District Fray Magazine // March 2021

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FEATURES

25 PUNK LEGENDS THE GO-GO’S

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PLAIN SIGHT: A STREET-FRONT REVOLUTION

21 MAKERS + CURATORS TO FOLLOW

ATHLETE + ACTIVIST NATASHA CLOUD

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30 WOMEN CHANGING THE GAME

Imani K Brown. Photo courtesy of subject.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

RADAR

5 Artist Imani K Brown 8 Calendar

51 Artgence + Homme 53 Survival of the Brutalist 55 Studio Theatre on Diversity 57 theTwelve at Union Market

EAT

14 Elevated Home Dining 18 The State of Takeout

DRINK

20 Evolving Drink Laws 23 St. Pat’s at Home

MUSIC

CULTURE

28 A Year Without Live Music 31 Local Artist Scorpio

86 STC’s Whitney White

LIFE

71 Female-Focused Hotel Zena 73 Ask Alice: Creativity

PLAY

75 The Roller Skating Revival 78 Get Outdoors This Spring

FUN

ROBERT KINSLER Publisher

MONICA ALFORD Editor-in-Chief

M.K. KOSZYCKI Assistant Editor

JULIA GOLDBERG Editorial Designer

TOM ROTH

Key Account Manager

KAYLA MARSH

Contributing Editor

84 Arts & Culture Crossword

District Hemp’s Barbara Biddle. Photo by Rich Kessler Photography.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ingrid Harbo, Alice Hu, Trent Johnson, Colleen Kennedy, Keith Loria, Kayla Marsh, Haley McKey, Lanna Nguyen, David Ross, Courtney Sexton, Amanda Weisbrod CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS + PHOTOGRAPHERS James Coreas, Rich Kessler Photography, Joe Jasper COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Rich Kessler ON THE COVER Plain Sight’s Teddy Rodger and Allison Nance, and artist Halim A. Flowers COVER LOCATION Plain Sight gallery in Park View

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

THE ARTS & CULTURE ISSUE. We’ve officially made it one year as District Fray Magazine. In March 2020, we put out our first issue under a new name, and less than a week later, Covid-19 changed the world forever. Months later, mid-pandemic, our nation experienced a culmination of racial and social injustices resulting in collective support of the BIPOC community via the Black Lives Matter movement. In January, we welcomed President Biden and our first female vice president, Kamala Harris, into the White House. We’ve been honored to put forth a publication monthly that has been able to tell the stories of locals impacted by these events, and find ways to connect with our community despite the crippling impacts of the pandemic. And now, we bring you our Arts & Culture issue. This remains one of our favorite annual issues, near and dear to our hearts for many reasons. Chief among them, the District is brimming with talented creators, makers, artists, curators and other creativeminded individuals who keep our city relevant and make it beautiful.

Our issue features 21 creators and makers in the District and a stunning cover story by writer Colleen Kennedy about women-led Park View gallery Plain Sight, including interviews with founders Teddy Rodger and Allison Nance, and artist Halim A. Flowers.

We highlighted local event production company Pakke’s latest collaboration with galleries Homme and Artgence, Union Marketbased creative collective theTwelve, the turbulent relationship our city has with Brutalist architecture, and Studio Theatre’s commitment to inclusive and diverse works.

And while we of course celebrate women year-round, we are particularly excited to highlight 30 bad-ass female entrepreneurs during Women’s History Month. We also had the opportunity to interview two members of legendary, all-female punk rock band The Go-Go’s, the WNBA’s activist-athlete Natasha Cloud, tattoo

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artist and self-love advocate Imani K Brown, Shakespeare Theatre Company Associate Director Whitney White, local genre-defying artist Alli Vega of Scorpio, and the creative team behind femalefocused Hotel Zena.

Plus, read about changing drink laws in the DMV, the current state of takeout, elevated home dining, how the music industry is bouncing back, the roller skating revolution, ways to get outside this spring and much more.

While so much of the past year has been challenging, we are grateful for the opportunity to keep telling and sharing D.C. stories. Thank you.

MONICA ALFORD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

(L to R). Allison Nance, Julia Goldberg, Teddy Rodger, Monica Alford and M.K. Koszycki at No Kisses Bar. Photo by Rich Kessler Photography.

IMANI K BROWN FIGHTS FOR COMMUNITY, BOUNDARIES + SENSE OF SELF WORDS BY MONICA ALFORD

RADAR | DISTRICT DENIZENS We live in an era where it’s increasingly difficult to carve out and find safe spaces, much less have enough emotional energy left over to create them for others. And yet, Imani K Brown has found a way to do both seamlessly, earnestly and unapologetically.

The tattoo artist, illustrator, author and Japanese street fashion enthusiast has built two support communities in the District: one for her customers, and one for her fellow lovers of street fashion. In both environments, she’s built connections with individuals who have accepted and embraced who they are – flaws and all – and now speak their truth through the art on their bodies.

Brown helps tattoo clients tell their stories on their skin, and street fashion friends express themselves and cope with whatever is going on in their lives through fashion. In some ways, these feel like very universal acts of connectivity. And yet, there’s truly not one unoriginal thing about the way the D.C. native chooses to live.

She proudly wears the title of second most prominent Black female tattoo artist in the country, with nearly 20 years of experience under her belt. While she’s owned her own tattoo, art and apparel shop in Hyattsville, Maryland for almost five years, her road to autonomy in the industry had bumpy beginnings. Brown was first drawn to tattoo artistry 18 years ago, when she was struggling with self-harm.

“I was a cutter in college,” she says, “and at some point, I started to shift my mindset to go get tattooed instead of actually cutting. I started saving money, and I promised myself the next time I had the strong urge to cut, I would go get tattooed. It was a great experience.”

She moved home after graduating from Clark Atlanta University, and started getting tattooed in the District. Because this was a new experience for her and a particularly vulnerable space, she was eager to learn more about the art form and possibly consider it as a career track. She was hopeful she could learn from her tattoo artist, who had also just asked her out on a date, so she felt comfortable being open with him and asking questions about his work.

“I thought he would be a safe person to ask about this, and he said he would never apprentice a Black person or a woman. And I said, ‘Cool.’ Of course, that was the last piece he did on me, and then I went to Tattoo Paradise and that’s where I met Chris Mensah.”

She credits Mensah with giving her a running start in the industry, and worked with him for 12 years before opening Little INKPLAY Shop in 2016. Brown started as his apprentice at Northeast Tattoos and moved with him to his shop PinzN-Needlez on U Street for 10 years, which she says was the premier shop for dark skin in the city. In that time, she became the shop’s lead artist while also developing a range of business skills under Mensah’s mentorship.

“He had enough trust in me that I could bring almost anything to the table and be like, ‘I want to try this for Pinz,’ and he’d be like, ‘Alright, do it.’”

Brown began traveling to and working in Japan, where she soaked up every bit of Japanese street fashion that she could and started visualizing what her own shop would look like.

“I asked Chris if I could have his blessing in opening my own space, and he was just like, ‘I thought you’d never ask.’ He supported me through it. I wanted to try a lot of the nuggets I was reaching for in business and also in Japan – all the things I was learning and pulling together. I was like, ‘I think this is a thing I can do.’”

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While her dream is to open a shop in Northeast D.C.’s Ivy City neighborhood, where she grew up, Hyattsville has been an affordable option and she’s continued to build a loyal customer base that transcends state lines. She describes her clientele as big nerds, sometimes with mental health struggles, and many of whom have become like family to her over the years on their tattoo journey.

“If they’re being vulnerable with me then I’m happy to be vulnerable with them. We end up sharing a lot of those things.

That one-to-one vulnerability opens the door for 10 other customers who come through with similar situations, and then we get to do it all over again.”

She speaks fondly of several customers with mental health issues she’s watched overcome hardships and make progress over the years, and others who have become dear friends and built families while she’s continued adding to their tattoo collection.

“I have a customer who was extremely unstable, and we built a relationship being accountable for each other through our own instability and tattooing. When she came to me, she was 18. She’s 30-something now, she’s got a kid, she’s thriving, she’s got a business. Her kid was like, ‘Is this my aunt who knew me in the belly and drew on my face?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah kid, I was doing face paintings on you before you even got here.’ And he’s like, ‘That’s what’s up.’”

She tears up as she shares this story, apologizing with a very sweet, “Sorry, my eyes want to pee,” before continuing.

“It creates amazing trust and kinship among people. She actually just messaged me the other day to say, ‘I’m just thinking about you.’ Those things happen, and they’re amazing when they do.”

Beyond her immense love for her tattoo family, Brown takes her role as a Black female leader in the industry seriously – and what it means to be a Black woman.

“I equate being a Black woman to being like the finest of lace,” she says. “Lace is utilitarian. It’s strong. But it also looks pretty as crap. It’s amazing. There’s no reason to not be able to own that and take up space unapologetically – and do your job and do it well. Take up all the space and don’t apologize about it. If it’s something you’re supposed to be doing and it’s not hurting anybody, do it. Don’t ask permission. Don’t wait for somebody to make that lane for you. Just do it.”

As for the bigotry she experienced at the start of her career, she says, “I don’t deal with those things. I nipped it in the bud the first time it showed itself.”

Her hope is that if the artist ever came back to the District, he’d see her name in lights and say, “Damn, I turned this girl down.”

“That’s the ultimate revenge, and that is the idea of being the finest of lace. That’s literally what I want to see for a lot of women, especially Black women. We have a lot of mislabels. And a lot of them we take on mentally in terms of feeling like we are broken – or there’s something wrong with our femininity or our softness, or even our aggressiveness. And there’s not, so use it.”

This idea of owning one’s femininity, and also protecting it, is something Brown has been navigating for years, and ties back directly to her deep love of Japanese street fashion and anime in general.

“Ivy City is the hood, but in certain places and a lot of times in Black culture, it’s not believed that you would be into things like [anime]. I tell the story all the time of how my best friend and I would trade manga [Japanese comic books] in the alley

like we were trading crack. We would meet after all of our friends are like, ‘Yeah, we’re in the house now.’ We’re still friends. We still do art together. It’s just really cool, because it was part of childhood.”

Her love of manga soon grew into her love of street fashion, and she went from dressing up in the style of anime characters and Japanese fashion icons to developing her own take on those styles. She draws inspiration from kawaii anime (her personal moniker and Instagram handle is “ipukekawaii”) and she is often dressed head to toe in pink.

“My style and aesthetic is just all about being able to be pink, explore myself and move around, but also create boundaries. I guess the easiest way to describe it would be moody fashion. I dress for whatever my mood is.”

She sees a corollary between Japanese street fashion and D.C. fashion from the early ‘80s, which makes her feel like she’s reliving the styles she already knows.

They’re nostalgic, and she’s enamored with that familiarity. In her words, she jams with them.

Brown is iconic in our city, fondly known as D.C.’s beloved “Harajuku Barbie” by many. One reason she began rocking these anime-inspired styles is so men wouldn’t sexualize her at the tattoo shop. Without even looking at her portfolio or knowing her work, they’d ask for her as their artist.

“The reason I started wearing Japanese street fashion out was to turn people off on purpose,” she says. “Being the only girl [at the shop], people would come in and be like, ‘I want her to tattoo me.’”

She says creating these boundaries actually helped her take up space in a positive way.

“As anime and manga become more mainstream, especially in places like D.C., I’m happy to show up for Black people. I’m happy to show up for people who look like me. D.C., in general, loves kawaii fashion. They don’t know what they’re looking at [or that] they love it until they see somebody who’s just unapologetically [wearing it] in the street.”

Brown’s street fashion community has grown to around 300, with anywhere from 50 to 100 members (pre-Covid, of course) heading out for picnics, fashion walks and other festivities in the District on a regular basis. The goal is to express themselves, but also to engage the local community and expose them to a part of pop culture they may not be familiar with.

While she says this is usually a positive experience, some people do breach boundaries – and she has to step in on her street fashion family’s behalf.

“I’m from the hood, so I want to make sure I’m cognizant of what’s happening around me. I have the responsibility of knowing what I can potentially attract being dressed a certain way. But people forget that, while the fashions are obnoxious and eye-catching, these are humans wearing these clothes. If it’s something you don’t understand or don’t jam with, same as you do on social media, keep scrolling. Just don’t say anything.”

She gets emotional again, as she describes being fierce and protective of her chosen family.

“I really don’t take any mess as it pertains to those things. I grew up in the community in the same way. It’s okay to tell people, ‘No.’ You’re not a victim of anything.

Enjoy your fashion. Helping other people create their Imani K Brown. Photos courtesy of subject.

confidence to be able to engage, that’s always great.”

Looking ahead, it seems the theme of community will only continue to strengthen in Brown’s professional endeavors. She’s currently building out a coaching program for “creatives turning into creative entrepreneurs,” and wants to help locals build their businesses while also pursuing hobbies and ongoing personal wellness. Her long-term goal, she says, is to take this vision to a physical location in Ivy City.

“I want this to be a transformation house, where you can come in on the bottom level and youth can hang out and do manga and the things we were told aren’t necessarily natural or cool for Black people to do. To be able to bring those things back to Ivy City where other youth can see them is cool. And you can go upstairs and meet tattoo artists who are actually building their careers around their own art in a communitydriven space where we all help each other. That is what I want.”

Learn more about Brown at www.ipukekawaii.com and follow her on Instagram @ipukekawaii. Check out Little INKPLAY Shop at www.littleinkplayshop.com and follow on Instagram @littleinkplayshop.

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Last March, Covid-19 shut down the District, but a year later, the city has found a way to gather and celebrate in socially distant ways. From virtual performances and Zoom talks to masked and distanced outings, restaurants, theaters, museums, gyms and more have adapted to make having fun in a pandemic possible. This March, make up for last year’s lost time with Women’s History Month events, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and more. COMPILED BY INGRID HARBO NOTE: All descriptions courtesy of event hosts and edited for clarity.

Through March 23 3.12-3.17 DC Fray Spring 2021 League Registration

Join for a new round of leagues in D.C. Play safe with DC Fray, where your health and safety is their top priority this season. Register by March 23 to play with Fray. Choose from flag football, hockey, kckball, soccer. bocce, cornhole, softball, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, tennis, trivia and yoga. Various times, locations and prices. www.dcfray.com // @dcfray

Through May 31 Men of Change: Taking it to the Streets

“Men of Change: Taking it to the Streets” presents a nation’s story through the profiles of revolutionary African American men and the cultural stories they illuminate. Formerly slated to open in its gallery, the exhibition has been creatively reimaged for outdoor installation in D.C.’s Ward 7 Deanwood neighborhood to be accessible to the community as a safer response to Covid-19. Free. Men of Change: 4800 Meade St. NE, DC; www.anacostia.si.edu // @smithsonianacm

Mother Tongue Film Festival

The Smithsonian’s Mother Tongue Film Festival celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity by showcasing films and filmmakers from around the world, highlighting the crucial role languages play in our daily lives. This year, the festival will be hosted entirely online. Free. mothertongue.si.edu // @recoveringvoices

Through July 28

All the Devils are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain

Macbeth. Iago. Claudius. Shakespeare Theatre Company affiliated artist Patrick Page invites you to experience the evolution of evil in Shakespeare’s villains, from rogues and cutthroats to tyrants and sociopaths. A Tony Award nominee Patrick Page explores how Shakespeare created the treacherous characters we all love to hate. This mesmerizing one-man performance is available online only. $25. www.shakespearetheatre.org // @shakespeareindc

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Colony Grill St. Patrick’s Day Special

Colony Grill, Clarendon’s new family-friendly tavern, will serve a special corned beef and cabbage “Bar Pie” on St. Patrick’s Day. The restaurant will pay tribute to its Irish roots by offering its one-of-a-kind, thin-crust pizza topped with corned beef and cabbage. This pizza special offer applies to dine-in and carryout orders. Various times. $13.45. Colony Grill: 2800 Clarendon Blvd. #850, Arlington, VA; www.colonygrill.com // @colonygrill

3.13 + 3.14

Hi-Lawn St. Patrick’s Day Rooftop Celebration Hi-Lawn is rolling out the “green” carpet (in the form of their large turf-covered lawn) for their inaugural St. Patrick’s Day rooftop celebration. Bringing traditional Irish pub vibes to a socially distanced open-air outdoor venue, the weekend fest will offer a safe way to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day with Irish whiskey-centric cocktails, festive beers, giveaways and more. 12 p.m. $60 per table. Hi-Lawn: 1309 5th St. NE, DC; www.hilawndc.com // @hilawndc

Shamrock Land

St. Patrick’s Day – the time of year when lads and lasses clad themselves in green, dance Irish jigs and sing “Danny Boy” while toasting to the luck of the Irish. Whether you’re Irish by birth or just Irish by attitude, join tons of lucky leprechauns for a day full of carousing and glass clinking at D.C.’s inaugural Shamrock Land. With your ticket you’ll receive one free beer, have access to table games, live entertainment, and much more!

Various times. $25-$45. The Bullpen: 1201 Half St. SE, DC; www.projectdcevents.com // @pdcevents

3.14

2021 St. Patty’s 5K, Half + Marathon

Come out before St. Patrick’s Day and enjoy this scenic, flat half-marathon, marathon and 5K in the heart of Georgetown near the nation’s capital. Both events run on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal path. Various times. $25-$80. www.bishopsevents.com // @bishopseventsllc

3.15

Renewal 212

ARTECHOUSE presents its fourth annual cherry blossom inspired installation, “Renewal 2121,” in the nation’s capital.

This original ARTECHOUSE production utilizes the power of creative technology to transport visitors into an imagined future 100 years from now where nature’s resilience takes center stage amongst an overdeveloped metropolis, empowering visitors to interact to help the blooms of our future continue to renew. 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. $17-$50.

ARTECHOUSE: 1238 Maryland Ave. SW, DC; www.artechouse.com // @artechouse

Virtual Fireside Chat with Andrea Sheehan

Hotel Zena’s story is brought to life with a vibrant visual language of provocative design and original art. In a powerful art collection simply titled “Her,” women are brought to the forefront, and inclusivity is celebrated. Join moderator Juliana Valencia as she discusses the conception of Hotel Zena with designer Andrea Sheehan, and artists Marilyn Artus and Chanel Compton. 5-6 p.m. Free. www.viceroyhotelsandrestors.com // @hotelzena

3.15-3.17 Beuchert’s Saloon 8th Anniversary

March 15th marks the eighth anniversary of Beuchert’s Saloon, chef Andrew Markert’s Capitol Hill restaurant that is now operating as Fight Club during the pandemic. Fight Club will be offering a three-course menu full of classic dishes from the Beuchert’s era. Pairings of beloved Beuchert’s cocktails and wine will also be available for an additional charge. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. $70-$130.

Fight Club: 623 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, DC; www.fightclubdc.com // @fightclubdc

Veuve Clicquot + “The Widow Clicquot.” Photo by Samantha Giordano Kim.

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3.16

Virtual Happy Hour: Rosa Bonheur

Join the staff of the National Museum of Women in the Arts for a virtual happy hour to celebrate Rosa Bonheur‘s birthday.

They will make a specialty cocktail in her honor, share artworks and stories and explore the museum’s collection and archives for all things Rosa. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free; registration required. www.nmwa.org // @womeninthearts

3.17

Outdoor Hip O’Hop Yoga

Get lucky with this St. Patrick’s Day hip-hop yoga experience at Arlington’s best independently owned, positive-energy hub, The Energy Club. Adorn yourself in green garb and safely roll out your mat on the top deck of the Shirlington parking area for an outdoor celebration of wellness, community and stress release. DJ Thunderbunny will spin her bouncy beats to accompany this high-energy, all-levels vinyasa flow, led by Erin Sonn. 6:30-8 p.m. $30. The Energy Club: 2900 South Quincy St. Arlington, VA; www.eatyogadrink.com // @eatyogadrink

St. Patrick’s Day at Guinness Open Gate Brewery

The brewery invites guests to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day with socially distanced entertainment, special beers and food pairings.

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The double Wammie award-winning 19th Street Band, whose guitarist/vocalist is from Northern Ireland, will bring its high energy and strong vocal harmonies, and traditional musicians and Irish dancers will perform at the brewery. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Free. Guinness Open Gate Brewery: 5001 Washington Blvd.

Halethorpe, MD; www.guinnessbrewerybaltimore.com // @guinnessbreweryus

Virtual Women Filmmakers Festival

Internationally exhibited artist, filmmaker and writer Mariam Ghani participates in a virtual conversation about two of her upcoming projects developed around the 100th anniversary of the 1918 pandemic. Watch clips from the film “DIS-EASE,” which examines themes of illness, otherness and invasion.

Then enjoy excerpts from “The Fire Next Time,” an in-progress short that traces the connection between epidemics and social upheaval from the 1800s to the present. Ghani’s film “What We Left Unfinished” (2019) will be available to stream between Monday, March 14 and Sunday, March 21. 5:30 p.m. Free with registration. www.americanart.si.edu // @americanart

3.18

Cheese and Beer Pairing Class

When most people think of pairing a beverage with cheese, they think of wine. But did you know that beer also makes an incredible cheesy pairing? Join Cheesemonster Studio for an evening dedicated to beer and cheese. During this virtual class, St. Patrick’s Day. Photo courtesy of Guinness.

you will be tasting five different cheeses paired with five different beers. 6-7:30 p.m. $20-$60. www.cheesemonsterstudio.com // @cheesemonsterdc

DowntownDC Sculpt + Shape Thursdays – HIIT Join VIDA and the DowntownDC BID every Thursday this March to celebrate Women’s History Month with awesome virtual classes led by some of VIDA’s amazing female instructors. 6 p.m. Free. www.downtowndc.org// @downtowndcbid; www.vidafitness.com// @vidafitnessdc

3.18-3.28

Environmental Film Festival

The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF) is the world’s premier showcase of environmentally themed films since 1993. Each March in D.C., they host the largest environmental film festival in the world, presenting over 100 films to audiences of more than 20,000. Collaborating with over 110 partners, including museums, embassies, universities and theaters, the festival is one of the leading annual cultural events in the city, winning the 2017 DC Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Creative Industries. This year’s festival will be presented virtually. Various times and ticket prices. www.dceff.org // @dceff_org

3.19

Profs & Pints Online: Gender Stereotypes on the Menu

What caused certain foods to be associated with one sex or the other? Join Paul Freedman, a historian who has researched long-term changes in American cuisine and eating habits, for a fascinating journey through time to look at how male and female palates became stereotyped. 7 p.m. $12. www.profsandpints.com // @profsandpints

3.19 + 3.20

Black Forge Coffee Van S.O.S Tour at 9:30 Club

Black Forge Coffee from Pittsburgh is going on a cross country tour to help save small independent music venues that have been forced to close their doors due to Covid. They are here to help raise awareness and funds for these venues through the power of coffee and metal. They will be selling in house roasted Hot S.O.S Coffee, Tea, Merch and their retail S.O.S coffee blend bag. A portion of sales will go directly to 9:30 Club. 12-6 p.m.

