New Arts Services Organization - City Artistic Partnerships

Matty Griffiths, a mainstay of DC's theater scene, has just created a new organization that should be a great resource to DC area artists - City Artistic Partnerships. CAP’s initial focus will be on the visual arts, performance art, music, and live theater presented in a host of venues around the city.

Matty says "CAP will connect artists with vital resources needed to get their work out there. We live in a vibrant arts community, however many artists still need support and are often unaware of where to find it.” So check out his web site - CAP - and be on the look out for lots of good things, including 7x1 Samurai at the Warehouse in October

New Executive Director for Arts and Humanities

Mayor Fenty has named Gloria Nauden as the new Executive Director of the Arts and Humanities Commission, to replace Tony Gittens. From the press release:

Gloria Nauden is the founder of Radar Entertainment Group, a District-based boutique marketing and video production company. Radar provides specialized marketing services to companies such as Verizon, Lincoln Mercury, Moet Hennessy and XM Satellite Radio. Nauden previously worked as an executive at Black Entertainment Television in the Strategic Business Development division successfully managing a $12 million development budget with 250 employees spanning three states. Nauden has lived in the District for almost 20 years, and serves as a volunteer at numerous civic organizations including, Parklands Community Center; Sasha Bruce House; Foods & Friends; The Covenant House; Thurgood Marshall Center; and House of Ruth. Nauden currently serves on the DC Arts and Humanities Commission.

Proposed Amendments to Zoning Regulations Governing the Arts

Find the Proposed Amendments to be discussed at the Sept 18 Zoning Commission Hearing by clicking here.

DC Zoning - some links

If you are interested in more information about DC Zoning, you can find the DC Office of Zoning's website here.
For Zoning Maps, go to Maps.
For information about Zoning Districts, go to this Summary.
And to see brief descriptions of various Overlay Districts, including three that relate to the arts, go here.

DC Zoning Commission - Public Hearing on the Arts

Thursday September 18 at at 630pm at 441 4th St. NW, the DC  Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the recommended changes to the Zoning Code in the areas of Arts and Culture. There has been little publicity for this event, but it is an important one for DC artists.

I was part of the working group that worked through a number of ideas and came up with a series of recommendations based on a look at codes in other cities and an analysis of the success and failures of the current DC code as it relates to artists and arts lovers.

You can see some of our recommendations by clicking here. These have gone through one set of review, at the staff level, and now will be the topic of the hearing on September 18.

Theater Resources Unlimited - Artist Resource

Another organization based in NY is the Theater Resources Unlimited.

TRU was formed to promote a spirit of cooperation and support within the general theatre community by providing information and a variety of entertainment-related services and resources that strengthen the capacity of producing organizations, individuals producers, self-producing artists and other theater professionals.

If you are in or around New York next week, they are holding a talk - How to Run a Theater Company (Without It Running Your Life) .

Fractured Atlas - Artist Resource

Cool organization based in NYC, but serving artists all over.

Fractured Atlas is a non-profit organization that serves a national community of artists and arts organizations. Our programs and services facilitate the creation of art by offering vital support to the artists who produce it. We help artists and arts organizations function more effectively as businesses by providing access to funding, healthcare, education, and more, all in a context that honors their individuality and independent spirit.

They have an innovative liability insurance program that offers affordable insurance coverage for events, public art, teaching, and much more.
Plus lots of other programs - check out the full web site here.

Artist Housing - Hyattsville, MD

Renaissance Square, a new artist apartment development in Hyattsville MD that is part of the Gateway Arts District, is now renting.

Just steps away from Hyattsville's Route 1 Corridor, Housing Initiative Partnership (HIP) is building 44 new units of green, affordable housing. One and two bedroom units will be available to households earning between $19,850 and $39,350. Actual income limits will be based on household size. Rents will range from $375 to $900 per month - utilities are not included.

Amenities for the residents include:
High ventilation workroom.
Computer room. Two computers to have high speed internet access and graphics arts software.
Music practice room.
3,000 square foot shared studio space.
High visibility gallery/community space.

More information at Renaissance Square

Space Resource - Cultural Development Corporation

Anne Corbett runs an organization that helps put artists and arts organizations in touch with developers. Lots of info at CulturalDC.org

Artists can join the Red Circle, a creative network with access to seminars, openings and advice, for only $75/year.

New Development - Brookland

DCMud reports on the release of the Brookland Small Area Plan, by the Office of Planning. A full rundown at the link below, but it includes this nugget about Arts and Culture -

Beyond purely commercial endeavors, the Plan also makes several recommendations for making Brookland a cultural draw. These include the establishment of a Brookland Arts/Cultural District that would offer incentives to local organizations, such as Dance Place and the DC Film Alliance, for their participation.

At this preliminary stage, no developers or retailers have laid claim to the Brookland project and no firm timeline has been established for redevelopment efforts. With the Plan’s proposal for extensive restructuring of the neighborhood's basic infrastructure – from extending key roadways to altering traffic light times - it’s a safe bet that any proposed construction should be considered “coming soon” until further notice.

Click on this LINK to read the entire post on DC Mud.