Go Underground for The DC Public Library Foundation’s UNCENSORED! Cocktail Party
The DC Public Library Foundation will go underground to throw 2017’s UNCENSORED cocktail party, an annual fundraising event, taking place on Saturday, September 30. Linnea Hegarty, Executive Director at the DC Public Library Foundation, calls the event’s new venue, Dupont Underground, “the ideal spot” for this year’s “Texts Against Tyranny” theme.
“With an eye toward what’s happening in our country and how divided people are about politics and social issues in this country, we thought a focus on dystopian novels made a lot of sense,” says Hegarty.
“Texts Against Tyranny” highlights dystopian fiction such as The Handmaid’s Tale, We, The Giver, and more.
Facing threats of federal defunding, Hegarty shared with K Street Magazine why this year’s fundraising event has never been more important:
“Books are about expanding your mind and creating empathy in our society by helping you understand what other people experience in their life. Libraries are the home of lifetime learning and banned books are a part of the learning infrastructure. Any threat to libraries is a threat to the idea that empathy is an important characteristic for us to develop as individuals and as society members.”
The UNCENSORED! Cocktail Party is a culmination of a month’s worth of events aimed at challenging censorship and celebrating the freedom to read. The evening will feature signature literary cocktails, live music from local bands and provocative local art from local artists: Robin Bell and Dana Jeri Maier.
You’ve probably seen Bell’s political charged projection work around town on the Trump Hotel, the Newseum, or other government buildings. Dana Jeri Maier is known for her unique approach to the contemporary art form of wheatpasting and holds workshops for aspiring artists to learn more.
In preparation for the UNCENSORED! Cocktail Party Several hundred banned books have been hidden throughout the District at partner locations including coffee shops, bookstores, bars, museums and more. Washingtonian are already sharing some of their finds online.
