Events

Right over Left: DMV Runway Review (2017-Present) is a group exhibition, curated by Danyela J Brown. The exhibition, comprised of videos from legendary DMV runway clips and archived effects, seeks to juxtapose the artists’ relationships to craft and performance with the call-and-response timescale of Runway as a genre determined on the floor. Danyela insists upon critical ballroom studies as a methodology for reckoning with the material realities and urgencies of Black and brown, queer and trans, neurodiverse and disabled artists. Ballroom as a genre is stridently competitive, decidedly ephemeral, and absolutely ungovernable—at the same time it is the only platform many have to celebrate their expertise and self-determination. Brown started voguing in 2017 at SMYAL and has walked internationally in the mainstream and Kiki ballroom scenes. Currently, she is VA Mother of the Kiki House of Supreme, and she serves as Director of Operations for DMV Kiki Nights Inc, curating ballroom programming in DC.

The Sound of DC: A Visual History is a four-part exhibition series focused on the rich history of the music scene in the DMV area.

The newest chapter of this series focuses on Go-Go, a style of funk that originated in D.C. in the 1970s; leading into a look at how fashion factored into these unique DC music scenes; and concluding with photography from behind-the-scenes at prominent local music venues. Each section will collaborate with local stakeholders and exhibit artifacts such as posters, flyers, zines, photographs, and audio recordings.

Throughout the centuries, Blacks have endured the struggles of work, labor, stage performances, employment, and labor legalities in their lives. From enslaved Africans who worked for free and used music to endure to the main stages of today’s major opera houses, we still see labor practices that are unfair, unjust, and discriminatory toward Black people. Based on the 2025 Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s (ASALH) annual theme, the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts’ (CAAPA) experts explore Music and Black Labor, featuring moderator Patrick D. McCoy and panelists Michele Cober, Grayland Snead, and Keenan McCarter.