Free to attend. 9:30 Club: 815 V St NW, DC; www.930.com // @930club; www.blackforgecoffee.com // @blackforge_coffeevan // @blackforgeshop

3.20

National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony

The National Cherry Blossom Festival’s signature Opening Ceremony, an artistic celebration of the 1912 gift of trees from Tokyo to Washington, D.C., and an annual tribute to the longstanding friendship between Japan and the United States,

will be live streamed this year. Co-hosted by Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi and ABC7’s Michelle Marsh, and co-presented by The Japan Foundation, the Opening Ceremony will feature special performances from acclaimed artists with ties to both countries. 6 p.m. Free; registration required. www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org // @cherryblossfest

Online Yoga from the Garden

Join the United States Botanical Garden as they continue their weekly community yoga class. Typically offered on-site at the USBG Conservatory or outdoor gardens, the USBG is supporting an online yoga class to continue the program for community health and well-being. During this online class, an instructor from WithLoveDC will guide you through a onehour meditation and yoga practice. Space is still first-come, first-serve, only the first 100 yogis to log in will be able to practice. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. www.usbg.gov // @usbotanicgarden

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Paint n’ Sip

Join the team at Hotel Zena for a specialty paint ‘n’ sip set among the stars, while getting a sneak peek of D.C.’s hottest new rooftop spot, Hedy’s Rooftop Bar. Rising local artist Sarah Albert (@ SarahPaintsRappers) will lead you and others on filling in a specialty canvas of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Your ticket includes a cocktail from Hedy’s carefully crafted menu, a canvas and accompanying paints. 6-9 p.m. $50. Hotel Zena: 1155 14th St. NW, DC; www.viceroyhotelsandrestors.com/zena // @hotelzena

3.20-4.11 Bloomaroo

Celebrate spring at the home of the cherry blossoms. The Wharf blooms with Bloomaroo – nearly a month of cherry blossom-themed art installations, specialty cocktails and new for 2021, an anime film festival on Transit Pier curated by Awesome Con and presented by T-Mobile.12-8 p.m. Free. The Wharf: 101 District Sq. SW, DC; www.wharfdc.com // @thewharfdc

Credit Union Cherry Blossom Virtual Run

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom is having a Virtual Run this spring, in addition to an in-person race, which has been moved to Sep. 12, 2021. Runners can choose between a 10-mile run and a 5k run-walk and virtual runners can run their event anytime between March 20 and April 11. $35. www.cherryblossom.org // @cucb

3.21

“Invisible Warriors:” A Film Screening and Discussion with Gregory Cooke

For Women’s History Month and Rosie the Riveter Day, join DC Public Library for a screening of the film “Invisible Warriors: African-American Women in World War II.” “Invisible Warriors” features real pioneers – the first Black women to work in industry and government administrative service. The film is an unforgettable conversation among a diverse group of African American “Rosie the Riveters’’ who recount what life was really like during World War II. Prior to the screening, you will hear from the film’s director Gregory Cooke. 2 p.m. Free. www.dclibrary.org // @dcpubliclibrary DISTRICT FRAY | 11

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3.22

3.25-4.22

Glenn Frankel’s "Shooting Midnight Cowboy" tells the story of a modern classic that, by all accounts, should never have become one in the first place. The film’s boundary-pushing subject matter of homosexuality, prostitution and sexual assault earned it an X rating when it first appeared in cinemas in 1969. Frankel will be in conversation with David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. 6 p.m. Free. www.politics-prose.com // @politicsprose

Ecofeminism explores the connection between the oppression of women and the destruction of nature. The exhibition, which will run online through Earth Day, probes the interconnections between women and the earth, from the presence of rhythmic cycles to the shared experiences of consumption and exploitation. Free. www.latelacuratorial.com // @latelacuratorial

Glenn Frankel’s “Shooting Midnight Cowboy”

Our Words, Our Power: Women’s History Month The Our Words, Our Power workshop series examines inspiring speeches that impacted our world. A Ford’s Theatre teaching artist will perform the speech, followed by an audience discussion. Facilitators will also discuss how to use words effectively to shape our world. This workshop will feature Hillary Clinton’s “Women Rights are Human Rights” speech.

7 p.m. Free. www.fords.org // @fordstheatre

3.22-4.18 “A Boy and His Soul”

“Keep a song in your heart, and you will always find your way" – that’s what JJ’s mom always said. And sure enough, music is what reconnects him to his family when he clears out their West Philadelphia house to be sold. When JJ finds an old record collection of disco, R&B and classic soul, he is transported by the vibrant soundtrack of his youth through memories of coming of age and coming out in the ’70s and ’80s. “A Boy and His Soul” is a one-man show best enjoyed, according to the playwright, with a glass of scotch and wearing your favorite kaftan. “A Boy and His Soul” runs from Monday, March 22 to Sunday, April 18, 2021. $30. www.roundhousetheatre.org // @roundhousetheatre

3.23

G.O.A.T Social Hour at Lost Boy Cider

Come to Lost Boy Cider in Alexandria for an hour-long goat social hour, featuring the friendly herd from Walnut Creek Farm. The Veterinarian owner of the farm, Dr. Maureen Noftsinger, will be on-hand to answer your burning goat-related questions. Includes one craft cider and unlimited goat snuggling. Various times. $40.

Lost Boy Cider: 317 Hooffs Run Dr. Alexandria, VA; www.bethawolfe.com // @bethawolfe

3.24

Virtual Tour: Female Sculptors in D.C.

There are hundreds of statues in D.C., and although way too few of them are statues of women, many of these statues were sculpted by women. On this virtual tour, explore which statues in D.C. were made by women and explore how these women broke barriers within the art community. 2-3 p.m. $30. www.atourofherown.com// @atourofherown 12 | MARCH 2021

Bodies We Inhabit

3.26

Rising Together

J’Nai Bridges is among the most captivating singers of her generation. A star of the Metropolitan Opera and Washington National Opera, she also became an instant Washington Performing Arts favorite thanks to her headline appearance in their March 2020 Virtual Gala. For her “Home Delivery Plus” performance, she has crafted a very special program on the themes of uplift and community, focusing on composers who have been her close collaborators, including Richard Danielpour, Damien Sneed, Patrice Michaels and Shawn Okpebholo. The program will also feature well-known works from classical and other genres and multidisciplinary collaborations, along with incisive conversations on the topic of “Rising, Together.” 8 p.m. $20. www.washingtonperformingarts.org // @washingtonperformingarts

3.26-4.18 Studio Theatre's “Cock”

John breaks up with his boyfriend of seven years. Two weeks later, he’s desperate to be taken back — but can’t stop sleeping with the woman he started seeing in their weeks off. In a world with so many ways to be happy, how do you know the right thing when you have it? A sexy, conflicted look at attraction, ambivalence and commitment. David Muse remakes his 2014 Helen Hayes-award winning production for the camera. $37-$65. www.studiotheatre.org // @studiotheatre

3.27

United Fray + Happy Trees presents Virtual Paint Party

Come paint and party with Happy Trees online via Zoom. In under two hours, the creative host will walk you step by step how to recreate the painting of the event while infusing laughs and music along the way. This class is beginner-friendly, so no experience is necessary. 7-8:30 p.m. $15. www.happytreesentertainment.com // @happytrees_ent; www.dcfray. com // @dcfray

3.28

4.3

D.C. is the beneficiary of world-class music creatives who enrich and inspire millions of people around the world.

The Wammie Awards is The MusicianShip’s 33-year-old awards show aimed at recognizing D.C., Maryland and Virginia- area artists and musicians for their artistic works and impact across our metropolitan region. The 2021 Virtual Wammie Awards will feature a pre-show, red carpet, awards show and after party. Hosted by 93.9 WKYS’ Chey Parker & DJ Mim, all evening long they’ll bring you interviews with 2021 finalists, the 2021 award winners and musical performances throughout the night. 6-9:30 p.m. $10-$20. www.wammiesdc.org // @wammiesdc

Start your Saturday the right way with a HIIT Bootcamp Class, sponsored by Corona and hosted by your favorite instructors from Balance Gym on the rooftop of their Thomas Circle location. Get ready to build strength, burn fat and receive some free Corona swag. 11 a.m. $5.

Balance Gym: 1339 Green Ct. Unit 1, NW, DC; www.balancegym.com // @balancegym; www.dcfray.com // @dcfray

The 2021 Virtual Wammie Awards

3.31

Speed Dating: LGBTQ + Women Seeking Women

Just because everything else in life is on hold doesn’t mean love has to be. Join us at 8 p.m. for virtual lesbian/bisexual/ queer speed dating. This is for women seeking women. We will email you the Zoom link and information prior. All you need is you, yourself and a laptop! Register at https:// commi.sh/seasons/6369. www.dcfray.com // @dcfray

"The Widow Clicquot" Book Event with Shilling Canning Company

Sara Quinteros-Shilling, co-owner and director of business development at Shilling Canning Company, is celebrating Women’s History Month with a special package that includes a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and paperback edition of “The Widow Clicquot.” The New York Times bestselling biography of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin is the story of the young and widowed visionary who persevered through hardships and created what is now one of the most popular champagne houses in the world, Veuve Clicquot. The restaurant will host a special event and optional tasting on March 31 in partnership with Moët Henessy USA to discuss the book, Madame Clicquot’s legacy, and celebrate other women winemakers in Shilling Canning Company’s Wine Shop portfolio.

Tickets are $65 and are available on www.exploretock.com/ shillingcanning. www.shillingcanning.com // @shillingcanningcompany

DC Fray + Balance Gym HIIT Bootcamp Class

Hip-Hop Dance Class

Join TikTok trending dancer Hazel Goddess for hip-hop dance classes every Saturday. Hazel has over 20k followers on TikTok and is constantly breaking the internet with her amazing dance skills.

Whether you’re looking to pick up a few moves, get some exercise, meet new people or just have a lot of fun, have it all here for you. 12 p.m. $25. Sassy City Studio: 6910 4th St. NW, DC; www.twerkwerks.com // @twerkwerks

4.9 + 4.10 DC Web Fest

The Ninth Annual DC Web Fest aims to immerse its guests in a 2-bit, video-game style virtual world while promoting the best in independently produced digital media. With the theme “See Problems as Possibilities,” the virtual event will showcase the best of independent digital media as well as meaningful discussions with top experts in the industry. Various times. Free. www.dcwebfest.org // @dcwebfest

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4.2

The Tea: Omnia Azar

The Tea proudly welcomes singer-songwriter Omnia Azar this month, and will be live streaming on NMWA’s Facebook page and at nmwa.org/livestream. Omnia Azar is a multi-talented singer/songwriter hailing from Michigan.

Her lyrically poignant and vibrant music encompasses her love of jazz, soul, funk, R&B and more. Azar seeks to inspire the masses with her stage presence and unique vocals. 12-1 p.m. Free. www.nmwa.org // @womeninthearts

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DISTRICT FRAY | 13

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EAT

NEXT-LEVEL HOME DINING EXPERIENCES WORDS BY LANNA NGUYEN

These days, the hottest table in town is in your own dining room. With restaurants operating at reduced capacities and varying comfort levels of being in an indoor environment, locals are looking to enhance their dining experience at home. Whether you’re scoring hot ticket meals or preparing restaurant-quality food in your own kitchen, check out these ways to further elevate at-home experiences.

ABC Pony Take burger night up a notch with the ABC Guys Burgers & Fries pop-up from ABC Pony owner Erik Bruner-Yang and executive chef Armani Johnson. Start with a blank burger canvas and layer on the free toppings, or opt for one of two signature stacks eponymously named after the chef-creators: The EBY featuring char siu thick-cut bacon, grilled onions, jalapeños and smoked aioli and the The AJ with crab dip, Old Bay onions and shrettuce (shredded iceberg lettuce). Since launching the concept on New Year’s Eve, they’ve developed quite a following, frequently selling out of burgers and fries.

Thankfully, the team has recently expanded service, with the pop-up now open Tuesday through Saturday. www.abcpony.com // @abcpony on Instagram

Ama Ami A two-person operation, co-owners Zach Ramos and Amy Phan of Sushi Taro offer Edomae-style sushi in the form of beautifully packaged chirashi boxes to-go and their in-home sushi counter experience, dubbed homakase. “The most important factor for us in designing our services is to be approachable and ‘human-like’ as much as possible,” says Phan of Ama Ami’s concept. “Being able to say ‘Hello’ or share some laughs is our way of providing elevated dining experiences in peoples’ lives.” Their chirashi flash sales are announced on Instagram and sell out quickly (at times, in under 30 minutes) and the homakase experiences are also in high demand.

Pro tip: Bookmark their website and have your information ready to submit once they open online ordering each week. www.amaami.com // @amaamidc on Instagram

Fat Choi Hot Pot Chef Will Fung of Capitol Hill-based Fat Choi Hot Pot launched his DIY hot pot kits in January. They feature all of the necessary accoutrements to replicate the experience at home, but without the burden of wrangling specialty ingredients. “It’s a hassle to gather up all the stuff you’d need to do hot pot at home, so hopefully this can make it easy so you can focus on just having a fun time,” Fung says. He offers a mixed set with seafood, meat, vegetables, noodles, the choice of two broths and all of the fixings, in addition to a pescatarian version. Kits serve two to three people for $75 and come with the option to rent equipment. There’s also a cooking guide and hot pot hotline (Fung is available by text to answer any questions) for hot pot newbies. “A lot of times, a takeout transaction ends when the food gets handed over to the customer. I personally think the transaction ends when a guest has finished their meal, hopefully to their satisfaction. A way to provide that extra service was to set up the hot pot hotline.” Weekend orders go live on Mondays at 3 p.m., with Friday and Saturday slots typically selling out in 30 minutes or less. www.fatchoihotpot.com // @fatchoihotpot on Instagram

Feast by Nina May From the Nina May team in Logan Circle, Feast is a locally sourced meal delivery service offering three-course meals for brunch and dinner. Each meal is portioned for two people and comes with detailed instructions for reheating dishes, along with plating suggestions. “The number one goal with Feast was for a guest to be able to create restaurant-quality meals at home,” says co-

owner and executive chef Colin McClimans on the importance of ingredient quality in guest experience. “We want to make sure they are getting the greatest seasonal ingredients, and that we have prepared them so they taste the best possible way.” www.feast-dc.com // @feastdc on Instagram

La Tejana Raise the breakfast bar with next-level tacos from La Tejana.

A roaming pop-up, the nomadic taqueria has legions of fans following wherever they set up shop. There are a handful of tacos to choose from, with simple ingredients that shine.

Think scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and fried potatoes, all bundled up in house-made flour tortillas. Find them at La Cosecha, right by Union Market, on Saturdays and Sundays (preorders only), and follow them on Instagram for other popup announcements. Be sure to act fast for pop-ups, as they’ve been known to sell out quickly. As the saying goes, the early bird catches the breakfast taco. www.latejanadc.com // @latejanadc on Instagram

Le Diplomate The 14th Street brasserie’s signature Burger Américain has landed on many a roundup and listicle of best burgers in D.C. And now, fans can prepare them in the comfort of their own homes. The kits go for $90 and come equipped with all of the ingredients and instructions to compose four cheeseburgers, along with dilly potato salad. www.lediplomatedc.com // @lediplomatedc on Instagram

Lucky Danger You’d be lucky indeed to score a takeout order from ghost concept Lucky Danger, located at Prather’s on the Alley downtown. From Chef Tim Ma, the pop-up’s Chinese-American dishes have been a hit, featuring a mix of takeout classics and traditional offerings.

You’ll find crab rangoon and chicken lo mein alongside flounder with pickled greens and pig ear salad. To accommodate for the popup’s success and popularity (they’ve experienced daily sell-outs, sometimes by noon, with fans staying up until midnight jockeying for preorder slots), the team recently expanded ordering times and hours of operation. Arlingtonians can also rejoice: There’s a second location coming soon to National Landing. www.luckydanger.co // @_luckydanger on Instagram

Martha Dear Be a pizza night hero by snagging hot commodity pies from neighborhood gem Martha Dear. The sourdough pizzas have been in high demand since the Mount Pleasant pizzeria opened, with a menu featuring Mediterranean components like Greek cheeses, herbs and ‘Nduja. Expect to find specialty pizzas in the rotation based on ingredient availability. Same day preorders start at noon, Wednesday to Sunday (and quickly sell out) for pickup only. www.marthadear.com // @marthadeardc on Instagram

DISTRICT FRAY | 15

Rose Ave Bakery

Seven Reasons

Fans of Rose Ave Bakery downtown know that to score Asianinspired pastries and confections from pastry chef Rose Nguyen, they need to act fast once preorders are live. Sweet and savory options in the form of donuts, rolls, cake slices, buns and croissants are offered on a menu that includes flavors such as ube, pandan, passionfruit, black sesame, matcha and Sichuan cacio e pepe. “I wanted to bring something new, unique and special that represented the palate of a modern-day Asian American,” says Nguyen of her offerings. Although walk-in service is offered Thursday through Saturday, preorder is the way to go. They go live on Sunday at 5 p.m., and items often sell out within three minutes.

Guests get to literally play with their food as part of Seven Reasons’ at-home dining experience, PLA(Y)TE @ Home.

The deconstructed, five-course meal from the Columbia Heights restaurant comes color-coded to correspond to a set of directions accessible by QR code, where guests take on the role of chef. Step-by-step instructions are provided on how to plate and present each dish. But of course, artistic flair and personal touches are highly encouraged.

www.roseavebakery.com // @roseavebakery on Instagram

Seoulspice Love Korean barbecue but don’t feel comfortable dining in? Local chain Seoulspice has you covered. The healthy Korean comfort food concept offers an at-home barbecue experience complete with tabletop grill, thinly sliced brisket, rice, and a spread of pickled accoutrements and sauces. A la carte options are also available to add on. “In these socially distant times, we want to offer an option that provides a fun and social dining experience in the safety of the home,” says owner Eric Shin of the barbecue experience. “It’s not a one-trick pony, either. We provide great recipes for leftovers and a la carte refills for the kit can be ordered online with curbside pickup.”

www.sevenreasonsdc.com // @sevenreasonsdc on Instagram

Tabla Prepare a Georgian feast at home, courtesy of Park View-based Tabla’s new Sunday supper DIY meal kits. The restaurant’s popular khachapuri and khinkali are the stars of the menu, and also come with an appetizer of choice and optional wine pairing. “We wanted to do three things as a means of introducing some people to Tabla and our take on the amazing Georgian cuisine,” says co-owner Jonathan Nelms of the holistic approach to the new, at-home experience. “[We] provide a range of dishes, let our friends experience the fun of cooking and give the option of adding some wine.” www.tabladc.com // @tabladc on Instagram

www.seoulspice.com // @seoulspice on Instagram 16 | MARCH 2021

FIRST PAGE. Tabla dumplings. Photo by Reema Desai. THIRD PAGE. Fat Choi hot pot. Photo by Mathew Ramsey.

THIS ST. PATRICK’S DAY, LET’S RAISE #AToastTo OUR HEROES. To help with continued COVID-19 relief efforts, Guinness is donating $600,000 to Team Rubicon (teamrubiconusa.org) and organizations fighting food scarcity across the country. Raise a toast of your own using #AToastTo and @GuinnessUS on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and we’ll donate an additional $1 (up to $100,000) for every qualifying post through March 21, 2021. For details (including list of all participating nonprofit entities), visit ToastTo.us. No purchase of alcohol is necessary to participate.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. GUINNESS Draught Stout. Imported by Diageo Beer Company USA, New York, NY.

EAT

The state of takeout A year into the pandemic, restaurant owners and local delivery partners reflect on the challenges of the past year, how takeout is evolving and what they see for the future of delivery.

WORDS BY LANNA NGUYEN “There is no way I would have predicted where we would’ve ended up.”

Fresh off a stellar first year in business that brought award nominations and positive reviews from food critics and locals alike, general manager Carey Tang and her team at Rooster & Owl had no idea their restaurant’s business model would be flipped on its head. Once the pandemic hit, the dinner-only, sitdown-only spot in Columbia Heights had to quickly transform into a takeout and delivery operation.

With the current capacity limitations, the restaurant now operates on takeout exclusively, although the road to get there was not without its trials. From setting up the initial infrastructure to sourcing takeout packaging and dealing with unforeseen challenges (like finding adequate storage space for said takeout packaging), transitioning was tricky.

And then there was the food. Prior to the pandemic, Rooster & Owl was known for its shared plates and tasting menu-style experience. Beautifully presented courses suited for a prix-fixe meal at the restaurant were the opposite of what was ideal for delivery: seafood that would not travel well, ingredients prone to melting and wilting. In response, executive chef Yuan Tang and his team focused on proteins that would retain their integrity during transit and updated the menu to a three-course format.

Javier Candon, owner of Joselito Casa De Comidas in Capitol Hill, faced similar challenges when forced to switch operations to accommodate for delivery and takeout. Joselito’s Spanish tapas menu would typically offer dishes in three different sizes for dinein, including a family-style portion. Those all had to be updated to better fit a takeout model.

“We had to reinvent ourselves to put everything together in terms of a more appropriate menu that will travel better, but also the to-go platform,” Candon says.

Growing Pains With new packaging ordered and menus retooled to fit within the confines of delivery, the next challenge was getting food out to guests.

“We were really struggling with reliability,” Tang says about when Rooster & Owl initially offered delivery fulfilled through online ordering platform Tock.

Drivers from third-party delivery services would arrive late and the restaurant had little control over the amount of time that it would take for meals to get to guests. Not willing to compromise food quality (Tang notes some delays were hours long), the team decided to halt delivery through larger platforms like Postmates and DoorDash.

Those delivery woes were echoed by fellow restaurateurs.

Although Paulos Belay’s burgeoning business was wellsuited for takeout (his Detroit-style pizza concept Motown 18 | MARCH 2021

Square Pizza launched at the end of August 2020 in Northeast D.C.), he still experienced issues ranging from quality control to missing deliveries. Orders placed through Motown Square’s website were automatically fulfilled by DoorDash for delivery, and he’s experienced delays and situations where the pizza never got to its final destination.

“Somebody paid money to get our pizza and it just never showed up,” Belay says.

The unsettling situation left him scrambling. Those issues, coupled with high fee structures from large third-party delivery apps, have led some business owners to look for other options.

Think Local First As a restaurant owner frustrated with larger third-party delivery options, Adam Fry and his business partners decided to take matters into their own hands. The owners of Shaw bar Ivy and Coney launched their own grassroots ordering and delivery platform, DC To-GoGo, as a local alternative that prioritizes the interests of restaurants.

“What we’ve been doing is trying to lean into a model of sustainable support for restaurants, rather than pure profit,” Fry says.

Fees for participating restaurants are much lower than on larger delivery apps, ranging from 5 to 15%. Another focus?

Taking a human-first approach.

“People are recognizing that we’re approaching the business as an actual hospitality business,” Fry adds. “We have real people doing support.”

And on the administrative side, the company’s couriers are paid a living wage and receive set hours, as well as a full range of benefits.

Although the platform doesn’t have the same level of capital as some of its larger national counterparts, DC To-GoGo continues to grow and evolve.

