5x5, a District-wide program of contemporary, ephemeral public art, is dedicated to exploring new perspectives on Washington DC through the lens of five curators and 25 artists. The 2014 project will begin in early September and end by December of 2014. Landmark locations for artworks will include the SW Waterfront, St Elizabeths East, Kingman Island, National Gallery of Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Arena Stage and the Reeves Center, among others.
Programming partners, such as Furthermore, Hamiltonian and Washington Project for the Arts, have planned a diversity of public programs that highlight the meaning and vitality of each of the 5x5 projects. The aim of the programming is to augment the curators' visions by engaging local artists and community members and thus furthering the impact of 5x5. The anticipated programming will include a variety of tours, panel discussions, performance pieces and workshops. All events will be free and open to the public.
"The District of Columbia is a showplace for world-class art," says Mayor Vincent C. Gray. "The 5x5 project demonstrates how the art can be utilized to push the bounds of imagination to encourage residents and visitors to engage in culture right where they are."
5x5 positions the District as a venue for innovative curators and artists to create public works throughout the city. The 5x5 curators, Lance Fung, Shamim M. Momin, Stephanie Sherman, Justine Topfer and A.M. Weaver, selected artists from the District, New York and places as far away as Argentina and Australia. The selected artists will create a wide range of artworks, from paintings and sculptures to sound art and performance pieces. The 5x5 artists have shown in Paris, Poland, London and India, and other international hubs for arts and culture.
"5x5 will transform the city into a canvas for cutting-edge contemporary public art," said Judith Terra, Chair of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "The internationally-renowned curators and artists involved in 5x5 highlight the District's standing as a world-class cultural capital."
"5x5 places artworks throughout the city, drawing residents and visitors to new locations and communities," said Lionell Thomas, Executive Director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The project is the vanguard of creative placemaking in our nation's capital."
For more about the project, visit
www.the5x5project.com, or follow on Twitter:
twitter.com/the5x5project and Facebook:
www.facebook.com/5x5project.
ABOUT 5X5 - 5x5 Project: 5 Curators, 25 Artists, 16 Weeks, 8 Wards, 1 Cultural Capital. 5x5, a project of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, is the District's largest public art project. A program of contemporary, ephemeral public art, 5x5 is dedicated to exploring new perspectives of Washington DC through the lens of five curators and 25 artists.The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities commissioned five highly-experienced and innovative art professionals, who each selected five artists to develop and present exciting, publicly accessible art works. The result is 25 projects that activate, enliven and add a layer of creativity and artistic expression throughout all 8 wards of the District. In tandem, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is creating programming and events to engage residents, visitors and art lovers with the 5x5 Project.The 2014 project will begin in early September and end by December of 2014.
ABOUT DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES - The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) is responsible for providing grants, programs and educational activities that encourage diverse artistic expressions and learning opportunities, so that all District of Columbia residents and visitors can experience the rich culture of our city. One tool with which the agency accomplishes this goal is our DC Creates! Public Art program (DC Creates!). This program is responsible for purchasing, commissioning and installing public art works throughout the District to cultivate dynamic, vibrant and nurturing communities through the use of art and design. DC Creates! provides opportunities for individuals to encounter art in parks, libraries, community centers, government offices, bridges and other public venues. DCCAH currently has a public art portfolio that includes more than 120 permanent site-specific works and an Art Bank Collection of nearly 2,500 artworks purchased from local artists and installed within District government agencies.
