Cultural Tourism DC

In advance of their annual weekend of open studios, MidCity Artists will be opening the spring art season with Art17 — the artist collective’s shared exhibition space in Dupont Circle.

Prominent DC artists like Matt Sesow have shown work in the space, and Thursday night from 6 to 8 pm, art by Michael Crossett, Regina Miele, Brian Petro, and more will be on display.

“We make choices every day that relate to the land beneath our feet. Where we come from informs who we consider ourselves to be. What we throw out affects what this land of ours will be in the future. These issues are not African; they are global, but looking through the lens of Africa we can all better understand the human relationship to the landscape and its significance to the history of African art.”

– Karen E. Milbourne, curator of Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa, shown in the above video preview of her exhibition

Last Thursday, we got a sneak peek at Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art and to say the least, it was truly incredible. This exhibit inspires us to acknowledge the connection we, as humans, have to the land we live, work, and frame our days. Every day, through the news, we hear about numerous reports focusing on territorial disputes, how best to access resources within the land, and how to protect the environment—these are issues that shape our times and lie at the heart of this exhibition. 

The show uncovers the ways in which individuals and communities negotiate complex relationships with the land beneath their feet and the earth at large by looking through the lens of Africa, the cradle of humanity. More than forty artists from nearly half of Africa’s 55 nations have employed diverse creative and visual media (including ceramic, tile, film, and wood) to contribute about 100 works of art ranging from the turn of the 19th to the 21st centuries, described as “stunning, sheer artistic messaging” by the National Museum of African Art’s director, Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole. 

There are five thematic sections that break up this exhibit: 

• The Material Earth
• Power of the Earth,
• Imagining the Underground,
• Strategies of the Surface, and
• Art as Environmental Action.

Quite impressively, a sixth section, Earth Works, is the first installation of land art assembled outside in the Smithsonian Gardens and on the National Mall—literally bringing to the forefront the message of the intersection between the land and us. One artist, Ghada Amer, decided to plant a garden of edible rice within the wording “Hunger” to actually cultivate in DC, hoping to help feed the hungry. Another artist, Strijdom van der Merwe, pushed back and pinned the grass (using oversized map pins) in front of the museum to reveal the history hidden beneath its surface. 

A definite must-see, Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa is on display now through January 5, 2014.

Did you know that DC is the sixth most bike-able city in the US? Try it out for yourself on Bike to Work Day on May 17! Brought to you by Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, the event aims to showcase the viability, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness of biking to work for District-area residents.

The first 12,000 commuters to register will receive a free t-shirt, available at one of 70 area pit stops. Registrants can also enter to win a free installed bike rack. Visit www.biketoworkmetrodc.org to register and for more information, including pit stop locations.

Not a regular biker? Bike and Roll is offering complimentary bikes for the day, and you can brush up on your biking skills with a WABA/Bike and Roll Class.  

Happy cycling!