Fry notes, “We certainly have the passion [and] motivation to help the restaurants, because at the end of the day, we’re all D.C. residents. The more jobs you keep in D.C. [and] the more work you keep in D.C., the better D.C. is going to get.”

Joselito is a recent addition to the platform, and in the few short weeks since joining, Candon says DC To-GoGo has been the top source for the restaurant’s takeout business. He appreciates the professionalism from hospitality veterans who “know exactly how it works.” He’s noticed couriers picking up and delivering meals efficiently, and he’s also heard great feedback from customers.

Motown Square Pizza also signed on as a restaurant partner in recent weeks, and so far, the experience has been extremely positive.

“I know that I can just hand it off and everything’s going to run pretty smoothly, which is what I ultimately care the most about:

working with another local business in D.C.,” Belay says. “If I have to pay DoorDash a certain amount, why wouldn’t I pay that to somebody who’s local and I know they’re going to do an amazing job?”

Jennifer Goff started Skip the Line in 2017 as a line-sitting service, but when the pandemic hit, she quickly added a new offering: custom pickup and delivery.

“It started as a way to help people get food they wanted or needed and then also help restaurants,” she says of Skip the Line’s natural progression into the food delivery business. “We can pick up and deliver from any restaurant. Then it just took off from there. It’s definitely evolved into something bigger.”

Goff estimates her team fulfilled around 700 delivery orders from April and May of last year – a huge volume considering those were the first two months she started offering the service. Business remains steady, with an average of 500 deliveries per month.

Time slots for deliveries can be booked on Skip the Line’s website, and pricing is determined by how far the delivery travels.

Prices may seem a little higher than the larger apps, but that’s because couriers receive fair, reliable wages and partnerships with restaurants are purely on a promotional basis.

Skip the Line does not charge a fee.

“They’re trying to juggle a whole new world of doing takeout, so we’re trying to make it as easy as possible for them to work with us,” Goff says of restaurant partnerships.

She makes it a point to keep in contact with restaurants during delivery hours to troubleshoot any issues that may arise.

“Something that is very unique to our business being local [is] we can keep those relationships and communication with the restaurants.”

And on the guest side, she and her team strive for the same level of customer service, providing real-time text updates on delivery status.

Rooster & Owl is one of Skip the Line’s current restaurant partners. Although the ordering process takes a few extra steps than inapp delivery ordering on larger platforms, Tang appreciates the reliability and most importantly, that the food arrives on time and warm for guests to enjoy.

Takeout in 2021 + Beyond Although many restaurants entered 2020 without offering takeout or delivery, it’s now become a lifeline and necessity for many. Joselito is currently open for indoor and outdoor dining, and Candon says the breakdown of business is about 50/50 between takeout and dine-in. If and when restaurants are back to full capacity, he says Joselito will still offer takeout – even if it’s a trimmed down list of menu offerings.

DC To-GoGo’s Adam Fry + Josh Saltzman. Photo by Rachel Fink.

What does the future of takeout look like for Rooster & Owl? “We will absolutely consider keeping takeaway and delivery options,” Tang says.

“We always want to provide the best experience for our guests, and that might look like a combination of dine-in and takeaway even after capacity limits are lifted.”

Although Fry believes takeout and delivery will still be a pivotal part of restaurant operations moving forward, he hopes restaurants will be able to take back some control as consumers become more aware of the challenges they face to sustain revenue from delivery.

“I think that restaurants are going to end up getting the upper hand. They will get a little bit more say in who they’re partnering with and how they are delivering their food.”

Learn more about these restaurants and delivery and takeout services via the websites and Instagram handles below.

DC To-GoGo: www.dctogogo.com // @dctogogo Ivy and Coney: www.ivyandconey.com // @ivyconey Joselito Casa De Comidas: www.joselitodc.com // @joselitohill Motown Square Pizza: www.motownsquaredc.com // @motownsquaredc Rooster & Owl: www.roosterowl.com // @roosterandowl Skip the Line: www.skipthelineus.com // @skipthelineus DISTRICT FRAY | 19

DRINK

OPEN-AIR DRINKING +

COCKTAIL DELIVERY

Local restaurants and bars react to the possible legalization of public drinking in designated commercial areas and alcohol delivery services.

WORDS BY AMANDA WEISBROD

The bar and restaurant industry across America has taken a hard hit due to pandemic restrictions during the past year, and D.C. and Maryland legislators have proposed solutions to lessen the blow.

In late January, Mayor Muriel Bowser introduced the Reopen Washington DC Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration Amendment Act of 2021 – legislation that would allow public drinking in designated commercial spaces. This bill takes guidance from Northern Virginia, as the area has offered specialized commercial lifestyle licenses for years and legalized public drinking last October in two Arlington locations: Shirlington Village and Pentagon Row. Mayor Bowser urged the Council of the District of Columbia to pass the bill in a press release published on March 3. She noted that 89% of local businesses operating a streatery overwhelmingly support the bill, according to two public surveys conducted by the District Department of Transportation and DC Office of Planning.

Putting this act into law would expand the District’s streatery program, which was enacted in June 2020 to expand outdoor dining within public space including sidewalks, parking lanes, alleys and public plazas. As of January 2021, 304 streatery permits have been issued within the District, according to the same press release.

“Our local business community has been resilient, but we know that to get through this pandemic and ultimately recover, we will also need to seize this opportunity to be bold and innovative,” said Mayor Bowser in the press release. “The streatery program has been one example of a lifeline that helped businesses operate safely, stay afloat [and] keep their employees on the payroll. We look forward to working with the Council to extend the streatery program, even after the public health emergency ends.”

The proposed provisions listed in the Reopen Washington act include establishing a commercial lifestyle license that allows patrons to walk around and consume alcohol purchased from on-premise establishments within predefined boundaries.

Todd Thrasher, founder of rum bar Tiki TNT, says he’s envisioned people relaxing outside at The Wharf with one of Tiki’s specialty cocktails in hand for years.

“I envisioned a front bar area, so people could get something to go and walk around The Wharf,” he says.

“For us, it will alleviate some issues with business.”

Since the pandemic hit, Tiki TNT’s dining space has reduced by nearly 75%, according to Thrasher, who adds that his 2020 profits are down by 85% compared to the previous year. His main focus is simply keeping the doors open.

“I wish [the legislation process] would happen faster,” he says. “If we could have another stream of revenue, that would be great for business. Where we’re located, people can grab a beer or a cocktail and sit down outside.”

In addition to The Wharf, other commercial areas in D.C. that may qualify for a public drinking license include the Georgetown waterfront and CityCenterDC. Serving as inspiration to the execution of public drinking in commercial areas are a few select locations in Northern Virginia, where enjoying beer and cocktails on the go is already allowed.

Todd Thrasher. Photo by Jonathan Thorpe.

Scott Shaw, a partner at Alexandria Restaurant Partners (ARP), says Shirlington is the perfect guide for the District to follow.

“If D.C.’s wondering what it might look like, here’s an example of how it got rolled out, what problems there were and how it was handled,” he says.

Shaw notes that while open-air drinking and takeout cocktails have boosted some sales for Palette 22, one of ARP’s members, it has particularly helped bring business back to Shirlington.

“The big impact is that it’s a boost for Shirlington Village and makes it more of a destination. We’d like to see it adopted elsewhere, so I’m glad Shirlington did it and proved that it could be executed and wellcontrolled.”

Businesses and municipalities can apply for commercial lifestyle center licenses, which, like the license proposed in D.C.’s bill, allow consumers to walk around the commercial center with alcoholic beverages – as long as they were bought from a business in the area and are in plastic cups branded by said business.

Meanwhile, in Maryland, legislation to legalize alcohol delivery services is making the rounds. The state passed a temporary executive order in mid-March last year, but local businesses and organizations like the Brewers Association of Maryland, the Maryland Wineries Association and the Maryland Distillers Guild are pushing to make it permanent.

One local business that supports the bill is Pennyroyal Station, an American comfort food destination in the heart of Mount Rainier. Co-founder Garrick Lumsden says Pennyroyal began offering cocktail delivery alongside takeout back when the measure was first put into place.

“Our team is all for it,” he says. “I don’t think it’s hurting anyone, and it definitely adds to the experience of getting takeout from restaurants because you can also now offer your specialty cocktails.”

Some of the popular specialty cocktails offered at Pennyroyal include the Green Goddess, a herb-based cocktail made with Brazilian rum, and the Black-Eyed Susan, a bourbon, vodka and orange liqueur fusion mixed with their own sour mix.

Lumsden adds that while the takeout has definitely helped Pennyroyal keep their doors open during pandemic restrictions, it will also require some flexibility on his part when things start to go back to semi-normal.

“We’re definitely for the takeout cocktails and foods, as we’re trying to adjust to the business models of having people back into the building,” he says. “We’re trying to figure out the happy medium between takeout and indoor dining.”

Check www.mayor.dc.gov, www.maryland.gov and www.virginia.gov for updates in the DMV, and learn more about Pennyroyal Station, Palette 22 and Tiki TNT below.

Palette 22: 4053 Campbell Ave. Arlington, VA; www.palette22.com // @palette22 Pennyroyal Station: 3310 Rhode Island Ave. Mt Rainier, MD; www.pennyroyalstation.com // @pennyroyalstation Tiki TNT: 1130 Maine Ave. SW, DC; www.tikitnt.com // @tiki_tnt

DISTRICT FRAY | 21

22 | MARCH 2021

FROM TOP. Pennyroyal Station’s Garrick Lumsden. Pennyroyal Station cocktail. Photos courtesy of restaurant.

How to Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day During a Pandemic Pro Tips from Guinness WORDS BY KEITH LORIA

Last St. Patrick’s Day came at the very beginning of the pandemic, and plenty of people still went out to local bars and parties to celebrate, not yet realizing the serious impact that Covid-19 would have on the world.

This year, March 17 will look much different for revelers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the Feast of St. Patrick. There are plenty of ways to have fun during an at-home celebration, or by being mindful of social distancing if going out.

Ryan Wagner, national ambassador at Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe, Maryland, which will be open for business on the holiday with social distancing measures in Photo courtesy of Guinness.

place, says people need to be measured in the way we celebrate in 2021.

“The way the last 12 months have gone, I think everyone is looking forward to celebrating something,” he says. “We’ve missed a lot of birthdays and the holidays were not what we were used to. St. Patrick’s Day is a return to warmer weather and allows us to be outside a little more, and so we are eager to celebrate with people in a responsible way.”

Since St. Patrick’s Day is always such a circle date on the calendar for beer fans, Guinness has thought of numerous ways for people to utilize its dark Irish stout during the festivities.

DISTRICT FRAY | 23

DRINK “Everyone has gotten used to being at home and thinking up new ways to celebrate with food, drink and family, whether that’s virtually or some other way, and Guinness is ready to be a big part of that this St. Patrick’s Day,” Wagner continues. “We are working hard to make sure their favorite Guinness beers are available at whatever local store they like to pick up their beer from, but we’re also creating videos and content to ensure people know how to pour the beer correctly and enjoy it the same way you would at your favorite pub.”

After all, there’s a certain ritual that comes with ordering a pint of Guinness at the bar, and most drinkers may have their favorite bartender who knows how to tell a good story and understands the joy of a perfect pour.

Until everyone can be back at the bars and pubs safely, the videos reflect Guinness as a beer that can be enjoyed in the comfort of one’s home – and learning the correct two-part pour is just the start of a great St. Paddy’s Day celebration.

“We wanted to share with people that there is a way to recreate that ritual at home,” Wagner says. “If you’re using Guinness draft in a can or bottle, securing the right glassware is important so you can enjoy the flavors in the way we intended you to.”

The taste of Guinness can be further incorporated into the celebration by utilizing it in certain food recipes, whether it’s a beef stew, chicken pot pie or even non-Irish dishes like fish and chips or other seafood items.

“Using beer in preparing food is a wonderful thing, but many people may not recognize why that’s the case,” Wagner adds.

“For me, I always think of it in terms of our iconic stouts, which are made primarily using Irish-roasted barley. That’s very similar to the process people would use to roast meat or coffee

beans. That creates an amazing taste and pairing.”

Some ideas for people who want to host a small gathering to celebrate the day include wearing green (of course), playing St. Paddy’s Day-themed games or planning an outside four-leaf clover hunt.

“There’s still a big portion of our population that is understandably hesitant or experiencing anxiety when it comes to celebrating, and we respect that,” Wagner says. “Popping into the brewery [for] a to-go order of food and beer helps support local bars, and that’s important as well. Your favorite bar may be ready to celebrate this year, but if you’re not, you can still be a part of the [fun] – even if you’re not there at the location.”

Thanks to Zoom and other virtual options, plus food delivery services aplenty, it’s easy for everyone to get their favorite food and beer – and still have fun together celebrating the luck of the Irish.

“Celebrate the fact that you can sit on your couch, have a beautifully poured Guinness and your favorite meal from your favorite pub, and enjoy it with friends and family from across the world,” Wagner says.

And remember, if you do go out to celebrate, wear a mask, adhere to socially distant measures and be on the lookout for leprechauns.

Visit www.guinnessbrewerybaltimore.com and follow @guinnessbreweryus on Instagram for more ideas and to plan a visit.

Guinness Open Gate Brewery: 5001 Washington Blvd. Halethorpe, MD; 443-575-6893; www.guinnessbrewerybaltimore.com

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MUSIC

PUNK LEGENDS THE GO-GO’S TALK FOUR DECADES OF SISTERHOOD, RESILIENCE + ZERO FUCKS GIVEN WORDS BY MONICA ALFORD

I’m not sure there’s anything more punk rock than unintentionally becoming the first and only all-women band ever to write their own songs and play their own instruments on a No. 1 album.

“We just happened to be five girls in a band together,” says The Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock. “Jane, how about you? Did you even think about it?

Because I didn’t.”

“I didn’t think about it either,” replies the band’s rhythm guitarist Jane Wiedlin. “I think that is because we started in the punk scene, and the main thing about the punk scene is all the old rules are dead. Everyone can do what they want and everyone can be who they are, which for us was gender.”

As I chat with Wiedlin and Schock one afternoon in late February, I feel like I’ve been given 30 minutes in the inner circle of this iconic rock ‘n’ roll sisterhood. The musicians speak with a candor and closeness that only two people who’ve collaborated for 40 years can have. In that short span of time, I’m privy to their inside jokes about bandmates having brief but “elicit” romances and their insight into why they’ve succeeded as a band – and how they do not envy women breaking into the industry today.

And even though this level of intimacy is a dream for a music nerd like me, I kind of felt like I already knew them. Six months ago, I curled up on the couch with my family and 26 | MARCH 2021

watched their 2020 documentary, “The Go-Go’s,” which has since won the 2020 Critics Choice Award for Best Music Documentary.

The film chronicles the band’s punk rock roots, multiple iterations of lineups in the early years, commercial success in the early ’80s with their albums “Beauty and the Beat” (1981), “Vacation” (1982) and “Talk Show” (1984), and more. It’s also full of more vulnerable moments, like how the band stuck together over the years, especially when their live sound remained raw while their recorded sound became more polished and pop-infused.

There are plenty of short stories for pop culture geeks, too – chief among them, the band’s first international tour with ska icons The Specials and Madness, where UK audiences were less than pleased to see a stage full of young female musicians and reacted aggressively, and sometimes violently.

It should come as no surprise that the band remained unfazed, and had already built such a tight-knit bond with their touring mates that no one in the audience could really fuck with them.

FIRST PAGE. The Go-Go’s (L to R front) Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey. (L to R back) Gina Schock, Alison Ellwood, Jane Wiedlin, Kathy Valentine. Photo by Emily Assiran/Getty Images.

MUSIC Wiedlin was dubious of the documentary at first, and it wasn’t until she watched it with a full audience at Sundance Film Festival that her mind was changed.

“I didn’t have that crazy reaction until I saw it with other people,” she says, “and I realized it was something really special, really truthful. So much of what’s in that documentary, almost no one knew about.”

Schock steps in to finish her bandmate’s thought, noting how emotional the audience was.

“That was something to experience,” she says, “to think you have meant that much to people, and now you get to see an insider view of it.”

Wiedlin adds, “The reaction reminded me of the ’80s when girls would come see us and cry and scream, and it would almost feel like Beatlemania or something. I mean, it was really off the hook. I forgot about that because it’s been so long. So, when it was happening at Sundance, and it was grown women in their 40s and 50s, I was like, ‘Wow, we still are making an impact.’”

The documentary isn’t the only way the band has remained relevant four decades into their career. While best known for hits like “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “We Got The Beat” and “Vacation” from their early days, they also recorded the album “God Bless the GoGo’s” in 2001, with a 20th anniversary edition available on May 14.

The band released their first song in 19 years last summer, “Club Zero.” An ode to not putting up with “this whole boys’ club anymore,” according to Wiedlin, the song includes timely lyrics like: “Fair’s fair, don’t care / They may have control / But we’re not scared / Zero fucks given.”

And now, in 2021, The Go-Go’s have been nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This felt a little shocking to me, given their iconic status both in punk rock history and in the world of female rock ‘n’ rollers who’ve paved the way. But then again, it’s often the bands who remain authentic and don’t worry about accolades who are recognized later in their careers than they should be.

“We didn’t really have a strong consciousness about it at the time,” Wiedlin says, reflecting on their current status as the only all-female band to play every instrument and write every song.

“I think it was only in hindsight that we started going, ‘Wow, it’s crazy what we did.’ And the more time goes on, the crazier it is, because no one’s done it since.”

The Go-Go’s are scrappy, and I get the sense speaking with Wiedlin and Schock that this has not changed one bit over the years.

“Being part of the whole punk scene, we were fighters,” Schock says of their struggle to get a record deal at the beginning of the band’s career. “We were ready for anything. When we were getting rejected by all the record labels, we were just like, ‘Screw you.

We’re going to keep doing this. And you know what? Somebody is going to catch on to this. Somebody’s going to want to sign us.’

But we never thought about giving up. We just didn’t. It wasn’t an option for us.”

Wiedlin notes that right before they got signed, her dad sat her down and said, “We’re really proud of you for following your dreams but you’ve been working on this for three years and you’ve gotten nowhere, so I think it’s time to get a real job.”

Naturally, she ignored him.

“Jane, you are part of the girl gang,” Schock teases. “You would have never been let out. You would be murdered before you’d be let out of the gang.”

The friends chuckle, and I ask the question I’ve been wanting to ask all along: How is it they’ve stayed together for 40 years, and are still tight? What magic chemistry do they have to keep

their lineup, and their desire to collaborate, intact?

“There are almost no bands who have stayed together as long as we have,” Wiedlin notes, “even though our fighting was legendary. [It’s] really cliché, but there’s this idea that women are more in touch with their emotions. Maybe that worked to our advantage, even though it was painful at the time, because we were able to express things and get more off of our chests. When you’re together this long, you can’t help but start understanding how important and unique each member of the band is, and what they bring to the band.”

Schock describes the band as a family, crediting their resilience and improved communication over the years with their ability to remain rock solid.

“The key is communication,” she says, “and perhaps the fact that we are women, and we are more emotional about things. We fight hard, but we make up just as hard.”

Wiedlin adds, “Other than our blood relatives, there’s no longer relationship any of us have had than the band.”

When asked what advice they’d give to young women in the music industry trying to find their footing, Wiedlin says to set your sights beyond just being a female singer who has “a factory of people writing your songs and a factory of musicians recording your music.”

“We all feel it is way more fulfilling when you can actually play an instrument and express yourself by writing your own songs,” she says. “The amount of control other people seem to exert over girls’ and women’s musical careers is really intense. For us, having had all control [and] never getting pressured by anyone to do anything, it’s kind of hard to see that – especially because it’s been almost 40 years since we got successful.”

Schock is quick to reply, saying, “The thing to remember, Jane, is there were five of us. We could rely on each other. When you’re an artist, not a band, coming up through the ranks, it is a lot more difficult. We did have that advantage of being able to rely on each other and get strength from each other. You better have the best team around you who isn’t going to screw you. Follow your instinct, man. Follow your gut.”

While I’m pining for the days when The Go-Go’s will grace D.C. venues once again (Ed. Note: Both Wiedlin and Schock say the 9:30 Club is one of the few venues nationally they always remember with great fondness, including a visceral memory of how quickly our city’s alley rats can devour a whole pizza), there’s lots of ways to stay connected to this band of bad-asses in the meantime.

Vote for their spot in the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at http://vote.rockhall.com, watch “The Go-Go’s” documentary via two-disc set or download and streaming services, check out the official video for “Club Zero” at www.thegogos.lnk.to/ clubzerovideo, and stay tuned for the 20th anniversary edition of “God Bless the Go-Go’s” on May 14.

And keep your eyes peeled this October for Shock’s upcoming book “Made in Hollywood,” a collection of photos taken by the drummer over the years of The Go-Go’s “totally being themselves backstage, on the bus, having adventures, pulling pranks on anyone and everyone,” Wiedlin gushes of her bandmate’s project.

Learn more about The Go-Go’s at www.gogos.com. Follow them on Instagram @officialgogos, and follow Wiedlin and Schock on Instagram @janewiedlin and @realginaschock, respectively.

SECOND PAGE (fom top). The Go-Go’s (L to R) Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine, Jane Wiedlin, Gina Schock, Belinda Carlisle.

The Go-Go’s (L to R) Kathy Valentine, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, Belinda Carlisle. Photos by Vicki Berndt.

DISTRICT FRAY | 27

Venues Reflect on a Year Without Live Music

A

WORDS BY M.K. KOSZYCKI

round this time last year, waves of live event cancellations began to crash throughout D.C. Even as nonessential businesses like music venues shut down and many events were rescheduled, we collectively held our breath for the pandemic to be a blip on our radar so we could get back to concerts, comedy shows and other live gatherings as soon as possible.

Recognizing the impact that even a small amount of time closed could have on the live music and entertainment industries, stakeholders were quick to form the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) within days of the advent of the pandemic’s hold on regular life. The shutdown turned from weeks to months, and NIVA remained active in trying to pass the Save Our Stages Act (now the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant). In December, it looked as though there was a light at the end of the tunnel – the newly named SVOG was passed as part of a $900 billion Covid-19 relief package.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) will be administering the funds through an application that will become available in April. And just this week, a new relief package tacked on $1.25 billion to the SVOG, and an amendment to the original package that now allows venue owners to apply for access to money available through the SVOG in addition to a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. As it stood in December, venues were ineligible to apply for both.

Though there have been positive developments, venues are still struggling. This leaves many venue owners in a still complicated holding pattern dependent on funding, unclear reopening stipulations and more. Dante Ferrando, owner of the Black Cat, notes frustration with the lack of communication as to if and when he’ll be able to open his doors.

“It’s possible we will be closed all through summer, and then be full capacity in October or November. [The city] should be able to tell us, ‘Hey, we’re going to ease you back in and we don’t know when it’s going to start, but it’s going to look something like this. It’s going to be quarter capacity or it’s going to be per square foot.’ So far, it’s been very clear they’re not going to treat us anything like restaurants or anything like that. We’re just screwed. No two ways about it.”

