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March 23, 2025 · 11:06 pm

The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

by Larry Janezich

Posted March 23, 2025

Currently at the Rubell Museum.  American Vignettes: Symbols, Society, and Satire.

September 27th, 2024 – Fall, 2025.  65 I Street, SW.  11am – 5pm.  You can probably find parking on a nearby side street. 

American Vignettes: Symbols, Society, and Satire showcases nearly 100 artworks spanning painting, photography, sculpture, installation, and mixed media by over 40 emerging and established artists, all from the Rubells’ collection of more than 7,700 works of contemporary art. Here’s a selection of some pieces categorized as Symbols which address our and the artist’s relationship to flags, emblems, and slogans.  

Piotr Uklanski.  Untitled (American Eagle).  Styrofoam.  79 X 118 in.

“In an untitled American Eagle Piotr Uklanski depicts the eagle used on the American quarter. The eagle is a symbol with layered implications, emblematic of the United States, Uklanski’s  native Poland, and many other countries, while also being associated with the Nazi Party and later appropriated by Neo Nazis worldwide. In engaging with such imagery, the artist challenges viewers to recognize and reinterpret symbols across cultural codes, whether political or historical.”

Natalie Ball. Bang Bang. Elk hide, rabbit fur, oil stick, acrylic, charcoal, cotton and pine.  84 X 124 in.

 “Bang Bang came from my solo exhibition in New York at Half gallery titled Bad Lucky Indian. … I was thinking through gesture, materiality, complex narratives, form, assemblage, but mostly humor.  In the studio I was looking at the great seal of the United States and I started to think about what that seal and its eagle means to me, what it means for our history, and what it means to be a dual citizen: to be a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, of a sovereign nation, but also a citizen of the United States…..I wanted my own seal.  The eagle and its symbolism have been appropriated historically. It has a significance in my culture too, and I wanted to bring that forward and honor it in a different way.

Sterling Ruby.  Flag.  Bleached and dyed fabric and elastic.  174 X 343 in. 

Damian Ortega.  Transportable Obelisk.  Fiber glass with metal base and wheels.  236 1/8 x 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 in.

“I am thrilled by the idea of a work that commemorates an imprecise moment, which could be associated with anything, just by the fact of moving the piece to one place or another. This work is a mobile print of reference.  It is a point of departure but also a full stop, even though it could change its position.”

Vaugn Spann.  Dark Days Bring New Hope (Never Forget).  Polymer paint, pulp, mixed media, terry cloth, canvas on aluminum stretcher bars.  160 x 220 in.

“This painting centers around the idea of hope but also around the idea of gloom or even doom. Dark days bring New Hope (Never Forget) is from Flag series. The series is a postmodern idea of how we might take these symbols, our relationship to these icons, and splice new meanings into them. The totallity of the piece is about the idea of claiming space and holding on to that proximity to the flag to interpret it on my own.  In the painting the flag is very dark; it’s a gloomy flag because there’s a lot of darkness and trauma we as a nation are perpetually working through.”

Glenn Lignon.  Condition Report D.  Iris print and iris print with serigraph, each 35 x 26 in.

“The text displayed on both panels of this diptych derives from protest placards from the American civil rights movement of the 1960s, specifically the Memphis sanitation workers strike in 1968. During this strike, over 1000 African American men went on strike for better pay and safer working conditions. Martin Luther King Junior went to Memphis to march with these workers and make speeches in support of their strike.  He was assassinated in Memphis the following day. Ligon first created a painting of the protest placard in 1988, untitled (I Am A Man), which the print on the left directly mirrors. For the right panel, Ligon gave his painting to an art conservator to create a condition report with handwritten annotations, which was in turn made into a print. In addition to the historical depth of the text presented, Ligon allows the object to be reinterpreted in a new context.”

The Week Ahead….

Highlights: 

  • Friday:  CM Charles Allen holds community office hours at Quill & Crumb at the Folger Shakespeare Library (see below).
  • Tuesday, Wednesday & Saturday:  (See Free DC Events under “Capitol Hill Corner Would Also Like You To Know About” below)

Monday, March 24

ANC7D 7D01 Hold a Special Virtual Meeting to confirm election/voting details for filling Single Member District 7D01 seat at 6:30pm. 

ANC6A Community Outreach Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.    

Among items on the draft agenda:

Announcements and Reminders:

  • People’s Front of H Street, Sunday Clean Ups in 6A01.
  • Mardi Gras Feedback.
  • Free DC Update.
  • ANC 6A Grant Application.
  • Public Safety Discussion & Brainstorm: Mutual Aid & Caring for Our Community.
  • Community Comments.

The ANC6B Public Safety Task Force Meeting, schedulted for Monday night, has been cancelled.

Tuesday, March 25

ANC6B Executive Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm. 

