On Friday Night, March 8, 2019, the “Greatest Live Art Competition in the Known Universe”, Super Art Fight, returns to the Nation’s Capital for an evening of live art entertainment unlike any other.
Returning live to the Black Cat for the first time in nearly two years, Super Art Fight will present their trademark “art fights”, a mixture of live art competition a’la Pictionary, combined with the bravado, character work, and (of course) tight pants of Professional Wrestling!
Founded in 2008, Super Art Fight has performed all across the United States, and even into Canada, and on March 8th, they bring a brand new event to the Black Cat stage – the GOLDEN GAUNTLET, a 5 artist, 4 match competition. Two artists will start, the winner stays on, and the battle continues until the last artist is eliminated in this crazy and unpredictable matchup.
To the winner will go the spoils, a ‘Golden Opportunity’ Marker, allowing the victor a Super Art Fight Championship opportunity at the show of their choosing.
The Super Art Fight roster is made up of average work-a-day artists, graphic designers, painters, illustrators and tattoo artists, who each have created crazy rock-star-esq personas, such as the anime-themed magical girl Shoujo-A-Go-Go, the European fashionista Baron Von Sexyful, the face painted dictator General Stormsketch, or the punk rock brawler, Killer Colleen. The audience is encouraged to cheer their favorites to victory – in fact, it’s necessary, as the artist with the most cheers at the end of each booth picks the winner.
Come see for yourself, live and in person what Super Art Fight is all about.
WHAT: Super Art Fight – Live at the Black Cat
WHERE: Black Cat, 1811 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
WHEN: March 8, 2019, Doors at 8pm, Show at 9pm
WHO: All Ages Event
HOW: Tickets are $15, Available in Advance at Ticketfly.com or at the door.
FOR MORE DETAILS: Head to SuperArtFight.com
Chance for Life was created in 2005 in honor of Kennedy Snyder, who was diagnosed with an aggressive spinal cord tumor at age two. What began as a small get-together has become an established 501(c)3 non-profit that holds one of metropolitan Washington’s top charity events. The annual fundraiser features a Texas Hold ’Em style poker tournament, top chef taste experience, and a glamorous Vegas-style after party. Its 14th annual celebration is presented by The Boeing Company, hosted by MGM National Harbor, and powered by RedPeg, providing 100% of net proceeds to help fund vital pediatric cancer research at Children’s National Health System and through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
The Charity Poker Tournament is a Texas Hold ’Em style tournament with over 700 participating amateur players. Prizes are awarded for the top 30 winners with a grand prize of a $10,000 seat at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. The event features a top-shelf open bar, sprawling buffet, silent auction, celebrities, and more throughout the day. Poker players also have complimentary access to the Taste Experience.
The Taste Experience features uniquely curated food from renowned chefs who cook throughout metropolitan Washington. Dance the night away with an incredible line up of live performances, capped off with a surprise celebrity headliner. The night continues with a vibrant after party featuring VIP lounges, a top DJ and even more entertainment.
WHEN: Saturday, March 9, 2019
Charity Poker Tournament | 11:30am
Poker registration opens – 10am
Poker doors open – 11am
Taste Experience & Party | 6:30pm
WHERE: MGM National Harbor
MGM Grand Ballroom
101 MGM National Avenue
Oxon Hill, MD 20745
TICKETS: Individual tickets and sponsorships for both events now available at https://e.givesmart.com/events/buX/.
About Chance for Life
Less than 4% of the federal government’s total funding for cancer research is dedicated to childhood cancers each year. Chance for Life takes direct aim to fill this gap, providing 100% of net proceeds to help fund vital pediatric cancer research at Children’s National Health System and through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. The non-profit’s major charity poker tournament and taste experience has historically raised over $4.2 million to directly support those on the forefront of local cancer research and care. For more information, please visit chanceforlife.net or follow the 501(c)(3) on Facebook and Twitter.
Early Music Seminar: Tastes of the Mediterranean
Led by Robert Eisenstein, this lively seminar offers a sneak peek at the upcoming concert Tastes of the Mediterranean: Music of 16th-Century Spain and Italy. Wine reception included.
Location: Folger Haskell Center
Hours: 6pm
Tickets: $20
Info: www.folger.edu/events or (202) 544-7077
O.B. HARDISON POETRY
Vinegar and Char: Verse from the Southern Foodways Alliance
Three poets from this culinary anthology, Sandra Beasley, Sean Hill, and Atsuro Riley, read work that delves into the shaping influence of history, culture, and identity—and celebrates the glory of food itself. This evening is in conjunction with Before ‘Farm to Table’: Early Modern Foodways and Cultures, a Mellon initiative in collaborative research at the Folger. Reception and book-signing to follow the reading.
