Washington, D.C.: Our Culture Capital
By • September 13, 2023 0 1122
Perhaps no city in the world possesses such a unique cultural heritage as Washington, D.C. Home to iconic public monuments of world significance – Lincoln gazing across the Reflecting Pool towards Washington’s monument, the Kennedy Center for the Arts, the Martin Luther King memorial across the Tidal Basin from the Jefferson Memorial – but, the nation’s greatest museums and galleries, storing and displaying our national treasures, are to be found here, free to the public. Few cities showcase as wide a range of architectural splendors, reflecting every period and style of America’s past.
But, D.C. also continues to be a cultural capital and hotspot in many other dimensions, from our multivarious musical forms and cuisines to the broad range of local arts institutions.
Destination DC has created a new advertising campaign dubbed “There’s only one DC.” The branding hopes to remind everyone that our capital matches other world-class cities in arts and culture. They’re also highlighting a key fact — no other city in the world can compete with D.C.’s monuments, museums, and galleries. In 2022, the city rebounded to 91 percent of pre-pandemic figures, and the volume of international visitors to 60 percent.
We’re a unique city that bridges the historical past with the potential of the future. Where else can one find major events like The World Culture Festival alongside the reopening of the National Museum of the Women in the Arts? Or perhaps many a Smithsonian’s family-friendly programming alongside upscale events like the annual Meridian Ball? In September, DC Art All Night will showcase local art and artists all over the city, including in Georgetown September 29.
There’s nowhere quite like Washington where you can hobnob with senators in the morning and catch a pre-Broadway premiere of a new musical in the evening, or pop into a Kennedy Center’s free Millennium Stage or REACH performance.
Our city’s diversity and dedication to the arts allows our residents and visitors access to art and culture from around the globe. From our local artists, to our city government, to federal arts funding programs, Washington is a unique cultural beneficiary for which we should be thankful.
