLK Jr. Memorial Library through May 31.
Q&A with Brian Davis
CONNECT 4 artist Brian Davis invites viewers to interact with his current piece at the MLK Jr. Library. Learn more about what inspires him in our latest artist Q&A.
Who is your favorite living artist? Why?
It would have to be Roman Signer, because who couldn’t love the all of the explosions and things flying through the air?
Who is your favorite deceased artist? Why?
I am always surprised by how sublime Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ work can be.
What kind of soundtrack motivates you or inspires your work?
Lots of tech-related podcasts and Girl Talk.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
I almost switched my major in college to creative writing, which is ironic given how poor my typing skills are.
What role do you see art fulfilling in the greater community?
One of the most interesting processes is how public art starts as an intrusive, unwelcome incursion into peoples’ space, but then slowly morphs into part of the accepted landscape as residents take ownership of the work.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found yourself doing for your art?
Taping an LCD screen to the front of a motorcycle helmet, feeding a live view from a camera into the screen and wandering around my suburban Virginia neighborhood, navigating by using the video alone.
What is your favorite piece/project you have worked on?
I always try and make the current work my favorite. It is too hard to keep motivated otherwise.
CulturalDC announces 1st annual member reception
05.21.13
TUESDAY, 6-8PM
Daimler Rooftop | 1717 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Twelve months ago, CulturalDC launched its new brand and a new membership program. It has been a great year! To celebrate, we will be hosting a rooftop cocktail reception generously hosted by David Trebing at Daimler’s roof deck overlooking the White House. We’ve also tweaked member benefits to offer more access to the arts and have added a new membership level. Come learn about the expanded membership program and get a sneak peek of upcoming exhibitions and performances!
Open to CulturalDC members and donors only. Click here to become a member.
To RSVP or request more information, please call Szu-han Chen at 202-315-1322 or email szuhan@culturaldc.org.
MEMBERS ONLY
Source Festival tickets on sale
Tickets $10 – $20
Click here to view the full performance schedule and buy tickets!
Artistic Blind Dates $10
Full-Length Plays & 10-Minute Plays $20
VIP Tickets $32 — Includes a reserved seat and a complimentary concession
Four-Play Package $55 — See four plays, bring your three best friends to see one performance or see two plays with a friend. The choice is yours!
All Access Pass $100 — Good for 9 tickets—enough to catch every performance of the 2013 Source Festival — three groups of 10-Minute Plays, three Full-Length Plays and three Artistic Blind Dates. Whether you chose to see it all, or share the tickets with a friend, this is the best way to get in on all the action!
Please Note: Tickets for the Opening Night, Saturday, June 8th performance of the ON THE CUSP 10-Minute Plays are available by invitation only. If you are interested in attending this performance, please contact Development Manager, Szu-han Chen.
CulturalDC Announces CONNECT 4: A Public Art Series at MLK Jr. Memorial Library
WASHINGTON, DC – CulturalDC is pleased to announce CONNECT 4, a series of temporary public art projects in the Great Hall at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G Street, NW. This series takes CulturalDC’s visual arts programming off-site and into the public sphere and creates an opportunity for local contemporary artists to enliven the Library and respond to the space. The participating artists are Brian Davis, Nekisha Durrett, Sam Scharf and Anna Tsouhlarakis.
CulturalDC kicks-off the series on May 6 with projects by Brian Davis (on view through June 9) and Nekisha Durrett (on view through May 31). There will be an opening reception with the artists at the Library on Tuesday, May 7, 5-7PM. Brian Davis will install an interactive sculpture called Circuit (rendering pictured above). Nekisha Durrett will exhibit O’er Yonder, a project inspired by the graphic novels in the collection at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.
Two additional projects will run through the summer. Sam Scharf will create a two-part installation called Sit Here and I See You that responds directly to the architecture and public nature of the space. Anna Tsouhlarakis will cap off the series with Sylleptic Thoughts, a project that explores the city through the lens of Native American literature and identity. Dates for those projects will be announced in spring 2013.
The Library is located at 901 G Street NW directly across the street from CulturalDC’s Flashpoint Gallery. CulturalDC will be launching a series of programs in conjunction with each exhibition, including a collaboration with the Library’s teen programs. The exhibitions will be viewable in the library’s first floor lobby during their regular hours. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is open Monday & Tuesday 12pm-9pm; Wednesday – Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm and Sunday 1pm – 5pm.
For more information: Call 202.315.1310 or visit culturaldc.org
CONNECT 4, a CulturalDC public art project is generously supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and by Timothy Hyde. In-kind support for Nekisha Durrett’s project was provided by CSI Printing & Graphics.
ABOUT CULTURALDC
CulturalDC creates opportunities for artists and arts organizations that stimulate economic development and improve the quality of life.
We make space for art. From working with developers on affordable housing for artists to offering key services to emerging arts organizations and expanding audiences for arts programming, CulturalDC grows DC’s arts industry and creative business infrastructure.
CulturalDC is generously supported by The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, The Kresge Foundation, the MARPAT Foundation, the Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Prince Charitable Trusts, The Share Fund of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, The Washington Post Company and many other generous partners. Marvin is CulturalDC’s 2012-13 Wine Partner.
CULTURALDC
916 G Street, NW • Washington, DC 20001
General: 202-315-1305 Press: 202-315-1310 Fax: 202-315-1303
E-mail: karyn@culturaldc.org
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