Hours: 7:30pm
Tickets: $15
Info: www.folger.edu/poetry or (202) 544-7077
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Michael Kahn invites theatre-lovers to a series of intimate conversations about life in the D.C. theatre scene as he prepares to retire from the STC stage. Open, unrehearsed, and off the record, invited speakers will swap anecdotes and share memories about Michael Kahn’s 33-years at Shakespeare Theatre Company. Following his career trajectory, the discussions will focus on three distinct eras in STC’s history by mapping D.C.’s changing theatre scene. The first Michael Kahn and Friends: Off the Record will focus on the formation of The Shakespeare Theatre Company in its first location: Folger Theatre (1986-1992).
On March 11, audiences are invited to join Michael and STC Affiliated Artists Edward Gero, Stacy Keach, Derek Smith, and Franchelle Stewart Dorn as they discuss their favorite performances onstage, backstage antics, and offstage tales. In 1986, shortly after The Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger was formed as a newly incorporated, not-for-profit institution separate from the Folger Shakespeare Library, Kahn became Artistic Director and guided the theatre into national prominence. The first three seasons included several landmark productions and garnered many Helen Hayes nominations. STC changed the cultural landscape of the nation’s capital with its first Free For All in 1991. More than 2,500 theatregoers watched each performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor under the stars at Carter Barron Amphitheatre. This annual tradition of free Shakespeare continues to this day and over 630,000 people have attended a performance during Free For All.
Future Michael Kahn and Friends: Off the Record events will focus on the Lansburgh Years (May 15) and the Harman Years (June 5). More details will be released soon.
The DC Public Library Foundation invites you to the 4th Annual Story Time Gala Reception, celebrating libraries and learning.
Washington Performing Arts hosts its 2019 annual Gala & Auction on March 30, 2019 at the National Building Museum (401 F St. NW). Tickets begin at $750; Young Sponsor tickets (for guests 40 and under) start at $200. Tables start at $15,000.
This year’s Gala, “Sizzle & Swing,” is a grand celebration of the art of jazz, from the classic big-band era to today’s up-to-the-minute expressions, fitting perfectly with Washington Performing Arts’ stellar spring lineup of jazz programming from Chucho Valdés and Cécile McLorin Salvant to an all-star tribute to Glenn Miller.
Gala performers include:
- Vocalists Veronica Swift (familiar to Washington Performing Arts audiences through her work with Chris Botti and Wynton Marsalis) and Stephen Scott Wormley (an alumnus of the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir, recently seen in the D.C. area as one of the stars of Signature Theatre’s The Scottsboro Boys);
- Mars Urban Arts Initiative Ensemble-in-Residence DuPont Brass;
- The Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir under the direction of Michele Fowlin; and
- The Sizzle & Swing Band
Gala guests will also be treated to a special preview of a newly commissioned transcription of a big band chart by Hazel Scott, the luminary American pianist, cultural icon, and civil rights advocate. This premiere anticipates Washington Performing Arts’ commemoration of Scott’s 100th birthday in 2020.
The Gala kicks off at 6:30 pm with cocktails and the Silent Auction, sponsored by Urban Winery, with the dinner and performance program starting at 8:00 pm. Stage, television, and film actress Tamara Tunie serves as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening. The Afterparty Speakeasy with DJ Dimmy is co-sponsored by Daimler and the Washington Performing Arts Junior Board.
“Washington Performing Arts has a long legacy of presenting both emerging and leading jazz musicians and amplifying jazz as a vital American art form,” said Washington Performing Arts President and CEO Jenny Bilfield. “Whether it is through our Capital Jazz program in partnership with D.C. Public Schools, master classes with artists like Cécile McLorin Salvant, or commissions by Wynton Marsalis and now this new arrangement of a Hazel Scott chart, Washington Performing Arts remains committed to spotlighting this vibrant genre in every dimension of our programs, onstage and off.”
All proceeds raised at the Annual Gala and Auction will support Washington Performing Arts’ arts education initiatives. These include Capital Arts Partnerships and the Embassy Adoption Program (both in partnership with the DC Public Schools); In-School Artist Residencies; the Washington Performing Arts Men, Women, and Children of the Gospel Choirs; master classes and lectures; and stipends for professional development teachers and Washington Performing Arts teaching artists.
The 2019 Gala Co-Chairs are Lyn & Barry Chasen and Tom Gallagher & Barbara Myers. The Junior Board Gala Chairs are Rebecca Allen, Cassidy Grunninger, and Wesley Thomas. The Washington Performing Arts Women’s Committee Gala Chair is Denise Rollins, and the Women’s Committee Silent Auction Chair is Njambi. The Gala Committee comprises Paul Ashe, C. Wallace DeWitt, Adam Farra, Jay and Robin Hammer, Susan Hepner, Jordan Hepner and Nina Damato, Margaret Hurwitz, Angela C.Y. King, Grace Lin, Christina Co Mather and Gary Mather, Haley Morrison, Michelle Nelson, Ami Scott and Lucius Outlaw, Jan and Marike Paulsson, Kerrien Suarez, Ebony Thomas, Lindsey Woody, and The Washington Performing Arts Women’s Committee.
