A Tour of Anacostia with the ARCH Advisory Committee

Outside Vivid Solutions Photographic Gallery in Anacostia


Briony Evans speaks about opportunities using the former Poetry Museum Property owned by ARCH Development Corporation



Beth Ferraro provides an overview of the Vivid Solutions Gallery and current photography exhibit.


The committee toured the Youth Green Jobs Initiative and Training Program in Anacostia.



Tour members listen to Andrea Hope as she describes the functions of the Dark Room at Vivid Solutions



Briony Evans speaks about Anacostia's creative opportunities and upcoming exhibitions at the Big Chair Coffee house.



Another vacant building waiting for a creative business to rent in Anacostia.


As a member of the ARCH Development Corporation's Advisory Committee which overseas the programmatic activities of both the Honfluer and the Vivid Solutions Galleries in Anacostia, Washington, DC, I was led with other members on a creative economy tour of Anacostia. Briony Evans, Creative Director of the Honfluer Gallery, Beth Ferraro, Creative Director of Vivid Solutions and Andrea Hope, Director of Vivid Solutions Gallery led the tour.

Most of the members of the committee brought others, overwhelmingly photographers, who documented various sites along the way. We visited vacant buildings that will be proposed for new "Pop Up" gallery opportunities for curators and artists, a youth green jobs project to train teens in Anacostia how to build and use green technology for future green jobs, the Big Chair cafe, a new coffee shop and art space, and Vivid Solutions' dark room and training facility for youth interested in learning the art of photography.

I learned so much from the visit about how ARCH Development and partners are trying to promote the area to bring in more creative opportunities and lure creative businesses to the area.

In addition, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities' ART (202)TV Show recorded the event including interviews with those who participated on the tour.

As a member of the committee and a East of the River artist, I truly enjoyed the tour and learned so much. I am looking forward to witnessing the revitalization of this community through the arts!