Public Meeting This Tuesday: Branding and Marketing the Mid-City Arts District

These are vastly changing times around Logan and U Street.

Last year, the ANC2F Arts Overlay Committee, of which I was a member, took a look at the so-called "Mid-City Arts District"--essentially the area centered around 14th and U streets, but also including stretches of 9th, 7th and Florida. We wanted to examine the current state of the neighborhood and chart a course for its ongoing development and evolution. One of the things we examined was the question of how the neighborhood is perceived, both by neighborhood residents as well as those outside of it.


Are we a nightlife destination? An arts center? A home for high-priced restaurants, furniture stores and fashion boutiques? And, perhaps most importantly, how do we *want* the neighborhood to be perceived--and what can be done to facilitate that?

The answer to those last questions will begin to be answered this Tuesday, August 31, at the first of three public meetings that will help determine the direction of the branding and marketing of the neighborhood, as well as to introduce the 'Street Graphics" competition. The evening promises to feature an interesting and lively discussion, and will include overview discussions of the project and its importance to the neighborhood by Andrea Doughty, project coordinator, and Carol Felix, Lead Branding Consultant.

That will be followed by a panel discussion that includes Andy Shallal, owner of Busboys and Poets, Mark Chalfant, director of the Washington Improv Theater, Rev. Sandra Butler-Truesdale, owner of the Emma Mae Gallery and a 14th and U historian, and others.

This will be a tremendous opportunity to learn about the 14th and U/Mid-City neighborhood and, most importantly, have a voice in the direction of its future.

The event will take place from 6p - 8p, in the Langston Room at Busboys and Poets, at 14th and V streets. For additional information about the initiative, visit www.midcityartsdistrict.org.

To learn more about the Arts Overlay Committee and read our final report, visit www.anc2f.org/arts. I hope to see you at Busboys this Tuesday.