Ferrando notes that an upside was receiving money through the District’s Entertainment Bridge Fund, which provided $29.5 million in funding to both venues and businesses that heavily rely on live events as part of their programming. However, he says it will be eaten up almost immediately just to cover rent costs, and hopes the venue will be looking toward better days when the SVOG money comes through.

28 | MARCH 2021

“That’s actually a substantial amount of money,” Ferrando continues, “and that would allow us to do something. Now, what I don’t know is what we’ll be allowed to do.”

In the meantime, Ferrando and team are hosting livestreams when it makes sense for them, including his band The Owners, which includes his wife and co-owner Catherine Ferrando, Al Budd of The Shirks, and Laura Harris of Ex Hex and The Aquarium. The four-piece band is releasing a demo and will be playing a show that’s available to livestream for free via YouTube at 8 p.m. on March 12.

They also saw some community support through a partnership with Vans, who sold merch featuring the name and a logo of the venue, and through sales of staff-designed merch available on their site. Quarantine has also given the venue time to complete renovations to the space. Ferrando looks forward to patrons experiencing the renovations when they reopen.

At The Wharf’s Pearl Street Warehouse, co-owner Nick Fontana expresses similar frustrations around the lack of guidance in recent

L TO R. The Owners’ Dante Ferrando, Laura Harris, Al Budd + Catherine Ferrando. Photos courtesy of Dante Ferrando.

MUSIC months. Pearl Street also received money from the Bridge Fund, but notes it was just enough to enable the venue to keep staff employed and didn’t necessarily allow them the resources to do anything that would turn a profit. Despite having a kitchen and two bars, the overhead of quarantine-level operations was too high in colder, slower months and the venue temporarily closed for the season in mid-December.

“When the weather was nice and the outdoor patio was doing okay, [we did the] mayor’s pilot music program, which was kind of a dog and pony show,” Fontana explains. “[Patrons were] 30 feet from the stage, which only gave us 26 seats [to fill]. It was kind of ridiculous.”

He says it was hard to say no to, but with 26 people inside, you couldn’t pay for the sound guy and give the band a couple hundred bucks. Once that program ended and winter came, they decided it made more sense to pause operations for the time being.

“So we closed. We were just losing too much money again, and burning cash we need to get reopened.”

Fontana and his team are currently trying to gauge whether or not opening mid-month to welcome patrons as just a bar and restaurant is both feasible and profitable for their business.

Until then, he’s grateful for community support, such as those who have purchased gift cards over the past year, and for Pearl Street’s recent Wammie nomination for Best Live Music Venue. While Pearl Street, alongside most venues, will have to reconfigure the way things are run once reopening is a reality, they’re hopeful they can provide a space to pick back up on live shows as well as events and weddings that once packed the space.

“We think there’s going to be a bunch of bands who want to play, and people are going to want to get out,” he says. “There should be lots of talent and even bigger names that can’t play large venues. So that may be in our wheelhouse: [getting] some bigger names that maybe can’t play one night to 3,000 people, but could do three nights of 250 people.”

Blues Alley is also looking at how the world will be different upon reopening, mainly as they try to find a new location after the iconic venue spent over 50 years in its Georgetown space.

While they navigate this change in addition to the overall complications of the pandemic, Harry Schnipper, Blues Alley’s executive director, says they are alive and well.

All things considered, they’ve had a busy year keeping locals connected to their programming and mission despite the inability to be in person. Blues Alley kicked off its Monday Night Jazz series at the National Press Club last November, available to livestream each week. They’ve partnered with the Japanese Embassy to virtually present their Japanese Jazz series as part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, among other virtual events and happenings keeping their calendar packed.

“We’re pretty much the gold standard in the industry in terms of our ability to provide entertainment,” Schnipper says. “I often say to people that Blues Alley produces, promotes or presents at least one artist or event every day, and we have every expectation that we are going to continue to do hybrid performances for the foreseeable future.”

Schnipper notes a positive that came out of the pandemic was their world expanded – through virtual programming, Blues Alley opened up to national and global audiences, expanding their reach even before things begin to reopen.

Similarly, Songbyrd Music House and Record Cafe has expanded

their orbit greatly over the course of the pandemic, both virtually and in-person. In November, their team opened Byrdland Records in Union Market, selling vinyl and music accessories, and maintaining a steady stream of virtual shows. Songbyrd also received Bridge Funds from the city, allowing them a lifeline while awaiting SVOG funds and other changes.

Additionally, through a partnership with local band Rosie Cima & What She Dreamed, Songbyrd is ensuring that local artists playing livestreams are able to be paid for their participation through their joint Gig Guarantee fund. The venue plans to utilize their mobile concert space, a 1978 Chevy C10 called the Byrdmobile, when the weather warms up.

Owner Joe Lapan says while times have been tough, the sense of community they’ve forged and advocacy he and his team engaged in has been positive, and something they hope to continue as things reopen.

“We very much participate in the advocacy conversations around all the issues facing the D.C. music scene and small business generally,” Lapan says. “We participated in the judging process for this year’s virtual Wammie Awards. We love our music community and always want to be there to lend ourselves to sustaining and furthering it.”

Lapan says he looks forward to reopening and notes that they intend to be fully compliant with any guidelines put forth for safe reopening, and that the next month will be telling in terms of vaccinations, changes to gathering guidelines and monetary rollouts via the SVOG. In the meantime, tangible support is felt through purchases from Byrdland and tuning into livestreams.

While challenges and measures of support for venues looks different on a granular level, most venues are in need of tangible support. While the SVOG, opening of PPP loans to venues and Bridge Funds all add up to make a difference, NIVA is also doing what they can to keep beloved independent venues going at this one-year mark. Audrey Fix Schaefer, director of communications for NIVA and communications director for IMP, discusses a few ways you can support your favorite venue while waiting to support them safely in the future.

“Look at your favorite venue’s website and see if there’s a place to donate, or buy a gift card or merchandise,” Fix Schaefer says.

“Nationally, NIVA has an Emergency Relief Fund, and we’ve been raising money to help venues that are at the greatest risk of going under while they wait for the federal relief. So far, we’ve been able to help about 180 venues across the country, but the need is still so great.”

For more on NIVA, the SVOG grant and the Emergency Relief Fund, visit www.nivassoc.org and follow @nivassoc on Twitter and Instagram.

Venue events, news and ways to support can be found below.

Black Cat: 1811 14th St. NW, DC; www.blackcatdc.com // @blackcatdc Blues Alley: 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, DC; www.bluesalley.com // @bluesalleydc Byrdland Records: 1264 5th St. NE, DC; www.byrdlandrecords.com // @byrdlandrecords Pearl Street Warehouse: 33 Pearl St. SW, DC; www.pearlstreetwarehouse.com // @pearlstreetlive Songbyrd Record House + Music Cafe: 2475 18th St. NW, DC; www.songbyrddc.com // @songbyrddc DISTRICT FRAY | 29

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Year of the Scorpio MUSIC

Inside Alli Vega’s Room, Year + Process WORDS BY TRENT JOHNSON | PHOTOS BY KIMCHI PHOTOGRAPHY

DISTRICT FRAY | 31

A

MUSIC

lli Vega’s Zoom window depicts that of an artist: a floating head belonging to a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, surrounded by “quarantine plants.” A lone pot faces a window, absorbing direct rays, while others sit neatly on a hovering wooden shelf just above her bed in the background. Next to the succulents on the right side of the room hangs a number 34 Boston Celtics jersey, celebrating the now-retired basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce. She’s from the Boston suburbs. This spot on the wall is reserved for whichever team is in season, from the Bruins to the Patriots to the Celtics.

“It’s so funny because I was looking around right before I signed on and thought, ‘Ah, that Celtics jersey is kind of prominent. Eh, it’s fine.’ The irony of it is, I’m way more of a Pats fan. But I grew up in Boston, so I’m a blanket Boston sports fan.”

Vega goes on to describe Boston sports fans’ bittersweet relationship with former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, a man who is by all accounts the greatest football player ever but once displayed a MAGA hat in his locker.

“All my Patriot-hating friends are like, ‘You know he’s a Trump supporter,’” Vega says, noting she does not share his political leanings. “I think a lot of Boston turns a blind eye to the fact that he’s said a bunch of pro-Trump things.”

Her room is more than a shrine to her favorite sports stars, past and present, and more than a nursery for her newfound leafy green friends. The space in Northwest D.C. is the video game sanctuary where she’s logged an innumerable amount of hours playing Pokémon and Zelda, and a recording studio where Vega finetunes all the musical elements of her life.

She’s likely best known for her role in the D.C. band Lavender, for which she plays bass and guitar, writes music, and assists with lyrics. However, starting in late 2018, Vega embarked on a two-year journey inward via her solo project Scorpio. In March 2019, she released the EP “Afterthought.” The Facebook party held in its honor dubbed the record “bedroom and surf pop played with the sensibility of an Adidas lesbian.”

“One of my exes actually came up with the Adidas lesbian thing because I’m not butch but I’m not a femme, and usually the in-between of that is this charming term of endearment called a futch,” Vega says. “I was like, ‘I wish there was another word. Like, all I do is wear Adidas.”

Aside from her Adidas collection, Vega says the description is outdated, a relic of an EP she once tried to bury on the Internet.

“I don’t feel like I play surf rock anymore. Genres, for me, are painful and like pulling teeth. I play guitar. It sounds kind of indie-rockish. I use a synthesizer sometimes. Listen, someone else can classify my music for me. I can tell you it’s in the rock sphere, but I can’t tell you what.”

The sound is as she describes: indie rock with DIY origins all recorded at her desk, the same place where she thumbs through books on music theory, lyric writing and other titles poached from Berklee College of Music syllabi. As her sensibilities evolved following “Afterthought,” one goal she’s embraced since the onset of the global pandemic is unsheathing her voice.

“I was trying to hide my voice a lot [on ‘Afterthought’]. I was adding this radio effect [with] a ton of reverb and delay, and I was trying to completely wash out my voice because I struggle a lot with hearing my own voice in recordings. I still do and 32 | MARCH 2021

probably will until the end of time.”

Vega is a tenor. Her mom claims she “stole it,” mimicking an exchange between Bradley Cooper and Sam Elliott’s characters in Hollywood’s latest lazy rehash of the familiar “A Star is Born” story.

“I’m aware that I have an interesting voice,” she says with a natural assuredness. “When I was submitting to different blogs, someone was like, ‘Nice male vocals.’ I was like, ‘Oh.’ I’ve learned to accept it. I’ve learned to appreciate it. A lot of what I learned performing live and writing music [solo] is about confidence.

Even if you don’t necessarily have that confidence, just outwardly project the image of confidence.”

On her latest single “I Was Waiting for You to Call,” which is accompanied by a sweet video that deftly melds homages to John Hughes flicks and the tonal lighting of HBO’s “Euphoria,” Vega’s voice is unfettered from the technological weights she applied two years ago. The song is honest, too, recounting a fading honeymoon period of a lost long-distance relationship. Despite its realistic observations of a rocky romance, the song’s sound is weightless and hopeful – a dichotomy and perfect encapsulation of her 2020.

“I lost my biggest hobby, my job fell out from underneath me, my grandfather died, I got broken up with – it was just over and over again,” she says. “It was a very dark place for me for a bit.

The connective tie for all [my upcoming music] is finding ways to deal with depression and loss of normalcy, and how to pick yourself up and keep going and start again. A lot of that revolves around the breakup I had. It’s very hard to get over a breakup when you’re sitting in your house all day, which has been great,” she says sarcastically.

In theory, an amount of time unbound by traditional workdays is ideal, but Vega’s experience didn’t line up with those expectations. Rather, she found it challenging to put pen to paper in terms of creative expression and instead sought solace in technique.

“On a personal level, it’s been rough,” she says matter-of-factly.

“On an artistic level, it’s been hard because there’s a lot of pressure.

Everyone’s like, ‘Write music. Work on your art. Hone your craft.

You have all this time now.’ Yeah, I do. I just don’t feel inclined to do it because I’m not living new life experiences.”

Remember those book lists stolen from poor college professors, not to be named?

“I’ve been using this last year to improve technical aspects. I’ve learned to use Ableton [Live] and how synths work more in-depth.

I’m working on music and guitar theory – technical things that will help me in the future. They don’t require me to be my most creative self. When I try to approach a creative space, a lot of the time it’s hard because I’m coming to a blank. We have about 4 billion songs about my dog, Bowie. I adopted her in June. She’s very cute.”

Vega contrasts her current method to the rushed-to-completion “Afterthought,” a product of a “pressure makes diamond” approach mastered in her collaborative sessions with Lavender bandmates. Now, she embraces time, referencing a particular song she’s constantly tinkering with.

“Music comes so naturally to me,” Vega says of her creative process. “I can hear a finished song in my head when I have an idea. When I’m playing a song on guitar or synth, I can hear it all in my head. Lyrics are so much more difficult for me. It’s so hard for me because of imposter syndrome and because I have much less practice. I get so frustrated with myself. I’ve been sitting on a song that I really, really like for six months. I have a chorus, but I can’t come up with verses.”

Because of this George R.R. Martin-esque (okay, perhaps not that bad) writing pace, Vega’s plan for the remainder of 2021 is a steady trickle of singles with a thematic connection to “I Was Waiting for You to Call.”

“I want to take my time individually with each song and release them when I’m ready. I’m probably going to release my next song in April.

And then, hopefully, [more] every six weeks from then on out, with hopes for an EP in late 2021 or early 2022.”

In the meantime, with vaccinations more readily available and societal antibodies providing a hypothetical foundation for a semblance of eventual normalcy, Vega, like most musicians, is looking forward to a safe return to live settings.

“It’s been hard,” she says.

“I’m in a fortunate position because I’m the talent buyer for DC9 Nightclub, [but] it’s also been hard in a professional world. The thing that’s been keeping me sane is we’ve been doing live streams. I help coordinate and film them and put them up on YouTube. I’ve done a few for my friends and myself.

We did a Lavender Halloween one. The experience of playing a live stream is so bizarre because you know people are watching, but there’s nothing to feed off of. You miss that crowd response or reaction.

It’s weird. I think weird is the best word [for] it.”

When people finally return to form lines at venues, that’ll feel weird, too. Scenes of people jammed next to each other like sardines in a tin can trying to squeeze between doors to their favorite bars and venues will feel scripted, like scenarios ripped from black-and-white episodes of the “Twilight Zone” after what we’ve experienced in 2020.

Vega is ready. Despite the buzz of her singles and videos, and Scorpio and Lavender, she is most eager to get back to work away from her desk – to recruit

bands for gigs and play some herself. She wants to connect with people in person, away from quarantine plants and beyond the Boston sports jersey du jour, even if she forgets right after.

“I’ve played 9:30 Club twice in my life,” she says, revisiting the seems-like-forever-ago live show days. “The first time, I broke a string. The most recent time, last March, my drummer punched through his bass drum. So, I talked for like 10 minutes straight, and I have no idea what I talked about. I don’t have an alter ego. I have a defense mechanism.”

To keep up with Vega and her solo project Scorpio, follow her on Instagram @scorpio.mp3.

To learn more about Lavender, follow the band on Instagram @lavenderbanddc. Listen to both at www.soundcloud.com/dc-scorpio and www.soundcloud.com/lavenderdc.

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WORDS BY COLLEEN KENNEDY | PHOTOS BY RICH KESSLER PHOTOGRAPHY

On a recent warm and sunny Saturday afternoon, the streets were lively with springtime activity near the new street-view gallery Plain Sight on Georgia Avenue in Northwest D.C. Tempting aromas wafted outside of the restaurants in Park View and each beer garden and patio competitively blasted its speakers. Someone made a left on a red light and horns blared.

Except for the masked pedestrians, everything felt back to normal for just a few minutes.

A patron leaving St. Vincent Wine next door stopped for a minute to observe the current exhibit “The Revolution Will be Digitized” by D.C.-based artist Halim A. Flowers, nodded after silently reading a few lines of the excerpted poem scrawled on the gallery wall and continued on his way. A few minutes later, two women in their 20s stopped by. This seemed to be an afternoon destination for them. One woman scanned the window’s QR code with her phone while her friend walked to the side window to read the didactic label about the exhibit.

In another minute, a couple walking a pug mix saw the two women enjoying the exhibit. I overheard their exchange about the newness of this space as they walked past.

“The name ‘Plain Sight’ is an encapsulation of some of our goals,” explains Teddy Rodger, Plain Sight’s co-founder and co-curator, along with Allison Nance. “We wanted it to be that the art was accessible, that there were no barriers – especially in this time when it’s harder to even see many of the free opportunities that are in this city. When we started to dream of this, we thought of ways of making this easier for people to see.”

Everything about Plain Sight has been designed deliberately for radical accessibility and with the residents of Park View in mind. In this time of social distancing and anxieties about being indoors with others, the installations are visible from bustling Georgia Avenue. Admission fees and gallery hours, often barriers for many potential gallery visitors, are nonissues. There is no entry and therefore no entry fee, and the exhibits are visible at all hours. After dark, the gallery window is resplendent, professional lighting illuminating the art against the dark walls.

The monthly rotations allow enough time to plan a visit, while also changing frequently enough to remain novel and fresh for the residents who walk by daily on their way to work, running errands or getting to the Metro. The abbreviated labels are visible from the north-facing window, but one can appreciate the exhibits without reading more.

“We don’t want anyone to feel they need to be prepared to engage with the arts,” Rodger says. “We’ve spent our careers trying to make warm and welcoming environments where it’s easier for our visitors to ask questions rather than receive a download of information that suddenly readies them to engage with the artwork.”

The gallery is the site of new opportunities when we all have resigned ourselves to a year of postponements, cancellations and closures, and offers a bright promise for the future of equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusion in the local arts scene.

Of Endings + New Beginnings In June 2020, Nance drove from her home in Alexandria, Virginia to meet her friend and former coworker, Rodger, in Park View. They previously worked together at IA&A at Hillyer, a renowned international artist-focused program and exhibit space in the Dupont neighborhood where Nance served as director for seven years. Since March, they had spent several

months postponing and eventually canceling installations, breaking the bad news to both local and international artists, and eventually both of these well-respected arts leaders lost their positions.

Walking together along Georgia Avenue, the underused office space of nearby Sonny’s Pizza offered a fresh spark of inspiration. Nance recalled several international street-view galleries, including a Roman gallery she previously worked with through a DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) Sister Cities Grant awarded to IA&A Hillyer.

“Una Ventrina showcases super contemporary art in an old building,” Nance notes, “and Fentster in Toronto is in a traditional Jewish community and highlights that with related programming.”

Rodger adds, “We would be remiss not to acknowledge that Transformer [a Logan Circle-based gallery] has an incredible street-view, front gallery window. We’ve been following them for years, and we’ve been thinking about other spaces that use the front window to share exhibitions.”

With a quickly approaching July deadline, Rodger and Nance applied for two grants from the DC CAH. They were awarded to Rodger, who lives in Park View. The pair selected their artists and alternates, created a timeline, and reached out to civic associations, neighborhood businesses and Park View’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission. They even contacted Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau to inform her of their plans to open a new gallery.

“We started this because we lost our jobs, but we wanted to continue to support the arts community,” says Nance, who has since become managing director of The Nicholson Project, a community and artist residency program in Southeast D.C. “We felt we would do the project no matter what.”

Because of the Public Art Building Communities grant they received, Nance and Rodger were able to hire design consultant Le Whit and contractors SoCo Contracting to transform the space. They repainted the facade charcoal, installed new drywall and lighting in the white box gallery framed by an 11.5-foot-wide window, and, most importantly, paid the artists.

“We are both passionately in love with artists in general, and especially these artists,” Rodger says. “We picked people we were really fans of. We needed artists who would roll the dice with us and still take the ride, even if we didn’t get the grant.”

Plain Sight, which opened with Flowers’ current exhibit in January, has monthly exhibits planned throughout September.

Nance and Rodger selected works they felt would resonate the most with their Park View neighbors, and all of the artists currently live in D.C. or Baltimore. Ubiquitous poster artist and Park View resident Absurdly Well has created works on paper to cover the windows during the dismantling and load-ins between exhibits.

Nance and Rodger wanted to do right by artists with whom they already had strong working relationships, or artists they were excited to work with before the pandemic but never had the chance. Flowers and Baltimore-based Lee Nowell-Wilson were both slated for upcoming exhibitions at IA&A Hillyer but did not have an opportunity for their work to be shown.

Nara Park, another D.C.-based artist, did an artist talk for IA&A Hillyer, and Baltimore resident Ada Pinkston previously presented there and expressed her excitement in working with them again.

“It was amazing to work with Allison and Teddy,” Pinkston says. “They are supportive, encouraging and make sure that artists have everything they need to present their best work.”

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36 | MARCH 2021

Plain Sight’s Teddy Rodger + Allison Nance.

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“The Revolution Will Be Digitized” Plain Sight’s inaugural exhibit, Flowers’ multimedia project “The Revolution Will Be Digitized,” is a vivid abstract painting (40” x 40” acrylic and oil stick on canvas) stating the title while excerpts from his poem of the same name are painted nearby. A QR code allows visitors to listen to his poem, a blistering critique against contemporary politics, capitalism and institutionalized racism set to a jazzy score.

The project was a collaborative effort between Flowers as artist and poet; his wife L. Patrice McKinney, who painted the background of the painting; curatorial assistant and local artist Alanna Reeves, who painted over the poem’s lettering; and Tone P, who produced the spoken-word track. Flowers turned to the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent nationwide Black Lives Matters protest to update Gil Scott Heron’s classic protest poem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” for the 21st century.

The self-taught Flowers, who has demonstrated his capacity and range as a poet, photographer and prison reformer, began with photo-poem works. After the pandemic hit, he began painting in March 2020 and has produced 52 paintings during the last 11 months. Flowers’ references and allusions in his poetry and paintings are myriad and encyclopedic.

Underpinning all of his work is the essence of love: from the revered paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat to the music of Jay-Z and John Coltrane to Martin Scorsese’s films to scientific terms from the worlds of geometry, algebra and physics.

“It will make viewers laugh and it will make them think,” Flowers says about his exhibition piece. “As human beings, we are very creative in not loving one another and treating each other as less than. I believe the revolution is love. If people aren’t equipped to love themselves, they cannot love anyone else. My art is a brutal truth of a reconciliation process but is always meant to inspire love. My journey as an artist is perfecting the manifestation of that intention [by] becoming more efficient in expressing in visual art that the dynamics of love [are not] fettered by race, class, gender, creed or sexuality.”

“The Revolution Will be Digitized” remains on view until March 7.

Current and upcoming exhibits include the group exhibit “Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration” at MoMA PS1 in New York (closing April 4), as well as at National Arts Club in New York City and Stella Jones Gallery in New Orleans.

Looking Ahead for Plain Sight + Other D.C. Galleries Rodger and Nance plan to launch a second program series called “Sightings” this spring, funded with a projects, events or festivals grant from the DC CAH. The grant will allow for socially distanced or contactfree opportunities to engage with Plain Sight’s artists, including additional digital programming.

