For the second year, the District’s only free overnight arts festival, Art All Night: Made in DC, returns to Tenleytown on Saturday, September 23 from 7pm to midnight. Local businesses and public spaces transform into pop-up galleries and performance stages to welcome artists from across the city. Tenleytown Main Street has partnered with Main Streets across the District to host the citywide festival.
Throughout the evening, more than 70 visual artists, bands, dance troupes, and other ensembles will showcase their talents at Tenleytown’s 14 venues along Wisconsin Avenue, from Albemarle to Chesapeake street. In keeping with the festival’s emphasis on DC makers and creators, Art All Night participants include performance and visual artists from the greater Tenleytown area, as well as neighborhoods across the city.
“Tenleytown has a strong artist community and local galleries, making Art All Night a natural fit for our neighborhood,” says Leigh Catherine Miles, Tenleytown Main Street Executive Director. “We were thrilled by the response to our first Art All Night in 2016, which more than 5,000 people attended. With an expanded schedule of events and more diverse artists and performers, we look forward to even more neighbors and visitors joining us for this celebration of the creative arts.”
Art installations will include photography, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, textiles, and more. Visitors will enjoy live music, ranging from DC funk to international jazz; dance performances from across the globe, including Bollywood, belly dance, and flamenco; a poetry slam invitational; and a reading of the play Night Sky.
“Art All Night is truly a community event,” says Miles. “The exhibits and performances reflect the rich diversity of our residents and their cultural heritage and traditions.”
Art All Night also offers plenty of opportunities for attendees to let loose their inner artists with interactive workshops, temporary body art, dance classes, and more. All events are free to attend, and offer art experiences for all ages.
New this year, Tenleytown Main Street will also celebrate the culinary arts with food and beverage tastings from DC businesses. Visitors can sample fare from Al Sur Latin Kitchen and Catering, The Pretzel Bakery, DC Brau, Whole Foods Market, and local mixologists – as well as enjoy a meal at one of Tenleytown’s 30 local eateries.
Tenleytown Main Street kicks off Art All Night with live music and dancing at the Tenleytown Metro Plaza (Wisconsin Ave & Albemarle St) at 7:00 p.m. Afro-Brazilian drum corps Batala Washington will herald the start of the festivities with a procession along Wisconsin Avenue, culminating in a performance outside Keller Williams Capital Properties (4000 Chesapeake St). For the full schedule of Art All Night: Made in DC events in Tenleytown, please visit: https://tenleytownmainstreet.org/event/art-all-night/
Art All Night: Made in DC is made possible in Tenleytown through grants from the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the support of generous sponsors including: American University, Byrdsmiles Orthodontics, Circle Management Company, Douglas Development Corporation, Keller Williams Capital Properties, Roadside Development, State Farm Insurance agent Sonia Ntuk, Tenley Bar & Grill, and Urban Investment Partners.