DC Office of Property Management, Arts & Humanities Commission Arrange Artwork For Eastern Market’s Temporary East Hall

Dedication Ceremony / April 19, 2008 / 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm.
"Eastern Markets Artists Interpreting Eastern Market"
Free and open to the public.

The Office of the City Administrator and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities have arranged to install twelve artworks by ten Eastern Market Artists on the temporary East Hall building wall along the alley between 7th and 8th Streets NE opposite Eastern Market. The Arts Commission developed "Eastern Market Artists Interpreting Eastern Market" exhibition in collaboration with the Eastern Market artist community, the Eastern Market Civic Association and Eastern Market merchants who occupy the temporary building.

Eastern Market
Eastern Market is located at 306 7th Street, SE. 1 1/2 Blocks North of Eastern Market Metro on 7th Street. Washington, DC USA

Save Market 5 Gallery From Eviction

For over 30 years Market 5 Gallery has operated in the north hall of Washington, DC's historic Eastern Market as an alternative art space. Despite the fact that the space has no indoor plumbing or climate control, this non profit arts organization has thrived and launched many a career in the arts. A few years ago, Market 5 went to court to fight an illegal eviction by the city. The case was settled out of court but the rent was raised almost 10 fold with the promise of indoor plumbing, heat, an upgraded electrical system and other improvements to bring the entire market up to code. Now that improvements are underway on the south hall of the market, the city is trying to illegally evict Market 5 Gallery again. Please help the gallery by signing a petition to stop this eviction. Please forward this information to friends and family that are familiar with the gallery and its programs. Washington, DC's Office of Property Management (OPM) and its contractors have bullied and harassed Market 5 Gallery ever since OPM was given oversight of Eastern Market's North Hall. On Tuesday morning, OPM broke in the gallery and changed the locks. Later that day an OPM official said it was a mistake and that they would send someone to let gallery staff in on Wednesday. Check out the interview of gallery staff on youtube. Please sign the gallery's petition to halt another illegal eviction attempt and contact Mayor Fenty to express your outrage over OPM's illegal dealings with Market 5 Gallery. http://youtube.com/watch?v=KXARfjRZYSE

Go to http://market5gallery.org for information about the gallery.

Go to http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savemarket5gallery to sign the petition. Camille Mosley-Pasley
Anacostia Fine Art
www.AnacostiaFineArt.com

Crowds Return to Eastern Market

Joshua Zumbrun reports on the state of Eastern Market in today's article in the District Extra. Read here. It is a promising description of the return of business to the historic market. The neighborhood was picked as one of the country's Ten Great Neighborhood's by the American Planning Association. Go see for yourself how the market is doing. Keep going, buy from the wonderful vendors and support the arts with your patronage. You can see the 27 murals installed by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities on the historic Eastern Market windows while visiting and purchasing art from the artist vendors at the market.

Eastern Market is at Seventh Street and South Carolina Avenue SE.
Market merchants, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays,
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Flea market and arts and crafts market,
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Farmers' line, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information, go to http://www.easternmarketdc.com.

Good shopping!

More reading:
National Planning Group Lauds Eastern Market Neighborhood

Eastern Market Arts Restoration Project

"Hope is the Thing with Feathers" (before installation).
Muralist Tom Greaves

Mural Dedication pics online
Saturday was the dedication of the window murals at the market. City Administrator Dan Tangherlini, Arts Commission Executive Director, Tony Gittens, OPM Director Lars Etzkorn, Eastern Market Representative Brian Cook, Councilman Tommy Wells, Project Coordinators, Christena Hambrick and Anne Marchand, Art Teacher, Marla McLean with Peabody Elementary School Children were on hand for the dedication, though the mayor wasn't able to make it. East of the River Boys and Girls Band played and made it a festive atmosphere for the ribbon cutting ceremony.
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THE DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES
DEDICATES 27 MURALS AT EASTERN MARKET
Saturday, June 2, 1pm

Mural Artists:
Stevens Jay Carter, Wesley Clark, Ellen Cornett, Eglon Daley, Nancy Donnelly, Rik Freeman, Sally Glass, Freya Grand, Tom Greaves, Lynne Elizabeth Heiser, Carlotta Hester, Karlisima, Darien Kerr, Val Lewton, Anne Marchand, Claudia Minicozzi, Linda Norton, G. Byron Peck, Deirdre Saunder, Jorge Somarriba, Kelly Towles, Roderick Turner, Aniekan Udofia, Julia Van Hoogstraten, Joyce Wellman and Abby Wood.

Eastern Market
7th St. North Carolina Ave. S.E.
Washington, D.C.

As a show of support, The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities invited 26 artists to create 27 murals for the boarded up windows at the historic Eastern Market building while the rebuilding of the Market develops. The Market interior was burned and will undergo a complete renovation over a one to two year period of time. The new window murals are created on the theme of renewal. They are vibrant, colorful and lyrical. They give the neighborhood hope and visual delight after the ravaging fire that destroyed the market.

It's been an artful experience coordinating this arts restoration project, along with Christena Hambrick, for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Office of Property Management. 27 new murals will be dedicated at Eastern Market this Saturday, June 2 at 1pm. Come see the work of 26 Washington, DC artists and join in the renewal process. Eight of the murals were painted by members of the Capital Hill Arts League. The Shakesphere Theatre Company kicked off the project by painting the first mural onsite. The other murals were created in the artists' studios over a ten day period. Peabody Elementary School Children created works on paper with Art Teacher, Marla McLean to be displayed at the dedication ceremony. The project idea originated with City Administrator, Dan Tangherlini and was produced by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) and the Office of Property Management (OPM).

The market is operating every week and will continue, while a temporary building is set up across the street. Visit often, buy delicious produce and flowers, have a look at the murals and purchase art from the artist vendors at the market. Support the renewal process and the vendors by visiting Eastern Market often.

More news on the renovation of Eastern Market HERE.

Installation Pictures HERE.
Photo Credits: Greg Staley and others

"Funded in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by National Endowment for the Arts."