“There is only so much space, so we had to be creative in what information to share,” Nance says. “But there’s always more on Instagram [@plainsightdc] and our website. They all work together in tandem.”

Even after museums reopen, Nance and Rodger see a brilliant future for Plain Sight – from expanding to multiple venues throughout the District to collaborating with other institutions to highlight artists. They have also been approached by several embassies to exhibit the works of artists from around the world.

Of a shift to wider viewership, Nowell-Wilson says, “I do see many blessings from online exhibitions and virtual art life, so I hope galleries and museums continue to thrive in that way as it brings visibility to many more artists.”

Pinkston hopes “museums and galleries will think more deeply about being socially responsible and more inclusive of BIPOC.” Halim A. Flowers.

What’s Next on View at Plain Sight?

Absurdly Well

March 8-16 + 14-22, July 18-26, September 22-30

Between exhibits, the pervasive socially conscious art of D.C.-based Absurdly Well will be on display. portraits and stenciled taglines on brown craft paper, Absurdly Well’s works are brief, bold challenges to the status quo and a celebration of Black leaders seen throughout D.C. Follow Absurdly Well on Instagram @absurdlywell and learn more at www.absurdlywell.com.

“I Live”

March 17 - May 13

D.C.-based artist Nara Park will have three wall-based pieces and one sculptural piece displayed from March 17 to May 13 at Plain Sight.

She says her works will “explore the relationship between humans and the landscape, monumentality and what imprints we leave behind.”

Park’s faux stone pieces resemble headstones, with scribbles replacing engraved legible epitaphs and an unmoving stone clock carved from Styrofoam.

Learn more about Park at www.naraparkstudio.com and follow her on Instagram @nara__park.

“Spilled Milk” May 23 - July 17

This exhibit from Baltimore-based artist Lee Nowell-Wilson will revolve around investigating the ambivalent undertones within birth, domestic labor and human relationship.

“Most of my work revolves around these themes, and I try to execute this in an ironic way by using mundane objects (blankets, pillows, toys, etc.) to express complex human tendencies and emotion,” she says. “I like unfolding the tension between what feels comfortable and what feels aggressive, so viewers can expect an invitation into that vulnerable walk.”

Learn more about Nowell-Wilson at www.leenowellwilson.com and follow her on Instagram @leenowellwilson.

“Speaking to Windows” July 27 - September 21

This digital video and soundscape from Baltimore-based artist Ada Pinkston considers the past, present and future of Georgia Avenue using archival images, street sounds and conversations with contemporary residents of the neighborhood.

“When [people] visit my exhibit, I hope they are able to see the ways the installation bends time,” she says. “In particular, I would like for the audience to consider the past, present and future of this storefront.”

Follow Pinkston on Instagram @apinkstone and learn more at www.adapinkston.com.

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40 | MARCH 2021

Plain Sight’s Teddy Rodger.

Rodger and Nance believe their model of radical accessibility can inspire other museums and galleries, too. Nance says so many museums have been trying out different models for “How do you bring the museum to the people?

How do you benefit the community they are based in by trying different models, partnerships and locations?”

“Even when we think we’ve taken away all the barriers, there are still other barriers,” she adds. “There’s a lot to consider.

Becoming a presence within the community you are a part of is really important.

We are on a very busy thoroughfare, but our audience is anyone walking to their workplace or the Metro.”

Rodger concludes, “We are just trying to whet someone’s appetite to go and see more art. I would never presume we are replacing someone’s visit to the museums.

We hope to be part of a healthy diet of arts intake.”

Learn more about Plain Sight at www. plainsightdc.com and follow the gallery on Instagram @ plainsightdc. Check out Flowers’ art at www.halim-flowers. com and follow him on Instagram @halimflowers.

Plain Sight: 3218 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; plainsightdc@gmail. com; www.plainsightdc. com

Plain Sight’s Allison Nance.

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CULTURE

21 MAKERS + CURATORS TO FOLLOW IN THE DISTRICT COMPILED BY M.K. KOSZYCKI Whether a creator, artist, curator or any of the titles the individuals on this list hold, they’re all integral parts of the creative fabric that make up the District. They shared their creative ethos, where they unexpectedly find inspiration and advice for other creators for our Arts & Culture issue this month.

NABIL ABDULKADIR

Advice to Other Creators

Keep making art, and trust that the things that are interesting to you are worth your efforts.

44:21 Co-founder

Ethos

The ethos of my work can be described as community-oriented storytelling focused on narratives that normally go overlooked.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

The most unexpected place I find inspiration is in music.

Albums are a journey to me. When I discover a new project, I fully immerse myself in the world of it, both sonically and visually. By the time I leave their world, I carry a lot of the influence with me.

Advice to Other Creators

The advice I would give to other creators is to follow your intuition and not let outside influences and pressures dictate the direction of your art.

Follow @howzitfunnies on Instagram for more on Cohen’s work.

AMIRA EL-GAWLY Manifesta + St. Plant Founder

Ethos

Bringing meaning, love and beauty to the fore of our daily lives at home and at work.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration In silence, among the trees.

Advice to Other Creators

Follow Abdulkadir @4421.co and @nabilabdulkadir on Instagram.

Be thoughtful, and yet don’t overthink it. And definitely don’t think about what anyone else might be thinking about what you’re thinking.

CHARITY BLACKWELL

Visit www.manifesta.co and www.stplant.co for more information, and follow her businesses on Instagram @manifestaco and @st.plant.

Spoken word artist | DC SCORES Director of Creative Arts and Education | Busboys and Poets Director of Poetry Events

Ethos

I utilize my art as a tool for learning, healing and activism. The amazing organizations I work for give me a platform as an artist to amplify my message and work.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

The most unexpected place I find inspirational is an empty church.

Advice to Other Creators

Do not feel confined to society’s definition of success as a creative.

Visit www.charityblackwell.com and follow Blackwell @charityjoyceblackwell on Instagram.

ANDREW COHEN Artist

Ethos

I draw things I think are funny, but other people find creepy.

HALIM A. FLOWERS Visual artist | spoken word performer | businessman | author

Ethos

My art is an expression of advocacy for unconditional love.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

I find inspiration always from water, whether it’s by the ocean or river, washing dishes in the sink or washing my hands, or even using the bathroom (ha ha ha).

Advice to Other Creators

Create from a fearless space to bring to the world something that has never existed in a loving way. The world needs expressions of love that know no bounds, and not carbon copies of the things already produced that have failed to communicate love comprehensively.

Visit www.halim-flowers.com, and follow @halimflowers and @ideallionaires on Instagram and @therealhalim on Twitter for more on Flowers.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration Antique magic textbooks.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT. Nabil Abdulkadir, Charity Blackwell, Brittany M. Greene. Photos courtesy of subjects.

Halim A. Flowers at Plain Sight gallery. Photo by Rich Kessler Photography. Amira El-Gawly. Photo courtesy of subject.

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CULTURE

BRITTANY M. GREENE

JATI LINDSAY

Visual artist

Photographer

Ethos

Ethos

Tell the stories and paint the faces younger me wanted and needed to see.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

I’m fascinated with courtroom sketches and the artist’s ability to make you feel like you’re actually there.

Advice to Other Creators

No one sees, feels or interprets the world like you do, and that’s what makes being vulnerable in your work so special and important.

Visit www.brittanymgreene.com and www.fb.com/brittanymgreene for more on Greene, and follow her @britt_mgreene on Instagram and Twitter.

My guiding ethos is that I’m capturing history, so I must strive to create timeless images. I imagine my images’ audience as not just people today, but also people 50 years from now.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

The cameras themselves. Some days when I’m in need of inspiration, I’ll stand in front of the camera shelves and listen for which camera will start speaking to me on that particular day.

Advice to Other Creators

Just do the work. The work needs to be done, whether you’re inspired to do it or not.

Visit www.brghtmoments.com and follow Lindsay @jatiphoto on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

CURRY J. HACKETT

NANCEE LYONS

Designer | architecture professor | public artist

Department of Public Works Public Affairs Specialist | MuralsDC Coordinator

Ethos

My practice looks to underrecognized histories and patterns in the streetscape to envision purposeful public art and inform research and creative strategy.

Ethos

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

Advice to Other Creators

Advice to Other Creators

Visit www.wayside.studio for more on Hackett and follow @wayside.studio on Instagram and @waysidestudio on Twitter.

Visit www.muralsdcproject.com for more on Lyons and MuralsDC. Follow @murals_dc on Twitter and Instagram and @nanceeallday on Instagram.

I’m fascinated by weeds (plants that grow spontaneously).

They’re such a great metaphor to describe the tenacity and resilience of marginalized people and cultures.

Doing radical, different and rigorous work can be challenging and thankless. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, anyway.

ERIN HILL Digital creator | photographer | former NHL cheerleader

Ethos

[My] carefree spirit and unique perspective is not only evident in [my] work as a photographer and digital creator, but is paramount to the foundation of [my] career, spanning nearly two decades.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

Abandoned buildings. I picture the stories behind them, and each story inspires me with a different concept.

Advice to Other Creators

Be loud and proud about who you are and what you stand for, be generous with your time and energy, enthusiastically support the people you’re enthusiastic about – and you’ll be golden.

Follow Hill @hillea and @erinpointandshoot on Instagram for more.

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MuralsDC develops visual stories designed to commemorate, celebrate, inspire and heal.

Naturally, as a public mural curator, I’m inspired whenever I see large walls of blank concrete or brick. But as a creative soul, I often feel inspired whenever I’m in an old building.

Creativity is the most effective way infinite spirit can connect with mankind, so honor your medium.

TSEDAYE MAKONNEN Multidisciplinary artist

Ethos

[I] am a Black American multidisciplinary artist whose studio [and] curatorial and research-based practice threads together [my] identity as a daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, doula and mother.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

As a doula and mother having attended and experienced birth, I find inspiration in parenthood, my child and birth work.

Advice to Other Creators

Find your community ASAP and invest in it as much as you want your community to invest in you. You’ll receive so many resources through your community and meet people who will help you along your career.

Visit www.tsedaye.com for more on Makonnen and follow her @tsedaye on Instagram.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT. Andrew Cohen. Photo by Emon Surakitkoson.

Erin Hill, Jati Lindsay, Nancee Lyons, Curry Hackett. All photos courtesy of subjects.

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NARA PARK Artist

Ethos

My work investigates our relationship to the landscape we inhabit and the imprint we leave in it when we are gone.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration Home Depot.

Advice to Other Creators

Trust yourself and take chances.

Visit www.naraparkstudio.com and follow Park @nara__park on Instagram.

CHRIS PYRATE Muralist | streetwear boutique owner | designer

Ethos

Imagination is the driving force behind my work. Childlike zen is the goal.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration I’d have to say fishing inner city canals in Miami (I’m inspired by ecosystems) or walking through random malls in small towns (also an ecosystem). I like to see what people are digging.

XENA NI Artist | designer

Ethos

I tell stories about public policies and other infrastructure that is hard to see or understand in order to move attention and resources to people building a more just world.

Advice to Other Creators

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

It’s cliché, but truly and deeply be yourself. And by that, I mean artistically selfish: selfishly prioritize your own vision, and your craft will become a selfless gift.

Advice to Other Creators

Follow Pyrate @chrispyrate on Instagram and visit www.chrispyrate.com for more.

Government documents in public archives. I’ve seen so many stories buried within application forms for public benefits or denial letters for immigration cases.

I treasure my friendships with other creators more than any one thing I’ve made. Find your people – the ones you feel safe sharing your funny first drafts with. You don’t have to go it alone.

Follow Ni @msknee on Instagram and visit www.madebyxena.com.

OBIEKWE “OBI” OKOLO Artist | creative director | photographer

Ethos

My work – from an early career in architecture to my more current explorations in the written word and photography – is most concerned with exploring and articulating an anthropological approach to reconciling humanity to itself.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration Waffle House.

Arts administrator

Ethos

The ethos of my work is always community, empowerment and mentorship.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration I come from a family of educators, dreamers and wanderers. They inspire me daily.

Advice to Other Creators Fate loves the fearless.

Advice to Other Creators Rest first.

Visit www.stagcreative.studio and follow Okolo @obi.stg on Instagram for more.

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SLOANE A. L. SPENCER

Follow @sloanedotstar on Instagram and @_sloane on Twitter.

LEFT PAGE. Xena Ni. Photo courtesy of subject. RIGHT PAGE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT). Nara Park, Obiekwe “Obi” Okolo. Photos courtesy of subjects.

Chris Pyrate. Photo by @freezeframe_43 on Instagram. Tsedaye Makonnen’s “Aberash: You Give Light.” Photo by Joey Kennedy.

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CULTURE

BISAGNA SUH

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

[A]s a parent of two toddlers, I find much of my inspiration in them: their creativity, personality and imagination.

44:21 Co-founder

Ethos

Shining a light and giving voice to narratives that have been overlooked or silenced.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

Breathwork classes. My mind usually feels like a tornado of thoughts, but breathwork classes help me find the eye of the storm. And usually, there’s a creative breakthrough hiding there.

Advice to Other Creators

Trust yourself and stop waiting for someone to give you permission to do something you already know you’re capable of doing.

Follow Suh and 44:21 on Instagram @bisagna_ and @4421.co.

EMON SURAKITKOSON Artist

Ethos

I use minimal, abstracted forms and a monochromatic palette to create images that invoke harmony and visual flow.

Advice to Other Creators

No matter how talented or gifted you are, it’s your work ethic that will set you apart and ultimately lead to sustainable success.

Visit www.creativetheory.agency for more on Williams Jr. and Creative Theory Agency. Follow @masterwilliams, @creativetheoryagency and @thisheregiftshop on Instagram.

JI YOUNG YUN Korean Cultural Center, Washington D.C. Curator

Ethos

Embrace diversity and exchange one another’s uniqueness, especially in arts and culture.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

Diversity of experience and perspective inspires.

Being in an empty space, ignoring tangible resources. Just imagining in my mind and letting my inspiration roam.

Advice to Other Creators

Advice to Other Creators

I encourage other creatives to prioritize taking care of their body and mind, and to stay focused on their interests rather than following trends from social media.

Visit www.emonsurakitkoson.com for more on Surakitkoson and follow her @emonartdc on Instagram.

Share your ideas and dream something different.

It won’t hurt you.

Follow Yun @yunowell on Instagram and visit http://washingtondc.korean-culture.org/en for more.

ORIN ZAHRA National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) Assistant Curator

Ethos

My art historical and curatorial work is rooted in an ethos of constructive discourse, but also care and compassion to disrupt the histories of misrepresentation of women, and particularly women of color.

Unexpected Source of Inspiration

My mother’s collection of vintage saris which are full of color, pattern, texture and family history.

Advice to Other Creators

GARY WILLIAMS JR. Creative Theory Agency Co-Founder + Chief Creative Officer

Ethos

The mission [of Creative Theory Agency] is to drive change through impactful and unique creative experiences rooted in storytelling.

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I am at my creative best when I feel comfortable enough to know no ideas will be laughed off the table in the brainstorming stage of a project. Be part of a team who will help you stretch your imagination and think outside your comfort zone, and also be that teammate for someone else.

Follow Zahra @orin.zahra on Instagram and visit www.nmwa.org for more on NMWA.

LEFT PAGE. Gary Williams. Photo courtesy of subject. RIGHT PAGE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT). Bisagna Suh. Photo courtesy of subject.

Orin Zahra. Photo by James Jackson. Emon Surakitkoson. Photo courtesy of subject. Ji Young Yun. Photo courtesy of subject. Sloane Spencer. Photo courtesy of subject.

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Artgence + Homme Where There’s Art, There’s a Story to Share WORDS BY HALEY MCKEY

When you think of an art collector, who do you picture? How do you imagine the process of curating and buying art?

A new collaboration invites you to picture an experience that’s exciting and deeply meaningful – and yourself in the role of that collector. D.C. gallery and boutique Homme; Paris, France-based Artgence; and D.C. experience, media and design group Pakke are partnering to open a window on the creation, curation and collection of art.

Homme founder Amir Browder has strong history in the D.C. arts community. He started Homme back in 2014 at the Anacostia Arts Center before settling at 52 O Street Studios in Truxton Circle, which became a unique, intimate boutique space for independent artists of all disciplines and a fixture in D.C.’s emerging art scene. Homme is “an epicenter for independent creators to monetize their creativity in a nontraditional, intimate space,” he says.

Artgence, a multidimensional consultancy and marketplace for art collectors and artists, began as “showing people around in Paris to different galleries,” according to founder Marques Hardin.

“Unless you do your research ahead of time, you won’t have a clue where they are,” Hardin explains.

Especially with the advance of Covid-19, Artgence has evolved into a tech-centered experience where clients can browse artwork in digital galleries.

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“The premise of Artgence is purely art placement,” he adds.

“Every piece of art has a home.”

Pakke is known for unusual events and pop-ups in unexpected places – from people’s homes to alleyways and warehouses. CEO and co-founder Emmett Ferra says when the pandemic hit, the business transformed.

“We started doing online variety shows and finding ways to give audiences more opportunities to view and connect with artists still in the D.C. community,” Ferra says.

The enthusiasm for this new media and design direction for Pakke’s work helped form the seed of the collaboration to come.

Ferra introduced Hardin and Browder, and the rest is history.

Between Browder’s love of European football and Hardin’s appreciation for D.C., it’s clear they’re not just collaborators, but friends.

“We came together like Voltron,” Browder jokes. “We’re all experts at what we’re doing here. We all have something to bring to the table. And when we connected, it was perfect timing.”

Browder, Ferra and Hardin began dreaming up ways to connect more artists with collectors and create an international, cultural exchange.

“Amir and Marques both wanted to give artists more opportunities,” Ferra says. “But even as we were having those initial conversations, we thought, ‘There’s no reason why this shouldn’t be documented.’”

Installation detail. “Currency? Material, Radiator. A Retrospective.” by Marta Staudinger at Homme DC. Photo by Helen Criales.

CULTURE Thus, the concept for Artgence x Homme was born: to not just exchange art, but to film and share a documentary story about the process – one that involves the artist, collector and curator together.

“You can’t have artists who are incredibly talented [and] have the ability to transcend multiple cultures, and not give voice and credence to them,” Ferra adds.

The concept is ambitious, involving traveling to visit artists where they live and work.

“For example, if we’re going to Tanzania to meet with an artist, we’re going where they recommend [and] eating the food and listening to the music [they suggest],” Browder says.

It doesn’t just make for a great story, but also provides crucial context for contemporary art collectors.

Hardin notes, “When someone buys a piece of art, they’re investing in that artist. Those are important conversations to have with collectors.”

The group is focusing on developing a script that will not only better educate people about how the art collection process works but also give artists “an opportunity to understand what the market is telling them,” Ferra says.

Browder, Ferra and Hardin are seeking more collectors to introduce to the artists they’re connected with, like photographer Kwame Acheampong and painter Rain Spann. Part of the goal is to remove some of the mystique and gatekeeping around collecting art, or fears that it’s a pursuit reserved for the wealthy.

“People are seeing multimilliondollar paintings being sold, but there’s so much more to it,” Hardin says.

“There’s something for every single budget. This is about bringing a new generation of art to collectors, too.”

Browder adds, “So many people purchase their first work of art from me via payment plans or installments, and we want to show that, too.”

The Artgence x Homme project will begin with a focus on Black artists, who are critically underrepresented in the traditional art world.

“Representation matters,” Hardin says. “I wish I had seen more artists who look like me [growing up]. I think that’s one reason why there aren’t a lot of Black art collectors.”

By intentionally tapping the talent of underrepresented artists, Hardin says, curators have the power to open peoples’ eyes.

Browder agrees, “We’re finding some amazing artists that no one’s ever heard of and bringing their work back to an amazing collector’s house. There’s strength in numbers.”

With that in mind, the group is seeking more partners to support the Artgence x Homme effort so they can begin filming, editing and simultaneously telling the story of buying and making art.

“There’s many different stories we want to tell as we develop this series, and there’s so much within the supply chain of art that people don’t really have access to,” Ferra says.

While Hardin, Browder and Ferra build the foundation to launch the project, readers and those interested getting involved can find the three in a variety of ways.

Browder shares artwork and updates on Homme via Instagram @homme_dc. Don’t miss Homme’s exhibition “Currency? Material, Radiator: A Retrospective” by Marta Lola Staudinger of Latela Curatorial, which runs from March 5-27, and includes plenty of opportunities to check it out online. Hardin shares a daily #ArtAddictDaily post in his Instagram stories for @artgence, but the best way to reach him is via Facebook or LinkedIn @artgence.

All three are happy to share their passion for art and collection, and their collaboration with folks who are interested.

As Hardin puts it, “Art is not necessary. It’s essential.”

Artgence: www.artgence.co; www.fb.com/artgence; @artgence on Instagram Homme DC: www.fb.com/hommedcboutique; @homme_dc on Instagram Pakke: www.discoverpakke.com; www.fb.com/discoverpakke; @discoverpakke on Instagram

FROM TOP. Emmett Ferra. Photo by Lisa Schreiber. Marques Hardin. Photo courtesy of subject.

DISTRICT FRAY | 51

CULTURE

The Survival of

the Brutalist An executive order halting the construction of government buildings in this architectural style was recently overturned.

But where does the legacy of Brutalism stand today?

WORDS BY M.K. KOSZYCKI | PHOTOS BY DEANE MADSEN

I

n late December, former president Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to eliminate new federal buildings built in the style of Brutalism and modernism.

Brutalism, especially in the District, is an inextricable part of the area’s landscape.

And while the executive order has since been overturned, its existence in the first place is curious, to say the least. Why does Brutalism, a style born out of the modernist movement of the late 20th century, still face so much backlash in 2021?

“It’s not a mode of practice that is really being sought after,” explains Deane Madsen, writer, editor, photographer and founder of Brutalist DC, an online appreciation society highlighting the architectural style in the District. “In recent years, concrete construction has come under fire for being extremely resource-intensive. It’s a chemical reaction when you produce concrete. There’s a lot of heat involved in a huge carbon sink, and it depletes a lot of resources – both water and sand. There’s so much that goes on environmentally in the production of concrete.”

It’s a complicated question that perhaps leads to even more questions than answers, but is still worth examining in light of the recent order and its subsequent overturning. Whether you love or hate the aesthetics of Brutalism, its legacy remains a complicated one.

And despite its prevalence in the District, it’s not an exceedingly popular style for newer buildings emerging in the area.

“The executive order essentially mandated neoclassical design,” says Lucy Moore, incoming president of Docomomo DC, which works to ensure the rich legacy of the Modern Movement in the Greater Washington area is preserved for future generations.

“Its main goal was not to ban Brutalism, though that was an extra dig. Why should the federal government, which represents an increasingly diverse country, mandate one style? It was an attempt to narrowly define civic architecture, just as the Trump administration narrowly defined ‘citizen.’”

