D.I.Y. in D.C. FESTIVAL. WASHINGTON D.C.

 

D.I.Y. in D.C. Festival: Day 1

Curated by Rhizome DC

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library

All day on Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19, join us for cross-genre sound, experimental storytelling, improvised movement, artmaking, and more—a full-spectrum celebration of DIY experimentation in Washington, DC.

Each event reflects a different aspect of the DIY ethos—from sound and movement to memory, improvisation, poetry, and community organizing. It centers Black, queer, and immigrant contributions to DC's independent arts landscape and invites participants to both remember and reimagine cultural space in a rapidly shifting city. Presenters will include D.C. art scene legends Topper Carew, Bill Warrell, WPFW’s Katea Stitt, and Capital Fringe’s Julianne Brienza, with music by the Ensemble of Volcanic Ash and much more.

Schedule of events:

• 11:00 am | Opening Ceremony: Holding Space + Land Acknowledgement by Angela Ingram and Madona LeBlanc: A site-specific, movement-based land acknowledgement led by Angela Ingram and Madona LeBlanc, accompanied by gongs from Naoco Wowsugi.

• 11:30 am | Performance: Alma Laprida performs the tromba marina: Known for its striking triangular shape and resonant single string, the tromba marina is a rare bowed instrument that was prominent in Europe from the Middle Ages through the Baroque era. For this special performance, Alma Laprida will play a tromba marina she crafted by hand, reviving the haunting, trumpet-like tones of an instrument seldom heard today.

• 12 pm | Drawn (Layne + Nenet + Nate): Drawn is a collaborative sound ritual by Rhizome DC members Layne Nenet and Nate. Their improvisational music explores friendship as a sustaining force in DIY community life, using layered textures, looping, and rhythm as a means of shared communication.

• 12:30 pm | Curatorial reflection with Tatev Sargsyan: Hear about the vision behind Rhizome DC's installation, reflecting on the incorporation of oral histories, artist memories, and the resonance of placing D.I.Y. community stories in the heart of the district's public library.

• 1:00 pm | “Paint the Moment” with Khalid Thompson: An improvisational art session where participants are invited to respond to sound and movement with live painting.

• 2:00 pm | Panel: Why We Did it Ourselves: Reflections from the D.I.Y. Scene: A conversation on the cultural significance of D.I.Y. venues in D.C., moderated by Tatev Sargysan, featuring Julianne Brienza, Bobby Hill, Katea Stitt, and Bill Warrell discussing the evolution & impact of d.c. space, District Curators, Inc., Transparent Productions, The Underground Railroad, and the Capital Fringe festival – and what it means to advocate for art outside of mainstream institutions.

• 3:00 pm | Performance: Ensemble of Volcanic Ash: Led by cellist and composer Janel Leppin, this 4-piece ensemble features Anthony Pirog (guitar), Brian Settles (tenor sax), and Larry Ferguson (drums). Their sound blends jazz, experimental, and ambient textures, channeling volcanic emotional and cultural landscapes.

This event is presented in conjunction with the fall exhibit D.I.Y. in the District: Celebrating D.C.'s Artist-Run Spaces, on view through December 7 at the MLK Library.

This program, and the DC Public Library Arts and Exhibits Program, is made possible in part through support from the DC Public Library Foundation.
Visit the exhibit website for a full schedule of artist-driven programs during October and November.

D.I.Y. in D.C. Festival: Day 2

1:00 PM | Healing Sounds for People and Plants - Join us for a healing sound workshop with Naoco Wowsugi, who plays gongs and percussion for people and plants. 

• 2:00 PM | Workshop: Mapping D.C.’s D.I.Y. Memory Archive -  Tatev Sargsyan and Maps Glover lead a participatory cartography session in collaboration. Visitors contribute personal memories of D.I.Y. venues, events, or collectives to an interactive, evolving map of D.C.’s cultural landscape.

• 3:00 PM | Open Mic & Final Improvised Performance: Sonic Futures - Join us for the final sonic celebration of the weekend, an open mic where DC improvisers take the stage in an open mic session to share their spontaneous sounds, voices, and ideas on sustaining the DIY scene. 

• Ongoing, 1:00-5:00 PM | Art build/sewing workshop with Femme Fatale DC & Love Stories Vintage: Create your own quilt square to contribute to our interactive map installation.

This event is presented in conjunction with the fall exhibit D.I.Y. in the District: Celebrating D.C.'s Artist-Run Spaces, on view through December 7 at the MLK Library.

This program, and the DC Public Library Arts and Exhibits Program, is made possible in part through support from the DC Public Library Foundation.
Visit the exhibit website for a full schedule of artist-driven programs during October and November.

Martin Luther King Library - 901 G St, NW - Washington DC