Stay Up Late With the Humanities Council

Check Out Our Lineup for the First Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC

Washington art and culture is taking over the night on September 24-25, and the Humanities Council will be doing its part at the Warehouse Theatre, 645 New York Ave, NW, from 7PM to 3AM. The event, called Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC is modeled on similar festivals popular in Europe. The concept has recently been replicated on this side of the Atlantic in Montreal, Toronto, New York, and Miami among others, and starting this year, the nation's capital will begin to get in on the fun!

The Humanities Council's set kicks off with Thomas Sayers Ellis, a poet and photographer who will demonstrate his latest work – a photography exhibition on Go-Go, currently on display at The Gallery at Vivid Solutions, called (Un)Lock It: the Percussive People in the Go-Go Pocket. Sayers will project his images, using them to tell the story of Go-Go, the “non-stop, vernacular dance music unique to Washington, DC.”

At 8PM, If Not For Grace, will demonstrate another artistic style unique to Washington, DC – Hand Dance. The organization will offer a lecture, performance, and a participatory demonstration in which the audience will be invited to hand dance in the authentic DC style!

Later, the Humanities Council will bring its popular Humanitini to the stage. The evening's discussion “From Clubs to Pub,” will uncover the unique culture of DC night life, and will explore how it has changed throughout the years. Panelists will include Kate Micheal of K Street Kate, club DJ Adrian Loving, and opera follower-turned-nightlife scene man, Mood Bacho. The discussion will be moderated by Amy Saidman of SpeakeasyDC, and, as always, will turn on audience participation!

Washington, always a center of literary activity, has become a haven for modern poets and spokenword artists, and thus, no celebration of DC culture would be complete without a poetry slam! In partnership with the National Underground Spokenword Poetry Awards, the Humanities Council will offer a $200 prize to the best of the evening's registered participants. Make sure to drop in on the Warehouse Theatre for this one; the slam is set to begin at 10:30PM and will carry us over into the next day, ending at 1:30AM. The poets lined up for the event are seasoned competitors, so count on being impressed. If you think you have what it takes, step up to the open mic after the competition and show them what you've got!

After the poetry slam and open mic, grammy-nominated progressive hip-hop artist, Christylez Bacon will take over the stage until 3AM. As a performer, Christylez multi-tasks between various instruments such as the West African djembe drum, acoustic guitar, and the human beat-box (oral percussion), all while continuing the oral tradition of storytelling through his lyrics. Christylez will close out the evening, sending the audience out into the night, eyes and minds full, looking forward to next year!

Art All Night: Nuit Blanche DC will take place on the night of September 24-25th all across the Mt. Vernon Square and Shaw neighborhoods of Washington. Check out the event website for more information on participating artists and event sites.