While a large concrete building may evoke a number of associations, it also represents a complicated legacy surrounding D.C.’s urban renewal program, which began in 1945. Though that program led to the construction of many of the Brutalist buildings that pepper the District, it also led to the displacement of many.

“A huge amount of it was done under the envelope of urban renewal, totally erasing communities and neighborhoods from Southwest and displacing tens of thousands of people,” Madsen says. “[Sometimes], I have trouble celebrating Brutalist architecture in 2021 because I know there are so many communities that were impacted by urban renewal.”

Despite the complicated legacy and environmental impact, these buildings still exist. As both Madsen and Moore point out, Brutalist buildings are important ways to commemorate the complexities these eras represent and provide opportunities for

repurposing and community use.

“A lot of them are under threat because they’re falling into disrepair deliberately,” Madsen says.

“Long-term maintenance for these buildings was never built in. And so, you get buildings like the FBI building actually falling apart, with chunks of concrete falling down onto the sidewalk below.”

The FBI building is one often incorporated into these conversations of the merits of the misunderstood style, as its disrepair and the need for an updated place of business for those working in the building are increasingly evident. Iconic Brutalist buildings in the District like the Third Church of Christ, Scientist and Marcel Breuer’s American Press Institute in Reston, Virginia were both demolished, despite preservation efforts.

More recently in the United States, buildings like the Pirelli Tire Building in New Haven, Connecticut – also by Breuer – are getting a second (or third, in this case) wind as architects, designers and preservationists find ways to repurpose them. In the case of Pirelli, once home to a tire manufacturer and an IKEA location, it’s now being made into a hotel and conference center dubbed Hotel Marcel. Not only is it being reused, it’s also aiming for a LEED Platinum certification, will meet net-zero energy standards and is completely solar-powered.

“The Pirelli building is a great example of turning one of these kinds of concrete buildings into something that is sustainable and adaptively reused in a creative way,” Madsen says. “I would love to give a personal shout-out to the developer of [Hotel Marcel].

Come take a look at the FBI building and say, ‘Hey, what could you do here?’”

The team at Becker + Becker, who is behind the newly repurposed Hotel Marcel, is aiming for a summer 2021 opening, which will likely usher in a new era of repurposing for concrete concepts across the country.

No matter your opinion on the merits of the style and what happens as many of them age into an era that will see their uses change, Madsen encourages people to continue having conversations about buildings in a meaningful way and challenge their histories and uses as well.

“I want [people] to continue to have strong opinions,” he explains. “Even in the outright despising of a single building like the FBI, at least they’re thinking about buildings in a way that can produce a conversation about why. If there were a series of coffee shops and maker spaces on that ground level facing Pennsylvania Avenue, would that change public perception of the building? I think it would.”

For more on Docomomo DC, visit www.docomomo-us.org/chapter/dc and www.docomomo-us.org, and follow @docomomo_dc and @docomomous on Instagram.

For more on Brutalist DC, visit www.brutalistdc.com and follow @brutalistdc on Instagram.

DISTRICT FRAY | 53

CULTURE

54 | MARCH 2021

CULTURE

Studio Theatre on Reimagining Access to the Arts WORDS BY DAVID ROSS “I always say I’m in the business of empathy.”

Reginald Douglas, associate director of Studio Theatre, is speaking about the importance of promoting inclusivity and diversity at the 14th Street Corridor space known for its contemporary works.

“My job is not to make pretty light cues and pretty musicals and good dance numbers and good acting alone,” he adds. “My job is to use those things to help someone feel [and think] differently about the world they live in [and] hope they better understand their neighbor, their community, their place in it, and their ability to empathize and connect with other people.”

Studio Theatre, like many other theatre institutions throughout the country, has had to sit with some tough decisions in the past year. On June 8, 2020, which also happened to be the day before George Floyd’s funeral, a group of BIPOC members of the theatre community released a

statement: “We See You, White American Theatre (W.A.T.)” Signed by a group of 300, this statement was an eloquent grievance letter stating that American theatre had far too long been culturally insensitive and implemented exclusionary practices.

“We have watched you hire the first BIPOC artists in executive leadership, only to undermine our innovations and vision of creating equitable institutions by suffocating our efforts with your fear, inadequacy and mediocrity,” the statement reads.

Whoever wrote that deserves a forehead kiss. The letter goes deep, has range and requires action. On July 9, the BIPOC collective released a 31-page document called “BIPOC Demands for American Theatre.” That’s the date they gave the theatre industry homework, and institutions have had to get in line – or they have been called out.

Felicia Curry. Photo courtesy of subject. Reginald Douglas. Photo by Tony Moux.

DISTRICT FRAY | 55

CULTURE The campaign even keeps an accountability report. If you go to the We See You W.A.T. collective’s website, there’s a link to download the seven-month accountability report. While their commitment to holding W.A.T. accountable has been unwavering, the report page uses some encouraging language: “Let this report show what collective action can do. You did this. This is your movement, and it is working.”

Studio Theatre sits on 14th Street Northwest at the corner of 14th and P, a major artery for the nation’s capital and one that has had a checkered past and metamorphosis. I had a unique experience chatting with members of Studio’s executive leadership, along with an actor in one of their productions, on their thoughts surrounding this moment. There’s so much “equity, diversity and inclusion” chatter out there today that I wanted to get an idea of what doing the work actually looks like, and who’s actually doing it.

David Muse just entered his 10th season as artistic director at Studio Theatre. I asked him how he approaches being supportive of the BIPOC community and presenting their works authentically at the theater, even though their experiences may be different than his own.

“I think what you’ve done is put your finger on what is, for me, some of the most deeply challenging aspects of wrapping my head around some of this work I face personally,” he said. “I’m the guy who’s supposed to make the most major judgments about excellence and quality, and what we ought to be doing. How do you do that and help your institution turn into a more antiracist place, recognizing all the while that I am a white, heterosexual male who’s Ivy League-educated? I don’t have any glib answer to that question. It is deeply challenging, and it’s one that I think I’ll be engaging with for years and years.”

As he spoke, he wore an expression that made me genuinely feel how heavy these thoughts were in his mind. There are no guaranteed answers to these things. Some individuals or groups of individuals try their best, but what that attempt looks like is everything. If you are white in a leadership role at a performing arts institution in an urban area, and you aren’t struggling with, losing sleep over, or insecure about impact, direction or the message of your programming and whether or not you’re doing enough, it will show.

That’s what it’s going to take. It’s not going to be fun. It will be agitative, but if you are doing it with your best intentions, the journey will be rewarding. Muse emphasized that this isn’t a duty he runs from. He welcomes it, without resentment. He says growing up in a small town in the Midwest, he didn’t go to the theater to see individuals like himself onstage. Rather, he appreciated being exposed to different people and different ways of thinking.

Muse is a worker. He prefers to reserve his concerns for, “What will all of this mean for the art that’s on our stages? Let’s talk about the work.”

That’s where his excitement sits: in things to come.

“What are some of the ways in which we’re going to see aesthetic innovation?” he asks, and then leans into a metaphor he calls “deeply imperfect.”

His metaphor works, though.

“I think sometimes about American music: Try to imagine what American music would be like without the contribution of Black artists. One, it’s impossible. Two, it’s immeasurably less rich [without their contributions]. You couldn’t say the 56 | MARCH 2021

“What if we imagine what all of this work is going to do for the enrichment of our art form? How about we get excited about that?” same thing at the moment about the American theatre, not quite. What if we imagine what all of this work is going to do for the enrichment of our art form? How about we get excited about that?”

Actress Felicia Curry, who is appearing in Studio’s upcoming production of “Until the Flood,” believes one point of focus for the industry and venues alike is audience diversity. “[Theatre venues] should have a more diverse audience membership,” she says. “You do it for your shows that have Black actors or Black production teams, but you don’t do it for the rest of the season.”

Studio Theatre is working to expand audiences for every production.

One way the theater has put words to task is through a new partnership with DC Public Library, which allows those who “may not have the resources to see our work to see our work for free,” Douglas says.

“You can go to the library now and get a voucher that says, ‘Hey, Studio Theatre work is for all communities.’ That super increases our accessibility to reach all of D.C. and lets them know the work we make is for them.”

“Until the Flood,” which runs from April 16 to May 9, tells the story of a “cross-generational ensemble of three Black women” in the aftermath of Michael Brown being shot by police in Ferguson, Missouri. Written by Dael Orlandersmith and directed by Douglas, the play celebrates “the resolve for justice that remains as urgent today as it was seven years ago.” Curry plays a member of the ensemble in this earnest production.

“We are giving our audiences a chance to really see into the lives of these people whose shoes they don’t walk in so they can finally have a better understanding,” Curry says. “I won’t say a true understanding, but a better understanding. That, for me, is the basis of theatre. Theatre allows us to see stories that either mirror our own or stories of people, things and places that we don’t know, or that we can’t even imagine. [It] gives us an opportunity to understand and start to have questions, and that’s how we get to know each other better.”

For more on Studio Theatre and “Until the Flood,” visit www.studiotheatre.org and follow @Studio_Theatre on Twitter and @studiotheatre on Instagram. To learn more about the We See You, W.A.T. collective, visit www.weseeyouwat.com and follow @weseeyou_wat on Twitter and @weseeyouwat on Instagram.

Studio Theatre: 1501 14th St. NW, DC; 202-332-3300; www.studiotheatre.org

CULTURE

Union Market’s

theTwelve

Creates Shared Experiences + Interconnectedness

WORDS BY COURTNEY SEXTON It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention. It should be added that creativity, then, is invention’s sister. The need to express, the need to share, the need to turn the insides into the outsides and simultaneously light, burn and extinguish some ephemeral fire gives birth to creativity. A year in, and pandemic life has stifled so much. But it has also bared our deepest needs – connection chief among them – and forced us to find new ways to meet them, which is exactly what the team behind theTwelve has ambitiously endeavored to do.

CULTURE Part creative hub, part gallery, part gathering center and part retail storefront, theTwelve as a physical space is one of the newest additions to the burgeoning Union Market residential and commercial district.

As a concept, theTwelve is a year-long collaboration between a dozen members of D.C.’s creative workforce who, as 2020 wore on, realized doing nothing in the face of so many changes and challenges wasn’t an option.

“We were having conversations like, ‘What does it really mean for us all to be in this together, and what does interconnectedness really look like?’” says Amira El-Gawly, founder of workplace culture consulting agency Manifesta and plant shop St. Plant, and one of theTwelve.

Among the people who shared ElGawly’s feelings was Lori Parkerson, who owned Redeem, a local store specializing in vintage and small and independent brands, for over a decade. During that time, she built relationships with many fellow creative industry workers, including the other members of the collective who were asking each other questions like those El-Gawly described.

When neighborhood developer Edens offered the opportunity to temporarily inhabit a commercial space, Parkerson knew they had to see what they could do with it. El-Gawly describes the whole project as an experiment for, and in many ways curated by, the broader community to “dream, create and provoke.”

“The hope is we don’t miss the moment from the pandemic where, as much pain and suffering as it caused and is still causing, it really gave us a moment of pause to reconnect to what’s important and why we’re here,” Parkerson says. “How do we achieve that in a marketplace space [where] people feel loved [and] connected to something greater than themselves?”

With 3,600 square feet to work with, the “experiment” and its experimenters are open for programming ideas and collaborations throughout the year.

Already in the works are events like tea ceremonies, tai chi, healing rituals and nature-oriented workshops.

Members of theTwelve will host conversations with artists and writers, salon discussions, and communitybuilding gatherings like plant and puzzle exchanges. Four to five art exhibitions 58 | MARCH 2021

will show in the dedicated gallery space.

When it comes to interactions in the physical space, Covid-era safety is, of course, top priority. But so is, the founders stress, providing opportunities to connect in a disconnected world.

The first art exhibition to find a home in theTwelve’s gallery responds directly to this intention. In “Objective: Things That Are Real,” multimedia artist, storyteller and photographer Obiekwe “Obi” Okolo confronts what he describes as a collective ineptitude at recognizing the person in other people, while placing too much stock in (capital I) Ideas.

“We put a lot of trust in systems we don’t fully understand,” Okolo says. “You take that and pair it with last year’s assault on truth and facts, [and] I think there’s an FIRST PAGE. Obiekwe “Obi” Okolo. Photo courtesy of subject.

SECOND + THIRD PAGE. TheTwelve. Photos by Obiekwe “Obi” Okolo.

overcorrection and liberality that says there is no foundational truth and ‘All that matters is my truth.’ I think there’s some merit to that, but that ends up putting us in a very dangerous, individualistic mindset and world.”

After a year of quarantine, isolation and “sitting around with his stuff,” Okolo realized, “There’s got to be something foundational, or at least foundationally orienting, that we can all gather around. The questions I asked myself at the beginning were, ‘Is there objective truth without an object? Is that possible?’”

At the core of it, we connect through telling each other stories and creating shared experiences. Tangible objects, rather than ideas, can be the conduit through which that happens.

Okolo simply began by asking people to bring in an object that meant something to them, and he recorded them describing their artifacts. For the exhibition, several objects are on display at any given time. They’re paired with QR codes visitors can scan to hear the stories Okolo has collected – stories strangers have so willingly opened up to share.

“It’s proven to be a wonderful, healing salve as far as introducing ourselves to strangers again,” he says, “and not through the filter of all the big ideas, but directly and intentionally in a way we can start from an equal playing field.”

Follow Okolo on Instagram @obi.stg. Visit www.manifesta.co and www.stplant.co for more on El-Gawly’s businesses, and follow on Instagram @manifestaco and @st.plant. Visit theTwelve on Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Founding members of theTwelve include Okolo, El-Gawly, Parkerson, Talyah Alpern, Julian Barnes, Alison Beshai, Reggie Black, Ayana Zaire Cotton, Britnie Dates, M. Gert Doriot, Curry Hackett and Joilyn Jackson. theTwelve: 1262 5th St. NE, DC; hello@thetwelvedc.com; www.thetwelvedc.com // @thetwelvedc on Instagram

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LIFE

30 WOMEN CHANGING THE GAME IN D.C. COMPILED BY INGRID HARBO

LIFE

The work of women should be celebrated year-round, but for Women’s History Month, we wanted to highlight the achievements of women who have carved out their own roles as entrepreneurs, content creators, business owners and more. We reached out to 30 local ladies for inspiration and advice on what it takes to be a bad-ass woman running the District.

APHRA ADKINS

Photographer | designer

Mantra

“Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” - Miss Frizzle

Words of Wisdom

Remember you can make whatever you want, and it can be whatever you say it is. There are no rules. Lift each other up.

We’re all in this together.

Learn more at www.aphraadkins.com and follow Adkins @aphraadkins.creative on Instagram.

Words of Wisdom

Embrace the concept of an MVP (a phrase in tech that stands for minimum viable product), and don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. If you’re passionate about something, just launch and refine as you go along. A partially planned idea you’ve executed is better than a meticulously thought-out plan that lives in your head.

Learn more about Bhatia-Newman and Districtly Local at www.districtlylocal.com and follow @districtlylocal on Instagram.

BARBARA BIDDLE

District Hemp Botanicals Founder

RASHIDA BANKS

Mantra

Mantra

Words of Wisdom

Interior designer | brand marketing content creator Just try it, even if you’re doing it scared.

Words of Wisdom

Working with your ideal home decor brands can feel like a distant goal, but you have to be bold and introduce yourself to them rather than wait on them to notice you. Think of an out-of-the-box idea, then pitch it to the brand. The answer will always be “No” until you ask.

Learn more about Banks at www.rashidabanks.com and follow @rashida.banks on Instagram.

EBONÉ F. BELL

Tagg Magazine Owner + Editor-in-Chief

Mantra

Be your true and authentic self, and the rest will follow.

Words of Wisdom

Failing doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Get back up, because your visibility and voice are needed.

Learn more about Tagg Magazine at www.taggmagazine.com and www.enbonebell.com, and follow @taggmagazine and @ebonebell1 on Instagram.

Take calculated risks, be kind and lead with compassion.

Make sure you’re prioritizing the necessities: sleep, food, selflove. It’s easy to skip a meal in order to finish a project ASAP, but your body and mind will pay for it in the long run. Be kind to your community. Don’t expect endless loyalty and free marketing if you can’t reciprocate those efforts.

Learn more about Biddle and District Hemp at www.districthempstore.com and follow @districthemp on Instagram.

CALLIE BROADDUS

Reserva: The Youth Land Trust Founder + Executive Director

Mantra

I don’t have a mantra, but if I did, it would remind me to focus on one thing at a time.

Words of Wisdom

This is going to sound so cliché, but if you are passionate about this field – or any field – there is no legitimate reason being female should be a barrier to a rewarding career. If anyone tries to convince you otherwise, prove them wrong.

Learn more about Broaddus and Reserva at www.reservaylt.org and follow @reservaylt on Instagram.

LEELA BHATIA-NEWMAN

Districtly Local Co-founder

Mantra

Rely on your intuition in moments of doubt. Deep down, you always know what’s best for you or not serving you well.

62 | MARCH 2021

FIRST PAGE. Barbara Biddle. Photo by Rich Kessler Photography.

THIRD PAGE. (Clockwise from top left) Aphra Adkins. Photo by Allegra Guinan. Eboné F. Bell. Photo by Maya Satori. Leela Bhatia-Newman. Photo courtesy of subject. Rashida Banks.

Photo by Antwon Maxwell. Callie Broaddus. Photo by Lucy Houliston.

DISTRICT FRAY | 63

LIFE

LISA L. BUSH

Supermodels Over 40 Model | Heavenlyfaces, LLC Owner

Mantra

My mantra is to treat others the way in which you want to be treated, and always pay it forward.

Words of Wisdom

As models who are 40-plus in the industry, [Supermodels Over 40] come with a wealth of knowledge, talent and diversity. Be kind and support one another. We are powerful, smart, talented and strong. Collectively, we can be a reckoning force in this modeling and acting industry, as well as in life situations. Let’s love one another unconditionally and lift one another up in an already competitive industry.

Follow Bush and Heavenlyfaces, LLC @modelagain4 and @heavenlyfacesllcagain on Instagram.

KAITLIN CALOGERA

A Tour Of Her Own Founder

Mantra

Where there is a problem, there is often a solution that can be manifested with creativity, optimism and discipline.

Words of Wisdom

don’t ask to be included and wait instead of people [coming] to them. This idea of someone coming to you is almost a myth.

If there’s something you’re interested in, an opportunity to be considered for or a panel you want to be on, it serves you well to ask to be included with relevant information and direct language.

Learn more about Fineman at www.meredithfineman.com and follow @meredithfineman on Instagram.

MICHELLE GEMBERLING

Indigo Octopus Founder

Mantra

Always say, “Yes.” You never know what door will open, as long as you are open to letting it in with the positive power of yes.

Words of Wisdom

If you have a dream, go for it. There will never be the right time. Timing is everything, but waiting and stalling will get you nowhere. Intentions are nothing without action.

Learn more about Gemberling and her business at www.indigooctopus.com and follow @indigooctopus on Instagram.

URSULA GUNTHER

Fleurs DC Owner + Lead Floral Designer

Never stop questioning why women’s stories are overlooked in history and culture. The tourism industry needs all of us to align our careers in a way that contributes to a future more egalitarian than our past.

Mantra

Learn more about Calogera’s business at www.atourofherown.com and follow @atourofherown on Instagram.

Do not wait for opportunities to find you. Actively seek and pursue your passions with an open heart and mind.

AYAT ELHAG

Yellow the Cafe Coffee Director + Cafe Manager

Mantra

Pour love and passion into every single thing worth doing.

Words of Wisdom

Learn more about Gunther and Fleurs DC at www.fleursdc.com and follow @fleursdc on Instagram.

TASHA JAMES

Do not leave behind the people who helped you get where you are.

The Glossier Founder | photographer | social media consultant

Words of Wisdom

Mantra

Take every opportunity to invest in yourself educationally, professionally and personally. It is difficult to build and support a team without a strong sense of self.

Learn more about Elhag and Yellow the Cafe at www.yellowthecafe.com and follow @yellowthecafe on Instagram.

MEREDITH FINEMAN

“Brag Better” Author | entrepreneur | speaker | writer

Don’t quit your daydream.

Words of Wisdom

You get better when you work with people, or on projects, that challenge you. Step outside of your comfort zone, collaborate often, don’t be afraid to experiment and do passion projects that will keep you excited to be a creator.

Learn more about James at www.theglossier.com and follow @theglossier on Instagram.

Mantra

If you don’t ask, the answer is always “No.”

Words of Wisdom

To dovetail on the above, you’d be shocked at how many people 64 | MARCH 2021

CLOCKWISE (From top left) Lisa Bush with Supermodels Over 40. Photo by Phelan Marc.

Kaitlin Calogera. Photo by Cynthia Schiavetto Staliunas. Meredith Fineman. Photo by Mariah Miranda. Ayat Elhag. Photo by Rey Lopez. Ursula Gunther. Photo by Christin Geall. Michelle Gemberling. Photo courtesy of subject.

DISTRICT FRAY | 65

LIFE

MARY JOHNS

Words of Wisdom

Mantra

My mantra is “Love your neighbor as yourself,” which is hard to actually live out and requires daily, conscious choices.

My advice to other women in architecture and design is: Believe you can do “it.” Manage a big project on your own, get the job, start your own practice, ask for a raise, whatever “it” might mean for you. I’ve also learned that my network of women colleagues has been integral in achieving my own professional “its.”

Words of Wisdom

Learn more about May and her business at www.studiomayd.com and follow @studio.mayd on Instagram.

Open Kitchen D.C. Founder

If you have a dream that is not yet fulfilled, don’t give up. A new season is coming. I dreamed of creating boutique events that connected immigrant cooks with culturally curious people like myself for about eight years before I was actually in a position to make Open Kitchen D.C. a reality.

Learn more about Johns and her business at www.openkitchendc.com and follow @openkitchendc on Instagram.

JENNIFER KING

Washington Football Team Assistant Running Backs Coach

Mantra

Be so good you can’t be denied.

Words of Wisdom

Perfect your craft each day, have the confidence in your work to know you belong and if you should fall, fall forward to bounce back better and stronger.

Learn more about the team at www.washingtonfootball.com and follow King @jennifer.king5 on Instagram.

MARIANA MAGALA

Districtly Local Co-founder

Mantra

Always maintain your integrity – regardless of your goal.

Words of Wisdom

Set ambitious goals, but make sure to celebrate the milestones along the way. This will allow you to appreciate how valuable the process is and help you stay motivated. The final outcome is just the cherry on top.

Learn more about Magala and Districtly Local at www.districtlylocal.com and follow @districtlylocal on Instagram.

LINDSEY MAY

Studio Mayd Architecture + Design Founding Principal

Mantra

My personal and professional mantra is “Dare mighty things,” which is borrowed from NASA’s Perseverance rover and originally borrowed from Teddy Roosevelt.

66 | MARCH 2021

DJ MIM

Mobile entertainment entrepreneur

Mantra

Think intentional and purposeful thoughts to fuel your actions.

Words of Wisdom

You will always have to outperform your male counterparts in this industry. Don’t give in to the discouragement. Use it as constant motivation.

