The Larry Neal Writers Award commemorates the artistic legacy of author and activist Larry Neal and honors an individual that has made a significant contribution in the District of Columbia through the direct practice or production of their work as a writer. Written forms can include, but are not limited to: short stories, dramatic writing, playwriting, nonfiction, and poetry. This award is open to writers age 14 and older.
The Emerging Creative Award honors an individual, group, non-profit organization, or private entity that, while out of the spotlight, has made a significant contribution to the creative culture of the District of Columbia. Awardee may be from all arts and/or creative industries. Award is open to creatives
ages 14 and up.
The Award for Excellence as a Visionary Leader in the Arts and Creative Industries honors one individual, group, organization, or private entity with distinguished achievements as a leader in the Arts and Creative Industries. The awardee should have demonstrated an equal commitment to their vision, mission, product, or service, and to the development of the creative community in the District as a whole.
The Award for Excellence in Visual Arts honors an individual, group, nonprofit organization, or private entity that has made significant contributions in Visual Arts in the District of Columbia, through the direct practice of their artistic work. Visual Arts disciplines honored may include, but are not limited to: ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, photography, and crafts. This award is open to visual artists age 14 and older.
The Award for Excellence in the Nightlife Economy honors an individual, group, nonprofit organization, or private entity that has made a significant contribution to the nightlife economy of the District of Columbia through the direct production of events, activities, and establishments in the nightlife industry. The nightlife industry can include, but is not limited to bars, clubs, entertainment venues, and nightlife promoters.
The Award for Excellence in the Creative Industries honors an individual, creative business, nonprofit organization, or group that has made a significant contribution in the creative industries in the District of Columbia, through the direct production of their creative work, and through their leadership in developing the creative economy.
Creative industry work and disciplines may include, but are not limited to design arts, graphic designers, museums, lighting designers, sound engineers, fashion, costume designers, crafters, jewelry designers, makers, food trucks, farmers markets, cosmetology industry, stylists, curators, festival organizers and exhibitors.
The Award for Excellence in Arts honors an individual, group, nonprofit organization, or private entity that has made significant contributions in the Performing Arts in the District of Columbia, through the direct practice and/or performance of their artistic work. This award is open to performing artists age 14 and older.
Performing Arts disciplines honored may include, but are not limited to: All dance disciplines and styles, including, but not limited to: jazz, tap, ballet, modern, hip-hop, folk, and ballroom. Theatre practitioners, including, but not limited to: actors and directors. Music community and organizations, including, but not limited to: composers, singers, instrumentalists, bands, orchestras, small and large ensembles, and choruses.
The Award for Excellence in Arts Education honors an individual, group, nonprofit organization, or private entity that has made significant contributions in Arts Education in the District of Columbia by supporting the development of imagination and creativity in young people, and demonstrating the value of the arts as essential to education. Honorees may include, but are not limited to teachers in DC Public Schools, public charter schools, and independent arts education programs or practitioners.
The Award for Excellence in Media Arts honors an individual, group, nonprofit organization, or private entity that has made significant contributions in Media Arts in the District of Columbia, through the direct practice and/or production of their artistic work. Media Arts disciplines honored may include, but are not limited to: film, television, radio, podcasting, content creation, augmented reality/virtual reality production, game design, and other creative tech. This award is open to media artists age 14 and older.
The Award for Excellence in the Humanities honors an individual, group, nonprofit organization, or private entity that has made significant contributions in the humanities in the District of Columbia through the direct practice and/or production of their work. Humanities disciplines may include, but are not limited to literature, history, language, philosophy, anthropology, archeology, musicality, religion and social science.
The Mayor’s Arts Award for Distinguished Honor is a merit award given to an individual, group, nonprofit organization, or private entity whose contributions to Arts and Culture in the District of Columbia have been substantial and consistent, with achievements spanning 20 years or more with local, regional and national impact. Mayor Bowser will select this award recipient.
xemiyulu Manibusan Tapepechul, aka Xemi the Two-Spirit, is a Salvadoran Nawat Non-Binary Trans Womxn writer, actor, and coach. She is the Artistic Director of Nelwat Ishkamewe, a multilingual theatre company for the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking Native American/Indígena Diaspora communities. Xemiyulu is always educating the public about Indigenous issues, and provide dire emotional labor for the growth of our mainstream communities. She leads community workshops that center healing through art, and help hone the artistic talents of our community members.
