Washington Post | Anacostia Arts Center is thriving. Here’s how you can get in on the excitement.
The Advoc8te is so proud of her friends and former colleagues at the Anacostia Arts Center! So nice to see the Washington Post recognizing their work and the cool and creative things that are happening at the Anacostia Arts Center. Kudos to ARCH Development Corporation on a job well done!
Go HERE to read the full article.
Excerpt:
The Anacostia Arts Center has thrived on the east side of the 11th Street Bridge, but Terence Nicholson, cultural programs assistant, still gets worried at times.
When considering new art pieces, on occasion he wonders how many people from other parts of the city might miss the work because Ward 8, where the center is located, still struggles with issues of poverty and crime.
“The center is too often called the city’s best-kept secret,” he says.
Still, there’s no denying Ward 8, which has long been a mixed-income area, is in the midst of transformation, fueled by both gentrification and homegrown ingenuity.
The Anacostia Art Center’s origins are rooted in community revitalization and opportunity, says Duane Gautier, president of Arch Development, which created the center. It opened in 2013.
In a short time, Gautier says, it has become an incubator for art and new businesses, with several in the center itself. Other small businesses are opening nearby. Capitol Hill Crab Cakes opened recently, and artist Craig Kraft relocated from Shaw last year.