For more information about Washington Performing Arts and the Annual Gala and Auction, visit www.washingtonperformingarts.
On Sunday, March 31 at 1pm, the Rock-It Grill will be hosting an event to celebrate its 30-year anniversary and also to raise money for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing guide dogs to the blind and visually impaired.
“We are excited to be hosting this event, not only to celebrate 30 years as an Old Town staple, but also to give back to the community,” said Laura Seiss, owner of the Rock-It. “Additionally, we wouldn’t be here without the tremendous support from our patrons. We’re thrilled to celebrate them the way they have celebrated us for the last 30 years.”
The event will include:
- 50/50 raffle
- Gift basket raffle
- Karaoke for kids
- Photo ops with Guiding Eyes pups in training (small donation suggested)
Visitors are welcome to stop in for food and drinks, socialize with Guiding Eyes pups and their puppy raisers, and participate in karaoke, which will begin at 1pm and will run throughout the afternoon into the regularly scheduled karaoke time, ending around 1:30am.
About Rock-It Grill (www.rockit-grill.com):
The Rock-It Grill, located on King St. in Old Town Alexandria, has been a neighborhood fixture since 1989. The bar was founded by Gary Wayne Miller, originally as GW’s, and became the Rock-It Grill in 1997. They are best known for their diverse food and drink menu, relaxed environment and karaoke 7 nights a week. The Rock-It has supported its local community with events like Karaoke with Cops every summer, raising funds for our police and K9 units. Rock-It is located at 1319 King St. and is a short walk from the King Street Metro with ample street parking.
About Guiding Eyes for the Blind (www.guidingeyes.org):
In 1954, Guiding Eyes for the Blind was founded to enrich the lives of blind and visually impaired men and women. Since that time, Guiding Eyes has become one of the foremost guide dog schools in the world, graduating more than 7,000 guide dog teams. Guiding Eyes for the Blind is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization. It provides professionally trained Guiding Eyes dogs, training and lifetime support services to students free of charge with funds raised solely through the generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations and civic organizations. Guiding Eyes for the Blind’s Headquarters and Training Center is located in Yorktown Heights, New York and its Canine Development Center is located in Patterson, New York.
Washington’s only playwrights’ collective devoted exclusively to developing and producing new plays—will host its annual fundraiser, The Joint–on Sunday, March 31, at Rhizome DC.
The Joint will take over the rooms of the Rhizome art space, familiar to some as the setting of the 2017 environmental hit Hello, My Name Is… by Deb Sivigny. Throughout the house, installations, intimate performances, and interactive projects will delight attendees as they rewind to remember the past and fast forward to the future.
There will be opportunities to celebrate the current generation of the Welders as they offer the in-process work by the last two playwrights in the second round of Welders leadership. At the end of 2019, the current roster of Producing Playwrights will be turning the company over to a new group of artists: The Welders 3.0.
The soon-to-be-announced third generation of The Welders will be in attendance at The Joint along with the past and present generations. The evening will be a fun opportunity for theater fans to engage with the generative artists taking the production of their work into their own hands.
Don’t miss this spectacular art-house-party filled with connection, sneak peeks, and a celebration of three generations “passing it on.” Plus, the event will feature a fire pit, silent auction, tasty food, and punch from Drink Company, home to the 2017 Spirited Award winning “Best American Cocktail Bar” Columbia Room.
Tickets are available at: https://thejoint2019.
“The Arts, Identity and Societal Inclusivity” Pop-up exhibit and conversations organized by the Arts for Global Development, Inc aims at facilitating an open, safe and creative environment to talk about identity, diversity as well as those issues that communities tackle on a day to-day basis especially in the context of voluntary and involuntary mobility of millions of people who are scattered across the globe.
The arts provoke thoughts and encourage people to embark upon issues that are sometimes hard to come to terms with. Contemporary artists often examine their identities by using themselves or aspects of themselves as a starting point to tell a story or address a larger issue like “acceptance or belonging”. During this event, one such contemporary designer and a multidisciplinary researcher Neba will showcase her fashion-art pieces that introduce unique and spiritual methods and folk pieces from her ancestry and upbringing.
Along with Neba’s one day/pop up exhibition called “Feast”, the Sandy Spring Museum Director, Allison Weiss and Cameron Okeke from Urban Institute will be sharing their experiences of how they’ve used the arts, from communicating the stories of displaced people to building creative and safe places in broken communities around the US.
“We certainly live in interesting times where social tension is rising in this ongoing “us and them” discourse. With this event we aim tobring our community together and use creativity as a means to broaden our perspectives. We do hope the works and discussions will inspire and encourage everyone in taking actions that support inclusion, ” said Nil Navaie, the founder and president of Arts for Global Development, Inc.
“The Arts, Identity and Societal Inclusivity” Pop-up exhibit and conversations event will be held at the Fridge Arts Gallery (516 8th Street SE, Washington DC) on April 4th from 5:30 – 8 pm.
The event is free, however RSVPs are recommended via http://www.art4development.net/.
