Go HERE to read the full ReadySetDC article by Ramsay Lanier.

Excerpt:

That changed when I got off the metro at Anacostia and experienced something that I have probably known for a long time, but could never fully realize. As I was walking down MLK Ave, I noticed there were people. Tons of people. Spending money. Spending money on art, sure, but not just art. On everything. I ate lunch at Uniontown Bar and Grill and it was so packed I was nervous about a fire code violation. Mike from Big Chair Bar and Grill said he had his day and night of business, according to Twitter. His best day! Ever!  

But why? Because, I realized, art isn’t just for wall decorations and investment diversification. It is its own creative economy; a tool so powerful that I would argue it is not only beneficial to those within the art community, it is essential to economic growth and development for those outside of it. By organizing an art festival in the middle of an economically struggling neighborhood, LUMEN8 proved that even with non-permanent installations, the economic effect on the surrounding community could be felt.