The Artist Showcase series is designed to extend the work of CAH beyond grant-making to highlighting the work of our grantees. Through free performances and events, the public is invited to experience the artistic talents of arts educators, grantee writers, performers, and visual artists.
Upcoming Programs
Climate Pledge Workshop
Monday, June 27, 2022
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm ET
I Street Galleries
Bangladeshi-American artist and climate activist Monica Jahan Bose will lead a hands-on sari climate pledge workshop as part of the closing of Fragile Beauty. The workshop will be outdoors (unless it rains), allowing us to connect with the Earth. Participants will discuss strategies for climate action and draw, paint, and write climate pledges on a hand-woven cotton sari in solidarity with women farmers of coastal Bangladesh, who are on the frontlines of climate change. For ten years, Bose has been co-creating saris with communities as part of her Storytelling with Saris art and advocacy project. The sari will be used in installations and performances and worn by Bangladeshi women, creating a direct physical and emotional connection that links communities together to fight climate change.
Past Programs
Film and Flood Resilience
Thursday, June 2, 2022
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm ET via Webex
Session Recording
A discussion focused on photographers, filmmakers and planners who address flood resilience in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and other locales with threatened shorelines. Featuring artists Alexandra Silverthorne and Bahar Yürükoğlu, New Orleans architectural designer and planner Jaime Ramiro (Rami) Diaz, and DC Department of Energy & Environment Equity and Engagement Program Analyst Allyson Criner Brown.
Fragile Beauty: From Art to Action
To celebrate the opening of the exhibition Fragile Beauty, this panel will discuss Environmental Justice in art and action. We will talk with featured artists about their work in the exhibition and Michael Feldman, of the Theater and Policy Salon, will moderate a discussion on moving from art to social action. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the exhibition and take part in the program.
Wednesday, May 12, 2022
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET
200 I (Eye) Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Fashioning Eco-Friendly Frocks: A Sustainable Showcase
In celebration of Earth Day, we will take you into the studios of four DC Fashion Designers: Michael Taylor, Quartni Kazmik, Shari H. Burriss, and Sewing Opportunity Never Ending. Each designer will create a sustainable garment using unconventional materials inspired by an environmental justice issue. Join us on WebEx for the video premiere, unveiling of the designs, and panel discussion.
Featured Speakers
Michael Taylor: Being the driving force of creativity and craftsmanship for TaylorAntonio, Michael brings vibrant creations to life with calculated handmade patterns, colorful fabrics, and a specific eye for fashion and the perfect fit for any occasion. His focus is on men's and women's formal wear and accessories, all of which are drafted and constructed in his studio in Washington, DC. Michael is a self-taught fashion designer, with a background in technical construction and engineering, bringing a unique spin to bespoke fashion in the District since 2016.
Quartni Kazmik: A Fashion Designer from Washington, DC. Quartni learned to crochet when she was eight years old, and has been creating one-of-a-kind pieces since 2018. Some of her work has been featured in Ronald Moten’s Secret Garden, Arts All Night, as well as shows in DC, MD, and CA.
Shari H. Burriss: Profiled as an artist, fashion designer, wife, mother, entrepreneur, published author, fashion show producer, and proud Washington, D.C. native. Since childhood, she had dreams of becoming a Mogul in the Fashion Industry. After graduating from high school, she commenced her college career at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, majoring in fashion design. While in college, she balanced perfecting her craft while working for designers in NYC, including Whitlow and Hawkins, Waitex, and Kahn Lucas, that sold to retail chains such as Nordstrom and Macy's. Upon completion at FIT, Shari set her goals and knew how to achieve them. Shari jumped right into creating her self-titled brand "Shari Henry" which launched during NY Fashion Week in the fall of 2018. With mastered techniques and an artistic eye, Shari constructed chic modern styles.
Friday, April 22, 2022
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm ET via Webex
Modeling Mentorship in the Arts: A Case Study
To kick off our 2022 Artist Showcase series, we’re going behind the scenes and looking at mentorship in the arts. Tristan B Willis will be sharing their experience as co-founder and director of TheatreWashington’s Mentorship program. From ideation to implementation, Tristan will share some of the goals and values that continue to inform this program for local theatre professionals. As relationships are a key element of community, mentorships can be an invaluable way for individuals and institutions to foster them in a unique, meaningful, and personal way. And we look forward to talking to Tristan about their experience being a steward of TheatreWashington’s program.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
4:00 to 5:00 pm ET via Webex
WordSoundPower: Poetry & Jazz in the District
Thursday, April 22, 2021
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm ET via Webex
In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month and National Poetry Month, the CAH will showcase five sets of FY21 jazz and poetry grantees.
Tony Keith Jr. PhD and Barry Moton
Luke Stewart and Freddie Dunn Jr.
Rasheed Copeland, Noah Getz and Dwayne Lawson-Brown
Michelle D.N. and Eliot Seppa
Regie Cabico and Ethan Foote
Hosted by Jeffery Tribble, Jr., Executive Director of The MusicianShip
The Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) values and supports the right of freedom of expression. CAH provided no editorial direction to the performers and did not censor participating artists’ works. As such, we expressly understand that a segment of the performance may include expletives, sexual and/or other content that is intended for mature audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.
Our City, Ourselves: Women Photograph Washington
Opening Event
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm ET via Webex
Featuring influential Washington women photographers discussing what it means to be a photographer in Washington DC.
Moderator: Leslie Ureña, Curator of Photographs, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
Panelists: Sharon Farmer, Kate MacDonnell, Susana Raab