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6b.org/

Among items on the agenda:

  • The agenda for the ANC6B April meeting will be discussed, voted upon, and adopted.
  • Prior to the April agenda being adopted, the Executive Committee will address the items below, deferred from the March full ANC6B meeting:
  • ANC6B Resolution on B26-48.
  • Historic Preservation Application re 4-5 Library Court SE: Second floor additions to two adjacent attached alley dwellings.
  • Update on ABC Protest of restaurant license for Acqua Al 2

ANC6A Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

Among items on the draft agenda:

  • Discussion of the renewal of a Class C restaurant license with entertainment and summer garden endorsements at Granville Moore’s, 1238 H Street, NE.
  • Discussion of a new Class C Restaurant license with extended holiday hours, carry out and delivery endorsements at Tapori 600 H Street  NE, located within ANC6C.
  • Discussion of the status of the application for a new medical cannabis license for Proper Exotic, 313 8th Street, NE.

Friday, March 28

CM Charles Allen holds community office hours at Quill & Crumb at the Folger Shakespeare Library from 4 to 5:30pm.  RSVP here:  http://charlesallenward6.com/calendar

Capitol Hill Corner Would Also Like You To Know About:

Free DC Event – Tuesday, March 25

Members of Congress Office Visits: Encourage House Reps to pass the DC Local Funds Act – 10:00am to 3:00pm .

Rayburn House Office Building, 45 Independence Avenue Southwest, Washington, DC,

For more info and to register, go here:  https://freedcproject.org/event-list/office-visits-encourage-house-reps-to-pass-the-dc-local-funds-act

Free DC Event – Wednesday, March 26

March Campaign Orientation, online – 6:00 pm – 7:30pm.

For more info and to register, go here:  https://freedcproject.org/event-list/campaign-orientation-mar-26

Free DC Event – Saturday, March 29

Community Art Build! – 10:00am to  3:00am – St. Martin’s of Tours Church

1908 North Capitol Street Northwest, Washington, DC. 

For more info and to register, go here:  https://freedcproject.org/event-list/community-art-build

Hill Center Event

Thursday, March 27 – 7:00 pm – $10

Memoirist Kat Chow Discusses Her Bestselling book Seeing Ghosts in Conversation with Jung Yun.  Kat Chow is a reporter, teacher, writer and the author of Seeing Ghosts: A Memoir, named a Notable Book by The New York Times.

For more info and to register, go here:  https://bit.ly/4iV5LuQ

Hill Center Event

Saturday, March 29 – 2:00 pm – FREE

Volunteer Capitol Hill

Sponsored by Hill Center Private Events.  Local organizations will be present to share how you can help them meet their mission. Find the right fit for your talents as we build a better community.

For more info and to register, go here:  https://www.hillcenterdc.org/event/volunteer-capitol-hill-2/

Hill Center Event

Friday, March 28 – 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm – $20

Global Sounds on the Hill Celebrating Bolero with Miramar, a Richmond-based bolero group.

For more info and to register, go here:  https://bit.ly/4hGa6kt

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March 13, 2025 · 6:55 pm

City Scales Back Rumsey Aquatic Center Plan

More than 100 residents turned out for Wednesday night’s community meeting on the Rumsey Renovation plans which was held in the North Hall of Eastern Market.

City Scales Back Rumsey Aquatic Center Plan

by Larry Janezich

Posted March 13, 2025

Thursday night, DPR and DGS presented design options for renovation of the Rumsey Aquatic Center which were substantially different from the more ambitious plans of CM Charles Allen, who secured additional funding for the project based on those plans. 

The boost in $15 million in funds for the Rumsey renovation was intended to support a new second story with community amenities like a senior center with a tech lounge, a business incubator space, and an indoor fitness center.  These were in addition to the DPR’s initial budget ($20 million) to expand and renovate the swimming pool which would occupy the first floor of the new building.

That’s not what the designers brought back to the community.

Instead, developers presented to the community three slightly different proposals, all of them without a build-out on the second floor, as well as a host of reasons why the original vision could not be realized. In addition to what they characterized as a limited overall budget of $35 million, the designers cited the cost of LEED/net zero certification as a significant constraint. 

Here’s Allen’s reaction: 

“Two years ago, I asked DPR and DGS leaders what it would cost to build a second floor to expand services and programs while modernizing Rumsey pool. They gave me an exact number, and I found that exact money – that’s the budget we have.  It’s clear from tonight’s meeting there’s not enough space on one floor to meet the needs of the community here, and I’m frustrated how quickly they’re trying to walk away from the fully funded second floor. I will work to get them back on track and believe we will find a solution to deliver the generational project everyone wants.”

ANC6B Commissioner Jerry Sroufe, in whose single member district the Rumsey Center falls, said “if you only have three options and no second story that’s a bitter pill to swallow.  I didn’t think they were very responsive to the concerns raised and I don’t think that the things they said they couldn’t do because of various restrictions are true.  I am sure they could do things differently if they wanted to – exceptions can be made and they didn’t make any.  I didn’t like any of the options in particular.  It seems they wanted one story.” 

Two polls taken during the meeting to which there were 66 respondents showed a clear preference for bigger and better pool space and fewer amenities.  Regarding the possible amenities squeezed into the first floor – a hot tub, a yoga studio, and a fitness studio – a 40% plurality chose “none of the above.” 

