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The fact is that most ambitious D.C. artists still leave for Chicago or New York, and the recent dismemberment of Washington’s Corcoran Gallery of Art may find more packing their bags. The District’s artists relied on that institution for employment that will dry up as the National Gallery of Art and George Washington University assume its payroll. The Corcoran was D.C.’s hometown gallery. Sure, it was vilified in 1989, when it cancelled the Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition (solidifying D.C.'s reputation for being culturally and politically cautious), and again in 2005, when it shelved plans for a hyped Frank Gehry addition (solidifying D.C.'s reputation for not taking risks institutionally), yet it remained an anchor for a local art scene even as it was mismanaged into the ground.
Calling it a "desert" seems like hyperbole to me. I've met several people here in DC who are employed as artists. And yes, "employed"--it's not like they are just making stuff for Etsy as a hobby outside their day job. They are legitimate artists whose work appears in art galleries around the country. And I'm hardly someone heavily engaged in the arts scene, so if I'm meeting a few artists, then there must be many more that I don't run into.
But yes, DC has much less art going on per capita than Chicago or New York. But why is that news? Who wouldn't expect that to be the case? This is a city built on politics and government. Chicago and New York were built on a cross-section of industries, arts included.
I think that calling DC an art desert is more than simply hyperbole. I think it's inaccurate.
Working artists make up 1.4% of the labor force nationally. Artists make up 3.1% of Washington DC's labor force. We have 2.34x the national average concentration of artists, and NYC only edges us out by .3%. In City vs. City comparisons, we rank 10th in the entire country. (NEA numbers)
Comparing a city of 600,000 to a city of 8.4 million or even 2.7 million, both with population densities greater than ours, seems almost as silly to me as the DC vs. State comparisons (in which DC is, by far, the #1). Clearly you can aggregate a more visible and profitable arts scene in a city that is 14x larger than us, however there is a fairly large spectrum between megalopolis and desert.
I think that calling DC an art desert is more than simply hyperbole. I think it's inaccurate.
Working artists make up 1.4% of the labor force nationally. Artists make up 3.1% of Washington DC's labor force. We have 2.34x the national average concentration of artists, and NYC only edges us out by .3%. In City vs. City comparisons, we rank 10th in the entire country. (NEA numbers)
Comparing a city of 600,000 to a city of 8.4 million or even 2.7 million, both with population densities greater than ours, seems almost as silly to me as the DC vs. State comparisons (in which DC is, by far, the #1). Clearly you can aggregate a more visible and profitable arts scene in a city that is 14x larger than us, however there is a fairly large spectrum between megalopolis and desert.
This. I'm sure OP will pull up a statistic for New York (even though you already mentioned NYC), LA, Chicago, Philly, or whatever and measure their larger scenes to DC but whatever way he or anyone else wanna pick at it, the concentration of artists in DC is still bigger than the national average. It'll get a little bigger when taking into account the metro area, especially with places like Mount Rainier, City of Hyattsville, Takoma Park, Alexandria (Old Town and Del Ray), etc.
Hyperbole, inaccurate, untrue, it all doesn't matter. That is what creative knowledge class DC does rather than find a creative/imaginative solution. The fact of the matter is that whether it is painting, music, fashion, or whatever, DC isn't where it should be and it's all about creative resolve.
In every category you have mostly two types here: on one side you have the DC hopefuls where it's always about being "on par", “world class”, and “booming”- (the emerging types as referenced). Then on the other side, it's the knowledge class stiffs that can’t connect with the creative art class but are good at breaking out economic #s XY-Z, STATISTICS, city structural zoning plans, and justifying why a DC isn't and shouldn't or should be compared to other cities. Meanwhile, all the creative art types are moving out in every category. (I bet you someone is going to point out 1 washed up artist that has remained just so that DC can stay in the game)
It’s time for DC to fully conform to a knowledge class city and it won’t have to worry about all these blogs tearing the city apart. I personally am getting tired of these things coming up. It’s really sad.
What DC needs is more of that middle creative hustle class that can see between the above two and make things happen but they can't do it themselves. Unfortunately, when everyone is always breaking out numbers and justifying, everything remains status quo...
Listen, I have my own battles that I am working on to help cultivate my area in nightlife here in DC. It is hard as heck because the hustle of a creative mind isn't here- PERIOD. I may come across as harsh but I am actually in the creative arts mix doing something about it every weekend. I live here and so DC isn't simply going to get passed by. If that is what you want, then so be it. I know that I will one day leave here knowing I left something rolling.
Listen, I have my own battles that I am working on to help cultivate my area in nightlife here in DC. It is hard as heck because the hustle of a creative mind isn't here- PERIOD. I may come across as harsh but I am actually in the creative arts mix doing something about it every weekend. I live here and so DC isn't simply going to get passed by. If that is what you want, then so be it. I know that I will one day leave here knowing I left something rolling.
Give me a break. You really think out of the millions of people in this area that you happen to be the only one with a "creative mind?" You realize how deluded that sounds?
This seems pretty predictable.. DC is a government town.
1) It lacks the high dollar industrialists/moguls who fund the art world.
No 19th century robber barons who endowed big private museums and art schools. And far fewer current day tech/finance billionaires to fund gallery scenes. The small number of high rollers that do reside here can easily to hop up to NYC for a weekend art splurge.
2) As a result, DC's art institutions are mostly affiliated with the (stodgy) Fed Govt- These museums have to play it safe to avoid pissing off Middle-American Congressman. No provocative art exhibits, no daring architecture that will upset the capital planning committee, committee of 100, etc. Keep is safe. Neoclassical architecture and painting by dead Europeans. This thrills Midwestern tourists. But bores actual art-types and reinforces DC's image as a provincial rate art town.
3) Additionally, being a government town makes DC very expensive. This leaves us in an unhappy middle ground. We are too expensive for struggling artists and not developed enough as an art city for the better financed ones. If you are a struggling artist why not move to Philly/Chicago/Portland? If you are established artist or trying to make it big time, why not head to NYC and live in Bushwick?
This is sort of like asking why doesn't Philly have more trade associations or Chicago more think tanks. DC just isn't that kind of city. Sure we have a little, but it's not really our thing.
Give me a break. You really think out of the millions of people in this area that you happen to be the only one with a "creative mind?" You realize how deluded that sounds?
Lol I cracked up when he said that Sounds more egotistical than creative haha!
You should check out the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria, you may be pleasantly surprised.
There is also Pyramid Atlantic in Silver Spring, Artspace in Arlington, Union Arts in DC, and the list goes on and on. It's not terrible, but it's not great either. Calling it a desert is a bit outlandish. For the visual arts, many more end up in Baltimore. But DC is better for theater. It just really depends what you are into really. Sometimes DC is actually very good, sometimes less so. For visual arts its more okay more than anything else.
Things have fallen off a bit because of no Artomatic in the last few years. It seemed much more vibrant when those were happening. If the walter reed thing goes through we will get another one since they are attached to that development.
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Sounds more egotistical than creative haha!