Marco Kay Photography - "Rather than call myself a photographer or what I do photography, I like to consider it as "Inspiring the moment!" This simply means capturing life as it is being inspired by the feelings, emotions, and all other attributes that creates the compositions of life. With my camera, whether it's a glamorous photoshoot, a fun day shoot in the city, or their special day, I give my clients their inspirational moments to relive every day and share with others." -Demarcus Davis
Opened to the public September 7, 2019, The REACH at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is more than a physical expansion of the nation’s cultural center: It’s a new way of imagining the intersection between audiences and art. Envisioned as a complement to, and extension of, the Kennedy Center’s mission, the REACH supports both artistic and educational programming, with a strong emphasis on supporting artists, new works, and artistic development for artists at all levels.
Katie Burk is currently a Senior Graphic Designer at the marketing agency Nobody in Washington, D.C. She was previously a graphic designer at NPR headquarters from 2008 to early 2014 in their Marketing, Branding, and Communications department. Katie was also the graphic designer on the live events team at The Atlantic from 2014 to early 2015. She is a Louisiana native and LSU graduate, a bass clarinetist, a ceramicist, and handy with a hammer.
Ian Callender is the Executive Director of Culture House DC (formerly Blind Whino SW Arts Club), an organization dedicated to providing a functional, organic art space for all to enjoy at no cost and learn more about the arts culture through various exhibits, events, live performances and artist workshops. The building embraces all things creative with all of its being. As an art object itself, with the exterior, fully painted, it serves as a pillar for creativity in our Nation’s Capital.
Models Inc. is a performing and model agency founded in March of 2006 in the Nation’s Capital, Washington, DC. Models Inc. was built from the bottom up with dedication, determination and hard work. The company is led by CEO Iran “Bang “Paylor and Aaron Handy. Models Inc. is a place where our models can grow and learn from others, in areas such as dance. runway, print and editorial modeling. The performance group have graced countless national and local stages including the grand opening of The REACH at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Founded by teacher Julie Kennedy at Marie Reed Elementary School, DC Scores creates neighborhood teams that give kids in need the confidence and skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom, and in life. The program quickly expanded throughout DC, and in 1999, Kennedy began sites in Boston and Chicago, thus creating America SCORES, headquarters to 12 programs across the United States and Canada: Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Portland, St. Louis, Seattle, Vancouver, and Washington, DC.
Vernard R. Gray, East River Jazz curator/director is a native Washingtonian whose career, from the mid-60s to the present day has included documentary photography and videography, art gallery curating and management, wearable art designing, oral history recording, and jazz culture curation. Gray’s Miya Gallery project founded 1976, in downtown DC, led the Black Arts Movement of the 1970s through the 2000s. He has presented more than 300 jazz performances in the Washington-Baltimore region since 2008.
The Content Farm is disrupting business as usual in the media industry, with dozens of projects in development and production, and a unique distribution model no other company can offer. The Content Farm is a one-stop-shop for the development, production, marketing, and representation of media content. Michael Holstein and Annika Young are the creative forces behind Content Farm. The two have partnered on several media projects including "Live at 9:30", an award-winning documentary shot at the District’s internationally-famed 9:30 Club. The dynamic duo also produced "The Perfect Venue, a House Hunters-style television show that follows recently engaged couples on their search for the ideal wedding venue.
Herta B. Feely is the author of numerous short stories and memoir, published in literary journals and anthologies. She received two fellowships for a novel in progress – the James Jones First Novel Fellowship and an Artist in Literature from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities – and an American Independent Writing Prize in Personal Essay. Now an editor, writing coach and ghostwriter at Chrysalis Editorial, a company she founded, Herta has worked with hundreds of writers helping them to transform and perfect their writing and find agents and publishers for their work.
Artist, activist and restaurateur, Andy Shallal is the founder and owner of Busboys and Poets, a community gathering place. There are 7 locations throughout the Washington DC metro area, including its flagship location near the U Street Corridor and its newest location in the historic Anacostia neighborhood. The venues are embraced by the community across all 8 Wards. Busboys' clientele has included Barack Obama, Howard Zinn, Alice Walker, Cornel West, Naomi Klein, Ben Jealous, Michael Eric Dyson, Nikki Giovanni, Junot Diaz, Common, Moby, Larry King, Melissa Harris Perry, Angela Davis, Brittney Griner, Cory Booker, Maxine Waters, Solange, Esperanza Spalding, Howard Dean, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Danny Glover, and others.