Learn more about DJ MIM at www.djmimdc.com and follow @djmimdc on Instagram.

KYA PARKER

Kyanite Kitchen Founder + Executive Chef

Mantra

“Be free,” meaning liberate all of yourself as much as possible and don’t turn back.

Words of Wisdom

Be fearless, be bold, and don’t hesitate and be afraid to follow your dreams – no matter what they are and what you take. The possibilities in this life are infinite. Live life to the fullest and follow your dreams.

Learn about Kyanite Kitchen at www.linktr.ee/kyanitepantry and follow @kyanite.kitchen on Instagram.

RACHEL PFEFFER

Rachel Pfeffer Designs Owner, Designer + Everything-er

Mantra

Less is more, unless more is more.

Words of Wisdom

There will never be too much jewelry out there. Just carve out a space for yourself with designs that make you happy, and people will want to wear them. Be inspired by competition, not intimidated (which is easier said than done).

Learn more about Pfeffer at www.rachelpfeffer.com and follow @rachelpfeffer on Instagram.

CLOCKWISE (From top left) Tasha James. Photo courtesy of subject. Mary Johns. Photo

by John Joseph. Rachel Pfeffer. Photo courtesy of subject. Jennifer King. Photo courtesy of subject. DJ MIM. Photo by Tony Lear. Kya Parker. Photo courtesy of subject. Mariana Magala.

Photo courtesy of subject.

DISTRICT FRAY | 67

LIFE

VICTORIA REIS

Transformer Co-founder, Executive + Artistic Director

Mantra

Keep on keeping on.

Words of Wisdom

Dream, experiment and keep clarifying your vision and mission. You’ve got to love what you’re doing, and yourself, for anyone else to embrace you and your work. Be undeterred by negative voices (your own and others). Support and encourage your peers, the women who came before you and those who are rising up. Women are power.

Learn more about Transformer at www.transformberdc.org and follow @transformerdc and @sirenartsap on Instagram.

NIKKIE RODRIGUEZ

La Bodega + Compass Rose Pastry Sous Chef

Mantra

Focus on what I can control and make peace with what I can’t.

Words of Wisdom

Believe in yourself, keep working hard and make sure you surround yourself with people who motivate you.

Learn more about La Bodega at www.compassrosedc.com and follow Rodriguez @rodrigueznikkie on Instagram.

Words of Wisdom

I can’t say I have general advice to all women, since I think it can be problematic to consider women as a monolith. The advice I would give to anyone in the restaurant and hospitality business is to be resilient if you want to stick around for the long haul.

Learn more about Seki and her restaurant at http://seki-to-go.square.site and follow @sekidc on Instagram.

SMITA SHARMA

SnoBee Chic Founder

Mantra

One of my favorite mottos is that I do not chase, I attract.

What’s meant for me will find me. My favorite professional mantra is to work like everything depends on you, and to pray like everything depends on God.

Words of Wisdom

Run your own race and don’t compare your success to others’ success. Be intentional about networking with people in all fields, because you never know when a door can open for your business.

Learn more about Sharma and her company at www.snobeechic.com and follow @snobeechic on Instagram.

SARA QUINTEROS-SHILLING

Shilling Canning Company Co-owner + Director of Business Development

JOJO RUF

Theater J Managing Director

Mantra

The closest thing I have to a mantra is the brilliance of poet Mary Oliver: “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

“Work hard, have a positive attitude and don’t give up” is my professional mantra that applies to the work I do, whether I’m in my “day job” (I’m a pediatric metabolic dietitian), or when I have my Shilling hat on. In both scenarios, not giving up [and] being solution-oriented are crucial.

Words of Wisdom

Words of Wisdom

Mantra

Don’t let fear, perception, gender norms or a desire to “follow the rules” prevent you from seizing an opportunity, whether that’s applying for a job, asking for a promotion or submitting your play. Be an advocate for yourself and the women who report to you. Know your market value and always negotiate your salary.

Learn more about Ruf and Theater J at www.theaterj.org and follow @theaterjdc on Instagram.

CIZUKA SEKI

Izakaya Seki Co-owner

Mantra

Learn more about Quinteros-Shilling and her restaurant at www.shillingcanning.com and follow @shillingcanningcompany on Instagram.

EMILY ULLO STEIGLER

Scout & Indiana Owner + Chief Creative

“One is not born, but rather, becomes a woman.” - Simone de Beauvoir

68 | MARCH 2021

Never stop learning or believing in yourself. We (women) have so much power to dream, motivate and inspire. We need to use that power to always set an example as leaders, and more importantly, as the generation that will pave the way for the next.

Mantra

There are no bad experiences, only opportunities to learn and grow.

CLOCKWISE (From top left) Lindsey May. Photo by Leah Beilhart. Nikkie Rodriguez. Photo courtesy of subject. Sara Quinteros-Shilling. Photos courtesy of subject. Cizuka Seki. Photo courtesy of subject. Victoria Reis. Photo by Brian Baker. Smita Sharma. Photo courtesy of subject. Jojo Ruf. Photo by Kate Conway.

DISTRICT FRAY | 69

Words of Wisdom

Networking with other artists and makers is so important to finding your creative tribe. When you find them, the experience, creativity and joy that the right people will breathe into your life and work is absolutely invaluable – especially as a small business owner.

Learn about Steigler at www.scoutandindiana.com and follow @scoutandindiana on Instagram.

CLEMENTINE THOMAS

Bold Fork Books Owner

Mantra

You’re stronger than you think.

Words of Wisdom

Community is everything, especially for a niche concept like a cookbook store. Take the time you need to build those personal connections, and don’t be shy about sharing your enthusiasm.

Learn more about Thomas and Bold Fork Books at www.boldforkbooks.com and follow @boldforkbooks on Instagram.

BECCA WINKERT

WizardsXTRA Director

Mantra

My mantra in my personal and professional life is the “5 by 5 rule.” If it won’t matter five years from now, don’t spend more than five minutes worrying about it.

Words of Wisdom

I would encourage women in this field to continue to support each other. There is room for all of us at the table, and we all can win.

Learn more about Winkert and WizardsXTRA at www.wizardsxtra.com and follow @wizardsxtra on Instagram.

HANNAH WOLFMAN-ARENT

Sonny’s Pizza Daytime Manager + Baking Instructor

Mantra

Joy comes in the morning.

Words of Wisdom

When I’ve felt stagnant or unfulfilled by the daily grind of the restaurant world, I’ve asked if I can create new projects outside of my assigned job duties. Those projects are how I’ve regained a sense of self: getting in touch with all of my skills, leading, living out my values, taking risks. As long as you’ll be fairly compensated for any work you’re doing outside of your regular tasks, I recommend asking for what you want and going for it.

Learn more about Wolfman-Arent and Sonny’s Pizza at www.sonnyspizzadc.com and follow @shewolfout on Instagram.

70 | MARCH 2021

FROM TOP (L to R). Emily Ullo Steigler. Photo courtesy of subject. Becca Winkert.

Photo courtesy of subject. Clementine Thomas. Photo by Sam Vasfi.

Hannah Wolfman-Arent. Photo by Alanna Reeves.

Hotel Zena Highlights Inclusivity + Female Empowerment WORDS BY INGRID HARBO

Figleaf Bar & Lounge. Photos courtesy of Hotel Zena.

LIFE Hotel Zena’s facade is guarded by two fierce, larger-than-life warrior guardians. They look sternly over Thomas Circle, protecting what is inside: an oasis dedicated to supporting and celebrating women. The hotel, which opened in October 2020, is focused on inclusivity and female empowerment.

While women’s history is celebrated every month at Hotel Zena, the hotel is hosting a series of virtual and in-person events to celebrate innovative, trailblazing women for Women’s History Month in March. The events are centered around the four pillars of Hotel Zena – art, taste, giving and wellness – as extensions of the hotel’s everyday commitment to highlighting the accomplishments of women.

The Women’s History Month events mark the first round of major programming since the hotel’s opening.

From a service project early in the month supporting Logan Circle’s N Street Village, an organization providing resources to homeless and low-income women, to rooftop crystal healing on March 27, this month’s events celebrate women from all different backgrounds, experiences and walks of life.

“A lot of the speakers and series we have specifically [highlight] women of color and [are] minority-focused,” says Natalie Vachon, area marketing director. “We want to make sure everybody has a voice. We specifically chose that route because it is our responsibility to make that happen.”

On March 15, Hotel Zena is hosting an online panel discussion with the hotel’s designer, Andrea Sheehan, and two featured artists: Marilyn Artus and Chanel Compton. The hotel features over 60 pieces of original art in their collection, titled “Her.” The collection is divided into art representing ancient and mythological women, a portrait gallery, fashion-themed art, and sewing-themed art.

Figleaf Bar & Lounge. Photos courtesy of Hotel Zena.

Hotel Zena is one of few spaces dedicated solely to women in the art world, with all of its art created by women and feminists of all genders, and focused on the stories of women.

“It’s so valuable to have a space and say, ‘This is for women, this is by women,’” notes D.C.-based artist Michelle Chen.

Chen’s painting of Wai Wai Nu, a Rohingya Burmese political activist who advocates for equality in Myanmar, is featured in the hotel’s portrait gallery.

Chen and other selected artists were presented with a list of influential figures in the history of women’s rights and asked to pick one who they connected with. Chen chose to paint Nu because of their shared Asian identities.

“I didn’t see representation from this particular country and this particular experience,” Chen says of the fight for equality in Myanmar. “I wanted to suggest folks like author and activist Grace Lee Boggs and other Asian voices, and I think I went with [Nu] because that’s who I feel more personally connected to.”

Chen often features women in her work, and believes that highlighting the voices of women through art is an important aspect of representation.

“There is no single story of Asian Americans. There is no single story of womanhood.

When there are too few stories, the burden of representation ends up falling on those individuals. The more we can create and uplift in all forms of the arts – in painting, but also writing and media – the more we can be fully heard and seen and engage with the world.”

The stories of women are not only told through the art at Hotel Zena. The hotel’s Figleaf Bar & Lounge features a beverageforward menu with cocktails inspired by strong women, with names like #ImSpeaking and Earhart. Menu selections were curated by Jasmine Diaz, assistant food and beverage director, and use ingredients sourced from women-owned businesses, like 72 | MARCH 2021

Civic Vodka by Republic Restoratives in Ivy City.

On April 2, the hotel’s second dining option will open as a conclusion to their Women’s History Month programming. Hedy’s Rooftop, a rooftop lounge named after actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr, will serve small bites and cocktails. The lounge will feature a brand-new menu utilizing women-sourced ingredients, also curated by Diaz.

“We really want to make sure we’re sticking to that story,” Vachon says. “That really threads through the entire hotel, whether it’s Figleaf [or] Hedy’s Rooftop. These are spaces that women in the food and beverage industry can shine.”

The March festivities were planned with Covid safety in mind, and while Hotel Zena’s programming got off to a slow start during the pandemic, the Women’s History Month events are the start of more regular happenings at the hotel.

“We are looking at this as the first month in activations we’re planning down the road,” Vachon says. “We’re going to be pushing a lot more events like this out in the future.”

Make a reservation and find a full schedule of Women’s History Month events at Hotel Zena on www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/zena, and follow the hotel @hotelzena on Instagram. Learn more about Michelle Chen at www.shiyuart.com or follow her @shiyuart on Instagram.

Hotel Zena: 1155 14th St. NW, DC; 202-737-1200; www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/zena

ASK ALICE The Unsung Benefits of Creativity WORDS BY ALICE HU

LIFE

Creativity is really underrated for anyone outside of a creative industry. Everyone should and can utilize creativity in their lives.

Creativity tends to have a boxed definition, ironically – a definition that does not allow it to be, well, creative. To be creative is to be in a state of flow and enjoyment. Anyone can be creative. You do not need to be good at it for the benefits to make themselves known. Taking time for a creative hobby or activity will actually improve your health, mood and productivity.

What are some activities you can incorporate into your daily routine?

Starting your day with just 10 minutes of one of these activities will set a fun tone for the day.

• Doodling • Coloring • Free writing (pick up a pen and paper or open your laptop and start writing) • Painting • Learning a new instrument • Singing in the shower • Dancing • Cooking (especially when your fridge and pantry are sparse) If you are brainstorming and need a creativity boost, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Empty your mind and allow yourself to be present. Text “creativity” to 202-918-3414 and I will send you a meditation to help you tap into your creativity.

For more ideas on how to unlock your creativity, read Monica H. Kang’s book “Rethink Creativity.” Kang is the founder and CEO of D.C.-based company InnovatorsBox, and a local thought leader in reimagining creativity for the workplace. This book is filled with opportunities to reflect and explore new perspectives.

If you’re feeling uninspired in your work, how can you get back into that excitement?

You are on autopilot. Somehow everything is “meh” and you are in a rut.

It is so easy to get into this state, and honestly, it happens in cycles. Every now and then, you will find yourself uninspired and looking for something new. It just means you have outgrown something, and it is time to move on.

74 | MARCH 2021

Make a list of what is feeling “blah” in your life. If your work life is boring, then I can guarantee that energy is flowing into your personal life as well. Anything that feels stale has got to go.

To rediscover inspiration, think about your “Why?” Why are you in this industry? Why were you initially excited about this job?

I recommend spending a few hours each week (ideally one day a week) exploring your creative side. Do something new.

This shift in focus will help you rediscover your inspiration for your work, or it will show you that you need to pursue a new path. Either way, it will be good for your soul and your spirit.

Need some tools to help you get creative? Visit Cherry Blossom Creative in Brookland or online for amazing journals, pens and other creative goods.

Looking for workshops? Femme Fatale DC hosts wonderful gatherings and workshops by local womxn makers that truly ignite your creative skills. Subscribe to their newsletter to learn about the next event. Visit their online shop for products to add to your wellness routine.

Follow Cherry Blossom Creative on Instagram @cherryblossomhq and check out www.cherryblossomcreative.com for more. Learn more about Femme Fatale DC at www.femmefataledc.com or on Instagram at @femmefataledc. Check out InnovatorsBox at www.innovatorsbox.com and follow them on Instagram @innovatorsbox.

Ask Alice is a new column by Alice Hu of Woo Woo Company.

Hu is a local D.C. expert on mindfulness and her business is all about introducing crystals, manifestation, meditation, energy healing and more in a practical and accessible way. Get all of your spirituality and woo woo questions answered or ask any question to get a spiritual answer back. Text Hu at 202-918-3414 or shoot her an email at hello@woowoocompany.com. Follow her on Instagram @woowooco and learn more at www.woowoocompany.com.

Alice Hu. Photo courtesy of subject.

PLAY

YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND, BABY, RIGHT ROUND

ROLLER SKATING 101 IN 2021

WORDS BY COURTNEY SEXTON | ILLUSTRATION BY JAMES COREAS

PLAY | BEGINNER’S GUIDE Okay. I admit it. I succumbed to the hype of trending TikTok videos. Deep in the throes of pandemic summer, I scrolled for hours – literal hours – through videos of gorgeous ladies (and funny dudes) on roller skates, tube socks meeting tanned thighs, floating down California boulevards with the wind in their hair.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one mesmerized by the saccharine nostalgia of the viral phenomenon – roller skate inventory sold out.

As the pandemic wore on and boredom, loneliness and opportunities to stay active seemed to dwindle, I kept California dreaming.

Then, at some point in the fall, my friend Kristen Zory King posted a story looking fly in her teal and pink Impalas. I had no idea she was a roller girl, right here in D.C. Not too long after that, I met artist Khadija Jahmila at an outdoor popup art market hosted by local makers collective Femme Fatale DC. I loved the collage piece I bought from Jahmila and started following her on Instagram. Lo and behold – another skater girl.

“That’s it,” I declared to myself (and maybe the dog). “I’m doing this!”

I did some research (a.k.a. watched a lot of YouTube videos) to determine what type of skates would be best for a beginner. Finally, I settled on a pair of iridescent silver Impalas with glittery teal wheels and matching laces, and purchased them as a Christmas gift to myself.

I grew up in the ‘90s, so inline skates or rollerblades – not quads (roller skates) – were all the rage. My best friend Julie and I would lace up and play street hockey in front of her house every day after school. One of my most vivid memories from that time is when I – still wearing my blades – “Sandlot”-style beat the shit out of one of the other neighborhood kids after he tried to take one of us down.

So, I thought, “Hell. I’m practically a pro already. I’ll be cruising through Rock Creek, down U Street and along the waterfront in no time.”

This is the part where we ignore the fact that I haven’t put on a pair of skates in 20 years. And let me tell you: While it’s true I haven’t had many opportunities to break these beautiful gals in, I can report this. Roller skating. Is. Not. Easy. It is work, and it’s a workout. Expect your shins to burn and your thighs and glutes to give you that good hurt.

Still, even through the stumbling and wouldbe skinned knees, flailing arms, and feeling silly, there is something incredibly freeing about just letting go and feeling the wheels fly beneath you as the ground gives way. And when you’re focusing so hard on ah, ah, ah ah-staying alive, you can forget for a moment the whirl of the world around you. That’s right: Channel your inner Stevie Nicks, girl. You got this.

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Is Skating the New Calling Card of Creative Babes?

We caught up with two local skater girls about what drew them to roller skating, why it’s tough and what makes it worth it to each of them.

Poet, Essayist + MoonLit Founder Kristen Zory King District Fray: When did you start roller skating, and why?

Kristen Zory King: As a kid, I did a lot of roller skating at the local rink, which was the hotspot for birthday parties. There was a dance corner with a fog machine for kids who didn’t want to skate, but I was all about the rink, whipping around each curve as fast as I could under the black light with Cher blasting overhead. As birthday parties shifted to sleepovers and the like, I stopped skating until I was in my late 20s. I had a pretty difficult winter in 2019 and as a treat for myself, bought a bright turquoise pair of Impala roller skates with hot pink laces for the spring. I was so excited when they arrived and have been relearning to skate ever since, [for] about two years now.

What is the hardest thing about being a beginner skater?

The hardest thing for me is the limits of my own body and mind. I was an athletic kid and skating came easily to me. As a less active adult, I have been surprised to find myself more cautious and somewhat fearful than I ever was as a kid. I guess that’s in part because I’m higher from the ground now, so a fall feels like it could be more catastrophic. In addition, I’m just less, well, bendy than I used to be.

What do you like about skating?

I find a lot of joy in movement, in particular the whirlwind flow of skating.

I often find myself laughing when I skate around, just out of the sheer thrill of delicious forward motion. That’s what I like most about it: getting lost in the movement and momentum. I also love being outside [and] working up a good sweat under the sun and sky.

Learn more about Zory King at www.kristenzoryking.com.

Collage Artist Khadija Jahmila District Fray: When did you start skating, and why? Why inline skates as opposed to roller skates?

Khadija Jahmila: When I was 6, there was a neighborhood kid with rollerblades. We’d all take turns trying them on and trying our luck. As lockdown and stay-at-home orders extended, I decided to invest in some hobbies of interest: rollerblading, tap dancing and indoor gardening. I started skating in July of 2020 and the choice between rollerblades (inlines) [and] roller skates (quads) was decided based on what was available at my local thrift store. For $5.99, I could not resist.

What is the hardest thing about being a beginner?

Members of my skate family have been skating for over 20 years. Sometimes, I’m intimidated and crippled with performance anxiety. Getting over the fear of falling and smashing my face or looking silly is definitely up there on my list of newbie hardships.

What do you like about inline skating?

Nostalgia finds me when I’m flowing around on my aggressive skates. A feel-good memory that comes to mind is my first official hill bomb flying down a massive incline – feet vibrating and tears rushing away from my eyes. It’s liberation.

Follow Jahmila on Instagram @khadija.jahmila and learn more about her work at www.khadijajahmila.com.

A Few Pointers • Do your research. Find a solid pair of skates that won’t break the bank but will support you. Make sure to get a metal and not a plastic frame.

• Remember your protective gear. Seriously. Get this before you even get your skates: a helmet at the very least, but wrist guards and knee pads are also crucial – especially when just starting out.

• Stay lower to the ground to find your center of balance. Crouch like a tiger.

Where to Skate Around the DMV Anacostia Skate Pavilion: 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE, DC; www.nps.gov/anac Laurel Roller Skating Center: 9890 Brewers Ct. Laurel, MD; www.laurelskatingcenter.com Maloof Skate Plaza at RFK Stadium: 1522 East Capitol St. NE, DC; www.eventsdc.com/venue/skate-park-rfk-campus Powhatan Springs Skatepark: 6020 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA; https://parks.arlingtonva.us/locations

• Don’t be afraid to fall, but try to fall forward when you do.

Skate Zone: 1082 Route 3 South @ Capitol Raceway Rd. Crofton, MD; www.sk8zone.com

• Empty parking lots are great places to practice.

Wakefield Skate Park: 8100 VA-620, Annandale, VA; www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks

Where to Buy Roller Skates Impalas can be purchased online at www.impalarollerskates.com and www.zumiez.com, and at stores like Walmart and Zappos.

SEEN

DC Fray and The Boro Tysons hosted three sold-out drive-in movie nights over Valentine’s Day weekend. Screenings included “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Valentine’s Day” and more. Guests enjoyed the films alongside complimentary treats and hot chocolate by Paris Baguette. Photos by Joe Jasper.

DISTRICT FRAY | 77

Spring Has Sprung 10 WAYS TO GET OUTSIDE IN THE DMV WORDS BY INGRID HARBO 78 | MARCH 2021

PLAY After a winter of Zoom everything – meetings, workouts, happy hours – it’s time to get outside this spring. As the days get longer and the District warms up, take a break from your computer screen for some fresh air. Whether you choose to take a safely distanced workout class, hike on a new trail or try a new sport, the ways to get outside and active this spring are endless. Here’s a list to get you started.

Bike the W&OD Trail Spend a balmy spring afternoon with your bike and some brews.

The Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail is a 45-mile paved trail in Virginia dotted with bars and breweries, and even if you choose to do a shorter ride, nearly every stretch has somewhere to get a drink within a 1.5-mile radius. Some notable stops directly on the trail are Caboose Tavern in Vienna (mile 12), Bike Lane Brewing and Café in Reston (mile 16.5) and Old Ox Brewery in Ashburn (between miles 25 and 25.5).

Learn more about the W&OD on www.novaparks.com and @novaparks on Instagram.

Bike Lane Brewing and Café: 11150 Sunset Hills Rd. Reston, VA; www.thebikelane.com // @bikelanebrewing on Instagram Caboose Tavern: 520 Mill St. NE, Vienna, VA; www.caboosebrewing.com // @caboosetavern on Instagram

who want to feel the energy of community and togetherness once again, while treating themselves to mindful movement and self-care,” says Erin Sonn, yoga instructor and founder of Eat. Yoga.Beer. “We’re all ready to bust loose, release stress and fear, and fill up with happiness and hope once again. Namaste and cheers to all that.”

