Minnesota Avenue Main Street Hosts Second Art All Night on Minnesota Avenue NE
Saturday's free art festival presented by Mayor Bowser celebrates local artists, strengthens Main Streets
WASHINGTON, September 13, 2019 (Newswire.com) - The Minnesota Avenue Main Street, an initiative of the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Inc. (Wacif), announced today that it would be hosting Art All Night on the Minnesota Avenue commercial corridor, joining Mayor Muriel Bowser, the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD), the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) and Main Streets organizations across the city to celebrate local artists in a free, overnight arts festival taking place from 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 14th through 3:00 a.m. the following morning. Art All Night on Minnesota Avenue will feature sip and paint sessions, go-go, hand dancing, yoga, mural painting, and much more.
“Minnesota Avenue is a central destination to celebrate the artists, creators, and innovators who shape our culture and keep the creative economy thriving in Ward 7,” said Wacif Executive Director Harold Pettigrew. “We look forward to joining Mayor Bowser, DSLBD, DCCAH, our neighbors, and residents throughout the ward and the city in celebration of this Art All Night on Minnesota Avenue annual tradition.”
Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC was first produced in 2011 by Ariana Austin and Alexander Padro of Shaw Main Streets and funded with a grant from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The original festival exceeded all expectations and brought unprecedented attention the D.C. metropolitan area’s art scene. With support from Mayor Bowser and DSLBD, Art All Night has expanded to include eight participating Main Street organizations. Last year, Art All Night DC was recognized by the Guardian newspaper as one of the world’s 10 best night-time festivals.
"Art All Night provides an opportunity to celebrate the dynamic elements of the District, Ward 7, and neighborhood culture as a community," said Stephanie Thomas, Wacif’s Director of Programs and Small Business Services. “This year’s Art All Night on Minnesota Avenue Festival builds on the success of its inaugural year, with more artists, activities, and sites activated to showcase Minnesota Avenue as a premiere artistic and entrepreneurial destination.”
Minnesota Avenue’s Art All Night activities will take place between 7:00 p.m. and midnight on Saturday, September 14h, featuring 18 installations and activities at five sites throughout the neighborhood, including: a mural installation remembering Toni Morrison at the Historic Senator Theater (3950 Minnesota Ave NE); live go-go, hand dance, and R&B music at East River Shopping Center (322 40th Street NE); body painting and DJ in a Box installations at 3905 Benning Road NE; Yoga Between the Stacks and Sip and Paint Sessions at the Dorothy I. Height Library Center (3935 Benning Road NE); and, much more.
Click here for the full itinerary of Art All Night Activities on the Minnesota Avenue corridor. Click here to learn more about Art All Night citywide.
###
About the Washington Area Community Investment Fund
The Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Inc. (Wacif) is one of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area’s leading Community Development Financial Institution’s (CDFI) focused on small business development. Wacif’s mission is to increase equity and economic opportunity in underserved communities in the Washington DC area by investing knowledge, social, and financial capital in low-and moderate-income entrepreneurs. In the last seven years, Wacif has closed more than $9.2 million in loans and assisted over 2,000 entrepreneurs with coaching and technical assistance, sustaining more than 300 local jobs. Learn more at http://wacif.org.
About the Minnesota Avenue Main Street Program
The mission of Minnesota Avenue Main Street, a program of the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Inc. (Wacif), is to create a vibrant commercial corridor and champion a sense of place for people to live, work, and play – together. Designated in 2017, the Minnesota Avenue Main Street aims to: revitalize the commercial corridor of Minnesota Ave NE and Benning Road NE, enhance the commercial district through clean teams and streetscape improvements, and promote the neighborhood, individual business owners, and entrepreneurs. As a Main Street America™ Accredited program, the Minnesota Avenue Main Street is a recognized leading program among the national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities who share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Learn more at http://minnesotaavemainstreet.org.
Source: Minnesota Avenue Main Street