The three options can be viewed here:  https://dgs.dc.gov/page/rumsey-aquatic-center    

Go to “March 12 Community Presentation.”

Roy Philips, a neighbor and frequent user of Rumsey Pool who attended last night’s meeting, said that “the presenters didn’t provide options that capture what the community is looking for.  In building options they have lots of constraints ….  Due to the constraints they said all they can do is build a new structure that is roughly the size and footprint as the current building. They can make the pool about 12 feet wider to accommodate 2 more swimming lanes. There were no options to extend the building into the plaza or with a second floor…It seems like they are focused on all the impediments rather than a vision of what the community really wants.”

Here’s the sequence of events for the next steps:

TBD Community Meeting 3 – Design Update.

TBD Community Meeting Final Design.

(Permitting Phase)

TBD Community Meeting Construction Kick off.

TBD Construction Updates

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March 5, 2025 · 10:53 am

Dealing with Death at Congressional Cemetery

Dealing with Death at Congressional Cemetery

By Larry Janezich

Posted March 5, 2025

Last week, Congressional Cemetery wrapped up a month long series of Death Doula Pop Ups held inside the cemetery’s chapel.  These “Mortality Tea Rooms” were an extension of the “Death Café” program sponsored by the cemetery.  The “Death Café” is a loose knit international movement to facilitate regular discussions about death over food and drink with a dozen or so participants. 

This series was coordinated and hosted by Congressional Cemetery’s Death Doula in Residence, Laura Lyster-Mensh. 

A visit to one on the events last week found Lyster-Mensh offering tea and information through a series of exhibits illustrating a death doula’s mission and her own approach to her practice.

And that’s what death doulas do – provide information about end of life choices both for families and individuals and support for terminally ill persons and their families. 

Lyster-Mensh conducts a tour of her Mortality Tea Room exhibits:  

Impermanence

Every day, she starts a new nature mandala – a geometric shape made of things in nature picked up on the cemetery grounds by visitors to the chapel.  She says, “People are shy about things associated with bodies – so I’ve invited people to be part of building this geometric shape as a study of impermanence.  At the end of the day, I wash it away – and we start over the next day. 

Community Mourning

She references the Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead and said that that on the Day of the Dead last year an ofrenda was set up in the chapel.  (Ofrenda means “offering” in Spanish and refers to the colorful altars set up to honor deceased loved ones on the Dia de los Muertos Mexican holiday.)  She says that it displayed “hundreds of objects and photographs and flowers.  It was just splendid – a way of introducing ancestors and a way of talking about the past.” 

Choose Your Corpse’s Adventure

She moved on to what she called her pet project, a game called Choose Your Corpse’s Adventure.  She says, “Most people don’t think about what happens to their body after they pass – that causes expensive chaos.  So I set up toys to show people their options – how much money will it cost you to die and how much carbon will it take?   I get them to think – if you have as much money as you want and as much carbon as you want, how much do you need?  I ask them to think about that.  Given options such as water cremation, human composting, or fire cremation, what is the actual cost financially and environmentally? And the party – what about the party you might have after you’re gone?  By end of the game, people have gotten a better idea of death’s costs and impacts.  The real thing is the conversation, especially with couples.  That’s my goal – to get people talking and to think about their behavior in these terms.”

Library and Life Planner Area

Lyster-Mensh has a lending library including books and life planners.  She lends them out and people bring them back.  She wants people to organize and think about the chaos the day after they die.  She adds, “There are so many kinds of organizers – some are funny and some are serious.  I hand them a stack and let them go through them.” 

Immortality

Lydia-Mensch doesn’t talk about immortality, but she alludes to it by giving away plant cuttings. 

She says, “All living things come from something that has died.  The cuttings are all from my mom’s plants.  It’s a symbolic thing – I encourage people to think about taking my plants home; they will live or die and all these are coming from my mom’s plants which come from other plants and I like that idea.  Snake plants, Swedish ivy, tradescantia, spider plants – I love the idea that they are going out into the world.” 

Last February was the first month-long mortality workshop – which she says is a completely new way of encouraging contemplation of end of life scenarios – “It happened because the chapel was open for the month of February, and I asked to do it.  Last year, I did individual appointments.  The year before I did weekly gatherings and events.”  She says the cemetery will probably repeat the experience next year. 

Asked what motivated her, Lyster-Mensh says, “I’ve always had an interest even as a kid.  As I get older and lose more people and get closer to death the ‘eye-rolling’ (encountering people’s annoyance or reluctance to take the issue seriously) motivates me.  When I sit with dying people – and I’m with dying people a lot – their families and friends are often too frightened to be there and so they’re alone and that doesn’t have to be.  So I feel that death awareness is a way to bring people back to being more loving and taking care of each other rather than just leaving people to suffer in fear and isolation.” 

For more information and to sign up for a Death Café, go here:  https://bit.ly/3QNeZxb

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