Georgetown Art All Night Returns Sept. 29
By • September 13, 2023 0 1270
The third annual Georgetown Art All Night makes the scene on Friday, Sept. 29. Georgetown will “come alive with a multitude of free, immersive experiences for the whole family to enjoy. At every corner, you’ll discover something unique to engage in,” said sponsor Georgetown Main Street (GMS).
The extravaganza is a free annual arts festival bringing together local artists and businesses and is part of the city-wide Art All Night event, held in all eight wards and presented by Mayor Muriel Bowser.
The festival will highlight “visual and performing arts, including painting, photography, sculpture, crafts, fashion, music, literary arts, dance, theater, film, and poetry, [in] indoor and outdoor public and private spaces, including local businesses and restaurants,” as neighborhoods participate across the city.
GMS Executive Director Rachel Shank previewed Georgetown Art All Night to the Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 2E) at its Sept. 5 meeting.
Sidewalks bustling outside Gallery L’Enfant at last year’s Georgetown Art All Night. Photo by Chris Jones.
Georgetown Art All Night has “only been happening about three years, but we are becoming a heavy hitter,” Shank said. “I think the community is starting to recognize that this is an event that should not be missed.”
Shank outlined what this year’s festival will look like. It’s a “free community-wide event,” running from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday, Sept. 29, from N Street “near Martin’s Tavern, along Wisconsin Avenue,” up to R Street.
Revelers at Georgetown’s Art All Night 2022 strike up a chorus line in front of Addison/Ripley Gallery. Photo by Chris Jones.
This year’s theme for Art All Night is “Dining, Art, Shopping, Music, Dancing, and Crafting All Night,” Shank said. A good starting point for attendees, she said, is the festival’s welcoming venue, the Georgetown Neighborhood Library at 3260 R St. NW. Last year’s festival drew “about 8,000 attendees, 48 percent of whom live within five miles of Georgetown,” Shank reported.
Indian classical dance performers wowed crowds on the terrace of Georgetown Neighborhood Library at last year’s Georgetown Art All Night. Photo by Chris Jones.
The festival will have 15 “activation locations” along Wisconsin Avenue, including Shop Made in DC, Fathom Gallery, L’Enfant Gallery, Georgetown Lutheran Church, TD Bank parking lot, Calloway Fine Art & Consulting, Gallery Article 15, the African Union, Addison/Ripley Fine Art, Washington Printmakers Gallery and the Georgetown Neighborhood Library. Also, just off Wisconsin Avenue, N Street Place, the Chase Bank Parking lot, Hyde-Addison Elementary School, Klagsbrun Art Studio and the Georgetown Neighborhood Library.
Some of Georgetown’s local businesses will also be joining the celebration by staying open late and offering special activities for event attendees, including The Phoenix, StorieCollective, Compass Coffee, Donahue, Spicez and more. “We’ll have an official after-party at Clubhouse DC starting at 11 p.m.,” Shank said.
The Georgetowner spoke with one of the stars of previous festivals, outdoor painter Caroline Karp, asking if she’s looking forward to putting on a show again this year. “Painting live at Georgetown Art All Night is always a thrilling experience, as I capture the vibrant essence of Georgetown,” she said. “This year, I’ll be painting a gorgeous scene from the National Arboretum… What’s so fun is that it’s a gigantic canvas… I started it already.”
Outdoor painter Caroline Karp is preparing a large canvas work for this year’s Georgetown Art All Night. Photo courtesy Caroline Karp.
Participating institutions for the festival include Book Hill Galleries, Georgetown Neighborhood Library, Georgetown Lutheran Church, Georgetown University, National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, Hyde-Addison Elementary School and the African Union.
Shank reassured ANC 2E that GMS has logistics for the festival in hand. This year, no sidewalk widening should be necessary. GMS has made DDOT reservations, “in front of the Lutheran Church and in front of the library.” There will be no amplified sound past 10 p.m. No outdoor liquor sales will be permitted. Good lighting will be provided in two key locations where it’s “a bit dark.” MPD will be briefed, and informational flyers have gone out to residents.
For more information about Georgetown Art All Night – including a 36-page Event Guide from GMS – go to GeorgetownMainStreet.Com/aan2023.