Eat.Yoga.Drink: www.eatyogadrink.com // @eatyogadrink on Instagram Fair Winds Brewing: 7000 Newington Rd. Suites K&L, Lorton, VA; www.fairwindsbrewing.com // @fairwindsbrew on Instagram Rocket Frog Brewing Company: 222560 Glenn Dr. Sterling, VA; www.rocketfrogbeer.com // @rocketfrogbrewing on Instagram

Join a Sports League Grab your mask for game time. Join a sports league with DC Fray this spring for a way to get outside, stay fit and meet new people.

If you’re looking for a more athletic experience, try flag football, soccer or volleyball. If the social aspect is more your forte, go for bocce, cornhole or trivia.

DC Fray: www.dcfray.com // @dcfray on Instagram

Play Disc Golf

The DMV is full of fun, festive virtual and in-person races to compete in this spring. Test your luck in the Virtual Lucky Leprechaun 5K, which runs through March 31. Check out the blooms while completing the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Virtual 10-Mile Run between March 20 and April 11. Support veterans at Boulder Crest Retreat by running in the Boulder Crest 5K, 10K or half-marathon on March 20 or We Rock Cancer by competing in the in-person Rock Creek 5K and 10K on March 27.

Take a walk in the park with a game of disc golf. With rules much like regular golf, the goal is to throw a disc from the tee pad toward the target, which is a metal basket that catches the disc. The DMV is home to many disc golf courses, including Bluemount Park in Arlington, Virginia and Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Seneca Creek’s disc golf course features 27 holes and is surrounded by scenic forest and streams.

It is also becoming an increasingly popular spot for people to try out the sport. “We are currently seeing a huge influx of new disc golf players and park visitors,” says Shelby Smith, a park ranger at Seneca Creek. “We encourage park users to plan ahead or visit during the week, as the park often fills to capacity on nice weekends.”

Boulder Crest 5K, 10K and Half: www.bouldercrest.org // @bouldercrestfoundation on Instagram

Learn about Seneca Creek Disc Golf on www.dnr.maryland.gov or @marylanddnr on Instagram.

Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run: www.cherryblossom.org // @cucb on Instagram

Seneca Creek State Park: 11950 Clopper Rd. Gaithersburg, MD

Old Ox Brewery: 44652 Guilford Dr. Unit 114, Ashburn, VA; www.oldoxbrewery.com // @oldoxbrewery on Instagram

Compete in a Road Race

Virtual Lucky Leprechaun 5K: www.potomacriverrunning.com // @potomactiverrunning on Instagram Rock Creek 5K and 10K: www.werockcancer.org // @werockcancer on Instagram

Take a Yoga + Beer Class Eat.Yoga.Drink’s mission is to create “traditional yoga and mindfulness experiences in nontraditional spaces.” Yoga in a brewery is just that. This spring, Eat.Yoga.Beer is hosting outdoor classes at Fair Winds Brewing Company in Lorton, Virginia and Rocket Frog Brewing Company in Sterling, Virginia, where yogis can enjoy an hour of vinyasa flow followed by a craft beer. “We welcome people to these safely spaced outdoor classes 305 Fitness class at Union Market. Photo courtesy of EDENS.

Hike the Billy Goat Trail The Billy Goat Trail is a rugged, 2-mile long path along the Potomac Gorge. The change in altitude of the land by the gorge allows for a unique combination of animals and plants to live and grow there. In the spring, the area is host to many wildflowers and birds. Due to the proximity of the trail to the river, it is closed after any conditions that could result in high river levels, like heavy rain or snow melt.

Learn more about Bear Island on www.dnr.maryland.gov or @marylanddnr on Instagram.

Billy Goat Trail: 11710 MacArthur Blvd. Potomac, MD

DISTRICT FRAY | 79

PLAY

Hike Shenandoah National Park

Take a Class with Cut Seven

Shenandoah has countless trails to explore, but here are a few ideas to get you started. In just a mile-and-a-half, Stony Man Trail starts on the Appalachian Trail, loops around Stony Man Mountain and leads to a scenic lookout. The Hawksbill Gap Loop is 2.6 miles of moderately difficult trail that offers a view of the Shenandoah Valley. The South River Falls Trail is a moderately difficult 3.3-mile loop leading to an 83-foot-tall waterfall. The park has an entrance fee of $30 per vehicle, but once in, all trails are free to explore.

Cut Seven workouts are on a rotating schedule and isolate certain muscle groups each day. The studio has a 2,000-squarefoot, open-air studio outfitted with all the equipment needed for workouts, where athletes can stay socially distanced while warming up and moving between stations. The studio offers special discounted rates for beginners, so you can try it out before committing to a membership.

Shenandoah National Park: www.nps.gov/shen // @shenandoahnps on Instagram

Visit Massanutten Resort

HUSTLE

Try a 305 Fitness Class Dance your cares away at an outdoor 305 Fitness class on Union Market’s rooftop. With all participants distanced and masked, these classes are a safe and fun way to burn some calories. “305 Outdoors is a place where you can not only get your daily dose of Vitamin D, but also safely connect with others within your community,” says Eleby, HARDDionne EVERY DAYa 305 Fitness instructor. “The 305 community has been, and will always be, a safe space where you can authentically be yourself without judgment.” Each class is $20 but free for 305 Fitness members. Classes are Monday and Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and RESULTS COMEatFROM Sundays 9:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.

HUSTLE

Cut Seven: www.cutseven.com // @cutseven on Instagram

Massanutten Resort’s 6,000 acres of land provide many opportunities to get out this spring. Ski season isn’t over yet, and it’s cheaper (and warmer) than ever.

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Leading the League T h e W N B A’ s N a t a s h a C l o u d o n B r e a k i n g B a r r i e r s + I n s p i r i n g D . C .

WORDS BY KAYLA MARSH We no longer associate athletes with just their sport or team.

The bar is set high, and we see these public figures for who they are: their personalities, their charity work, the impact they’re making in their communities. And in a city like D.C., we applaud that in a major way.

I make sure to let WNBA champion Natasha Cloud know just how highly she’s thought of in the District, and she doesn’t take that lightly. She sees it as an opportunity to inspire, do what’s right and set an example for so many. I chat with Cloud about how she’s navigated the pandemic, her decision to forego the 2020 WNBA season with the Mystics and making an impact.

In the middle of getting married to softball player Aleshia Ocasio and adding two quarantine puppies to the mix, locking down gym time, and protesting downtown next to fellow D.C. basketball player Bradley Beal, she’s had time to reflect and adjust her mantra to a positive, uplifting message.

“I’m determined to make 2021 the year of Black joy,” she says.

“I’m trying to meet every morning with ‘What am I thankful for today? What am I blessed with today?’ Just reminding myself that even during these times, I’m extremely blessed: for my health, my wife’s health, my family’s health, and that we’re able to provide for our families during this time.”

The Philadelphia native sat out the 2020 WNBA season to FIRST PAGE. Photo by Rich Kessler Photography. SECOND PAGE. Photos courtesy of the Mystics.

fight for social reform, which was “the hardest decision I’ve had to make this far in my career.” This also meant she had to forfeit her salary for the season. Luckily, Converse signed Cloud to a sponsorship as their first-ever WNBA player, offering to cover her salary in addition to making a $25,000 donation to a grassroots Philadelphia organization of her choice. “[The Black Lives Matter movement] is bigger than me putting on the Mystics jersey,” she says. “I [have] a God-given platform, and I’m extremely thankful for it because I can be a voice for the voiceless. As professional athletes, we get put on this pedestal to where we [seem] untouchable. To be present is to be impactful.

So, take me off that pedestal. I want to stand in these marches. I want to listen. I want to be in these hard conversations with big businesses and grassroots organizations, and I didn’t feel like I could be a champion on the court and in my community. My heart was with the community, so that’s what I chose to do.”

Cloud chooses to use her platform for good every day – from publicly pressuring the District to turn the Mystics’ home base, the Entertainment & Sports Arena (ESA) in Southeast D.C., into a public polling location for Ward 8 to leading the 2020 Juneteenth march in D.C. with the Wizards. Feeling the trauma of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery motivates her to be in the moment and push for a better future.

DISTRICT FRAY | 81

PLAY “It’s not just talking the talk, it’s actually walking the walk,” she says, “[and] making sure we’re holding people accountable to make it more easily accessible for Black and brown communities to vote and be safe doing so. Every emotion – from fear to anger to confusion to hopelessness – you’re feeling every bit of that as a Black American. It was understanding this moment [and] this movement are bigger than the game of basketball. This is bigger than this season.”

While she opted out, she’s still proud of the women who went into the 2020 WNBA bubble, raised awareness and used their spotlight to push for change.

“There’s not one right way to go about being an advocate and fighting for social reform. Every piece of this is a necessary piece.”

Cloud notes the additional league assistance that came from NBA star Kyrie Irving, who committed $1.5 million to help pay the salaries of players who opted out last season. She also highlights the WNBA’s decision to offer a financial literacy course for players to learn how to better handle their money.

“That was huge,” she says. “It’s things people think we have, and we’ve never even had [those] opportunities or resources.”

A more recent WNBA change that sparked excitement and a step in the right direction was the announcement of the Atlanta Dream ownership shift from former Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who showed opposition to the league’s racial justice initiatives, to former Atlanta Dream Guard Renee Montgomery as part of a three-member investor group. “[Loeffler] tried to use that team in that organization as political gain, [and] outwardly spoke hate, discrimination and racism into the world. It’s completely opposite of what our league stands for. That’s a huge boss-ass move by Renee Montgomery, and I’m so proud of her for breaking barriers for CEO and ownership roles for future WNBA players, and women in 82 | MARCH 2021

general. When you talk about who we want to be and identify as, and what our morals [and] values are, [Montgomery buying] the team is such better ownership for moving forward as a league. It’s just the right move.”

October 10, 2019 marked the first WNBA championship in Washington Mystics history.

However, the team did not get to properly bask in their championship glory. The pandemic canceled the parade, and several players had to go overseas the week following the win.

“We fought for each other, for this organization. We fought for a championship for D.C. and our fans. I really want them to have this moment with us together, because it’s our first. Fingers crossed [for] when we get back to things [being] kind of controlled by this summer – I hope we have that chance to embrace it with our fans. I’m hopeful that with this new administration and handing out these vaccines [and] making sure our communities are getting them, that we’ll be able to slow the curve of this pandemic [and] get back to normal at some point.”

Between D.C. and her home outside of Philadelphia, it’s been tough for Cloud to get gym time and start her conditioning process for the upcoming season. Like most, she’s been able to turn her basement into a home gym to slowly amp herself back up and get into shape, complete with a Peloton.

“That [Peloton] kicks my ass,” she laughs. “But I think I have a lot to prove again. People are people – doubting me and counting me out because I did sit a year out. But I’ve been an underdog all my life, so this is just adding fuel to the fire. I’m ready to be back in D.C., whenever that may be.”

As a 5-foot-9 scoring guard named second-team all-defense in 2019, and a vocal leader with a “bigger-than-basketball” mentality and a championship in hand, Cloud embraces the pressure put on her as both an athlete and an activist.

“At the end of the day, if all I did was bring a championship to D.C., then I failed because I didn’t help my community. I didn’t do what I could with my platform to help the next person. So, that pressure is a privilege to me.”

The Mystics are in talks with Cloud for a long-term deal heading into her seventh year. And while she hopes to be settled back in D.C. and signed by April, she has an important message for all of us in the District as she plans to visit different vaccination locations to offer people “the calmness and safeness of me being there.”

“I want to be present in the community and I want everyone to be vaccinated,” she says. “I understand the fears of not feeling 100% comfortable with the vaccine and our government, but we need to understand that this pandemic has disproportionately affected the Black and brown community. It has affected our community and plagued it the worst. If you’re hesitant or

skeptical about it, please reach out to me. I will be coming to D.C. and will purposely be doing a video of me getting both of my shots. If you’re eligible, please go out and get it. Our lives really do depend on it, and this is the part of pushing to get out of this pandemic. Everyone needs to get it.”

It’s refreshing and inspiring to see a professional athlete from another city have so much love for the place they represent. And Cloud doesn’t hold back on any of it.

“It’s a second home to me,” she says of D.C. “To have that love for your organization [and] diversity in your city, it’s the most beautiful thing. It’s like a melting pot for different cultures to come to. To be in one of the most powerful cities in the entire world – it’s been a true blessing to be able to spend my career here.”

Cloud further applauds the District with a nod to Beal’s success on the court: namely, his recent All-Star Game selection and league-leading stats. She points out that every city isn’t as lucky to have such a special bond between the NBA and WNBA team, mentioning that Wizards newcomer Russell Westbrook says it’s his first time having a women’s team in the city he’s playing for.

“We truly do have something special here in D.C. [The Wizards are] really good people who show us love and respect during our seasons, too. There’s a brother and sisterhood that goes way beyond the corridor, just seeing each other at the ESA. We care about each other.”

To keep up with Cloud, follow her on Instagram at @t_cloud9.

For more information on the Mystics, visit http://mystics.wnba.com.

Update: Since this interview was conducted, Cloud has signed a multi-year contract with the Mystics.

LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO? District Fray Magazine has you covered with a robust calendar full of new + exciting events, ranging from virtual to in-person.

VISIT DISTRICTFRAY.COM/EVENTS

DISTRICT FRAY | 83

FUN

THE ARTS + CULTURE CROSSWORD WORDS BY INGRID HARBO

Think you know a lot about art history or D.C.’s art scene? Put your knowledge of arts and culture to the test with this puzzle featuring local and national museums, theaters, and works of art. Hint: Reading all the articles in our March 2021 issue will help you out.

1

2 5

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8 10

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12 13

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18

17 20

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25

27 29

28 30 31

32 35

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33 36

37 39

38 41

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43 44 45

46 48

47 49

51

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84 | MARCH 2021

NOTE: Check www.districtfray.com for the answer key.

ACROSS 2. Last name of artist known for pouring, dripping and splashing paint on canvases

26. New York art museum featuring Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”

6. City home to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (2 words)

27. Gallery started by Teddy Rodger and Allison Nance (2 words)

9. Style that borrows from sources like television, comics and advertisements (2 words)

28. The process of making an old work of art look like new again

10. Last name of Mexican artist known for her self-portraits

30. Theater in the District named after a prehistoric relative of the elephant (2 words)

13. Artistic style of dance in which dancers wear pointe shoes

33. Art style of Rembrandt, Nicolas Poussin and Peter Paul Rubens

14. Booklet received at the beginning of a performance detailing the show

35. Local music awards show

15. “Break a leg” (2 words)

36. Word to describe colors located on opposite sides of the color wheel

16. Arthur Miller play set to be a part of Shakespeare Theatre’s 2020/21 season

37. A Southwest D.C. Baptist Church turned arts and events venue (2 words)

18. Includes the colors red, blue and yellow

42. A cylindrical museum in the District

23. Museum that records the American experience through art

43. “Star Wars” villain featured as a gargoyle on the Washington National Cathedral (2 words)

25. D.C. theater company and “Richard III” author

46. Person who organizes art exhibitions 49. The town where true Renaissance man Leonardo was born 51. Museum where you can find many smiling faces (2 words) 54. A material commonly used by both Michelangelo and monument builders 55. Neighborhood home to gallery in an abandoned underground streetcar station (2 words) 56. Where to buy tickets to a theatre performance (2 words) 57. Museum “dedicated to championing women through the arts” 58. Performing arts center named after the 35th president 59. First name of a post-impressionist painter with a self-portrait in the National Gallery of Art

45. New York museum that hosts “fashion’s biggest night out”

DOWN 1. Hispanic theater in Columbia Heights 2. Last name of Cubist movement co-founder 5. First name of D.C. artist who painted activist Wai Wai Nu for Hotel Zena

21. The type of book that inspires the work of tattoo artist Imani K. Brown 22. Period of time known for a “rebirth” of classical art

40. Professional performances in New York performed in a theater with more than 500 seats 41. This D.C. museum has a red Cadillac owned by Chuck Berry

6. Style of Salvador Dalí

24. Edward Hopper’s depiction of a 24-hour diner

7. Italian museum where you can find Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”

26. Last name of artist who often painted Japanese bridges

45. Art found on the walls of buildings around the District

8. “The Scottish Play”

29. Art center in Alexandria building that used to manufacture naval munitions (2 words)

46. Art made of heat-hardened clay

11. Architecture style that uses concrete as its primary material; found in Hirshhorn and D.C. Metro 12. Wooden surface where artist mixes paint 17. Last name of a New York artist whose artwork often featured a crown with three peaks

31. D.C. theater where President Lincoln was assassinated 32. Artwork an artist makes of themselves (2 words)

44. Home of the Mona Lisa

47. City home to the Andy Warhol Museum 48. Old alarm system now decorated with cast-iron sculptures of women (2 words) 50. George Washington University’s art school

34. Iconic Americana painting by Grant Wood (2 words)

52. Area of D.C. nicknamed “Black Broadway” from 1900s-1960s (2 words)

19. Artist behind black and white mural once on the side of Union Market

38. Gallery, store and gathering place located in the Union Market area (2 words)

53. Dramatic performance where all dialogue is sung

20. A D.C. hotel with over 60 female-focused art pieces

39. Fancy word for actor DISTRICT FRAY | 85

IN OTHER WORDS For Whitney White, classic works of theatre like those by Shakespeare and Arthur Miller not only stand the test of time, they tell the stories of today. After directing James Baldwin’s “The Amen Corner” at Shakespeare Theatre Company in February 2020, White was hired as an associate director at the theater, where she helps develop artistic works and programming with a focus on diversity and inclusion.

The Brooklynite talked to District Fray about approaching the classics through a contemporary lens, and the importance of inclusivity in theatre – both on and off the stage.

District Fray: What drew you to the world of theatre?

Whitney White: My gateway to theatre was music. I started singing right away in the choir. The first play I was ever in was a production of “Rumpelstiltskin.” Interestingly enough, I loved performing. But I never knew that theatre could be for me. I think it’s really interesting how many barriers can be up in the world of arts. It can be a very cost prohibitive world you’re discouraged from because people don’t see it as valid. I understand all those barriers, but storytellers are storytellers, and they should have avenues to express themselves. I came to the world of theatre as a performer, then found that I wanted to tell stories in a more world-encompassing way. That is how I found directing and writing.

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY’S

WHITNEY WHITE ON APPROACHING THE CLASSICS

THROUGH A CONTEMPORARY LENS WORDS BY INGRID HARBO

86 | MARCH 2021

How can the classics be approached in an inclusive way?

I never really understood the exercise of doing a Shakespeare play and trying to recreate it just exactly as Shakespeare did it. We were not alive then. Shakespeare was a living playwright responding to the conditions, culture and world around him in the now. Why wouldn’t we use his texts to respond to the now that we are living in? It just seems natural to me. I’m a Black woman living in the now. When I read “The Crucible,” a play about a teenage girl who falls in love with a married man who doesn’t treat her well, and she stands up and says, “You can’t treat me this way, I’m going to set this town on fire,” I find that very contemporary. I don’t have

to pretend I’m a Puritan in that settlement. I can explore it as a woman would in the now. I feel like treating classics with this contemporary lens is more honest. I’m not going to be so egotistical to assume that I’m going to recreate Arthur Miller’s production. I’m going to make a production that reflects the world I live in.

How will the increased focus on racial justice in the United States impact the theatre industry?

We’re living in a time where so many things have been exposed.

It’s not that they haven’t been there, but because of this pause we’ve all been in, we have time to look at things we haven’t been able to look at before. Exploring racial justice both onstage and behind the stage – in terms of who is in leadership positions, who has the power, who has the authority, who has access to funding, who has the right to play in the American theatre – I think it could all have really positive outcomes. Art making will only get better if everyone is invited to do it to the best of their ability. And therefore, our conversations and political discourse will also be better.

Why is it important to have diversity off the stage in theatre?

People are very used to persons of color entertaining them. I’m sure half of the people who might read this article could sing a Cardi B or Beyoncé song, or they loved Michelle Obama’s outfit at inauguration. But when you look at the people who own the theaters nationwide, run the stages and approve the budgets, you’re looking at almost no diversity at all. There’s a reason why a small percentage of plays on Broadway have been written by Black people. Until we have greater diversity behind the scenes, not much will change structurally. It’s not just about who’s entertaining you onstage, it’s about who’s making the decisions.

What advice do you have for other Black women in theatre?

Keep at it. Find your voice. If there’s a story you’re passionate about and interested in, keep at that story. Find a way to make the art you want to make right now. Don’t wait for someone to give you permission to do it.

What is special about working in D.C. compared to other cities?

Besides Ted’s Bulletin, which makes the best fried chicken sandwich I’ve had in a long time, I think what makes D.C. so special is that it has a thriving theatre community. Woolly Mammoth, Ford’s, Signature – there’s all these incredible theaters there that are each producing their own unique work.

What makes D.C. most exciting for me is the possibility for conversation. You can do a play where you feel like you’re really in dialogue with an audience from lots of different sectors.

You’re not getting the same group of people every show. Ruth Bader Ginsburg came to one show, “The Amen Corner,” and that was such a gift. And there are also people coming from outside the D.C. and tristate area.

How has Covid changed the work you do at Shakespeare?

I think the pandemic has made me rethink accessibility.

Theatre is very cost prohibitive. It remains an elitist art form in that way. Not everyone can go upstairs to get to their seat.

Physical and socioeconomic accessibility is what Covid is making me think about. How can we give more away to more people?

What kind of projects are you working on?

I’m working on an incredible play by Aleshea Harris. It’s called “On Sugarland.” I think it’s one of the best plays I’ve ever read in my life. It packs so much soul power – emotional, visceral power that brings you to your knees – and also, things that make you laugh so hard. It’s just an incredible play. “The Crucible” is the other thing. We’re dreaming on that being inperson later this season, but I’m also scheming on what sort of awesome digital content we can put forward.

Learn more about White at www.whitney-white.com. Stay updated on Shakespeare Theatre Company’s current season at www.shakespearetheatre.org or follow @shakespeareindc on Instagram.

Favorite play? “Buried Child” by Sam Shepard. Favorite musical? “Passing Strange” by Stew.

Must-go place in D.C.? Ted’s Bulletin. Last theatre performance you saw in person? It was a production of “My Brilliant Friend” in London at the National Theatre, and it was stunning. What are you looking forward to this year? The audience. I’ll never take an audience for granted again. What was your favorite acting role? Lady Macbeth. I performed this series of concert plays with my band called “Reach for It.” I played a Lady Macbeth inspired by Tina Turner. Dream role? My collaborators and I just wrote a new kind of musical theatre piece called “Capsule.” We really hope to do that live, and that would be a dream role. Dream actor or actress to work with? Angela Bassett and Mahershala Ali. What are three words you would use to describe yourself? Hopeful, enthusiastic, rigorous. What is Shakespeare Theatre Company’s best work? All the work they’ve done in dialogue with the now has been their best work, which is a lot. What about Shakespeare the writer? “Richard III,” hands down. What is a song you’ve been listening to lately? I really love “Agoraphobia” by Deerhunter.

Whitney White. Photo by Melissa Bunni Elian.

DISTRICT FRAY | 87

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