Art All Night Festival Coming September 28, 2013

On September 28, 2013, Shaw Main Streets will present Art All Night, the second full scale overnight arts festival in Washington, DC, based on Paris' Nuit Blanche. The magic will last from 7:00 PM that night until 3:00 AM on Sunday, September 29, 2103. The first festival, on September 24, 2011, drew an estimated 15,000 attendees.  A smaller Taste of Art All Night, on October 20, 2012, was held in downtown’s Chinatown/Gallery Place/Penn Quarter area.

Twelve venues in central Shaw along 7th and 9th Streets, NW, will showcase the work of DC painters, sculptors, photographers, fashion designers, musicians, dancers, poets, actors and more, with international participants, as well.

“Art All Night is a unique opportunity to explore the creativity of DC artists of all types, in traditional and nontraditional spaces, ranging from small galleries and theaters to the historic 80,000 square foot Wonder Bread Factory and the award-wining Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library,” says Alexander M. Padro, executive director of the non-profit Shaw Main Streets, which is presenting this year’s festival.  “And it all takes place in the middle of a neighborhood that’s booming with new residential and commercial development, including over 20 new bars and restaurants, a number of which will be open in time for the big event.”

While several venues will include work from multiple artists in various media, in addition to performances, some venues will be single artist showcases, like the studio of renowned neon sculptor Craig Kraft, which was also included in Art All Night 2011.  “People were lined up down the block waiting to get in last time,” Kraft recalls.  Kraft’s large outdoor commissions are installed throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area, including in front of the Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library at 7th and R Streets, NW. “I’ll be showing more of my studio work this time,” Kraft observes, including pieces from his Ground Zero and Intentional Drawings series. 

The website www.ArtAllNightDC2013.com  will provide updates on the program schedule and information on venues, artists, partners, sponsors, where to eat and drink during the festival, and much more. A mobile app available before and during the event will provide an interactive map of all the venues, as well as the live performance schedule and restaurants and bars that will be open during the festival’s eight hours.

The newly renovated Wonder Bread Factory at 641 S Street, NW, will be the largest Art All Night 2013 venue, with 80,000 square feet dedicated to the festival. In 2011, the Wonder Bread Factory was one of the most popular Art All Night venues, with over 7,000 visitors.

Major sponsors of Art All Night 2013: Nuit Blanche DC include the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development, DC Main Streets, and Douglas Development Corporation.

Shaw Main Streets is a designated DC Main Streets local program, funded in part by the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development, Vincent C. Gray, Mayor.