Textile Museum Hosting Japanese Culture Day

Sat., Feb. 13 (12noon-4pm): Experience an afternoon FESTIVAL of Japanese culture with the whole family at the Textile Museum (2320 S St., NW). This free program, co-presented with the Japan-America Society of Washington, DC, will feature hands-on activities, demonstrations and performances for all ages. Program highlights to include:

Dance performances by Shizumi Minale, a children’s dance troupe;

Introduction to Japanese culture and language;

Opportunity to try on traditional Japanese children’s kimono;

“Chopstick challenge”;

Kamishibai — paper box theater presentations;

Japanese fish and fan decorating.

For more info, call (202) 667-0441 or visit www.textilemuseum.org.

Founded in 1925 by George Hewitt Myers, The Textile Museum is an international center for the exhibition, study, collection and preservation of the textile arts. The museum explores the artistic significance and cultural importance of the world’s textiles through exhibitions, public programs and educational activities. Special attention is given to textiles of the Near East, Asia, Africa and the indigenous cultures of the Americas. The museum also presents exhibitions of historical and contemporary quilts, and fiber art. With a collection of more than 18,000 textiles and rugs and an unparalleled library, The Textile Museum is a unique and valuable resource for people locally, nationally and internationally.

Dupont ANC to Review 14th Street Restaurant Roof Deck Plan

Wed., Feb. 17 (7pm): The Dupont Circle ANC (ANC 2B) PUBLIC MEETING, originally scheduled for its regular second Wednesday of the month meeting has been rescheduled to the 17th because of the recent blizzard. As usual, the meeting will be held in the first floor Falk Auditorium of the Brookings Institution (1775 Mass. Ave.).

Among items on the agenda will the matter of the ABC Board application by Masa 14 at 1825 14th Street for a substantial change to its liquor license to operate on the second floor addition to be built and roof terrace to be added toward the front of the building. Although across 14th Street from ANC 2B’s boundary on the west side and within the Cardozo-Shaw ANC, the Dupont ANC considers it to be in the interest its constituents for the commissioners to review the ABC application and the HPRB-approved project.

The architect’s schematic of the plan shown here [see PDF copy, page 4, posted in the Current & Back Issues Archive] reveals that the  outside area will be substantially smaller than George Kozel and Frederick Geyer’s late 19th century German beer garden that occupied the roof of this building. (See, Scenes from the Past, The InTowner, December 2007, page 10-11; available here in the PDF copy posted in the Current & Back Issues Archive on this website.)

Bead & Jewelry Expo to Benefit Mt. Pleasant Schools

Sat., Feb. 27 (10am-5pm): The after-school arts programs at Lincoln Multicultural Middle School and Bell Multicultural High School will be the beneficiaries of the day’s BEAD AND JEWELRY EXPO to be held at the Marriott at Metro Center Hotel (775 12th St., NW) and sponsored by the non-profit Mt. Pleasant-based Bead Studio that supports arts education programs for youth in its neighborhood and in Adams Morgan. The $7 admission ($children, $2) will include free raffles and giveaways. For more info, call (202) 320-5989 or visit www.washingtondcbeadexpo.vpweb.com.

Warhol Photographs Featured in GWU Brady Gallery Show

Fri., Mar. 5 (5pm): This will be closing day of an EXHIBIT at George Washington University’s Luther W. Brady Art Gallery (805 21st St., NW) of selected Polaroid and black and white photographs by Andy Warhol, as well as other works, from the university’s permanent collection. Open to the public at no charge Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 5pm. For more info, call 994-1525.

Drawing from the recent gift of 152 of these Warhol photographs, selections for the exhibit include portraits of celebrities such as Edward Kennedy, Tara Tyson, Mary Martin and Truman Capote as well as intimate photographs of Warhol’s friends. Also on display will be diary entries by the artist that illustrate his involvement in the New York art and social scenes. This gift, along with the establishment of the Francine Zorn Trachtenberg Photography Fund, have significantly strengthened the photographic collection and programs of the university’s Permanent Collection.

The gift, made through the Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy Program in honor of the foundation’s 20th anniversary, consists of 28,543 original Warhol photographs valued in excess of $28 million that will be divided between 183 college and university art museums. According to Joel Wachs, president of the foundation, the aim of the Photographic Legacy Program is to provide greater access to Warhol’s artwork and process, and to enable a wide range of people from communities across the country to view and study this important yet relatively unknown body of the artist’s work.  The program offers institutions the opportunity to bring a significant number of photographs into their permanent collections, while allowing those schools that do have Warhol works in their collections to enrich the breadth and depth of their holdings.

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Adams Morgan Restaurants Perking Up Winter

By Lisa Duperier*

Adams Morgan Main Street has recently installed “green” Winter Wonderland displays in partnership with the Embassy of Denmark which feature recycled designer creations of used paper, trash clippings and eco-friendly products. Re-adapted Winter Wonderland displays are decorating the windows of a number of neighborhood restaurants to highlight sustainability issues. Among those hosting these “green” displays are Black Squirrel, La Fourchette, Napoleon Bistro, Savour, and The Grill from Ipanema.

Adams Morgan Main Street approached the Embassy to recycle Denmark’s displays which honored the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. The designers eagerly accepted the re-use idea and worked with Main Street volunteers to create the local business displays.

Omar Popal, of Napoleon Bistro, whose window display is shown here, says he hopes the “upscale decorations will bring some extra attention and traffic during this slow time.” The eco-friendly display is totally green; comprised of solar LED lights, soy candles, recycled and seed-infused paper, cradle-to-cradle approved fabrics, and non-VOC paint. Designers created paper rose garlands from coffee filters, used newspapers and magazines and materials from recycle bins.

* Lisa Duperier is President of the AdamsMorgan MainStreet Group which, among other undertakings, organizes and puts on the annual Adams Morgan Day Festival.. Persons interested in volunteering or wanting to obtain information about their work can call (202) 232-1960 or visit www.AdamsMorganNOW.com.