POW! WOW! DC

International Art Festival POW! WOW! returns to NoMa with 15 artists to create public murals around the D.C. neighborhood over the final two weeks of May.

The NoMa Business Improvement District (NoMa BID) announced that POW! WOW!, a global art movement that celebrates culture, music, and art in cities around the world, will return to the NoMa neighborhood for a second straight year as POW! WOW! DC. Organized and curated once again by D.C. artist Kelly Towles, the event will take place May 17–27.

“We love POW! WOW! and are so excited to have them back in NoMa for the second annual POW! WOW! DC,” said BID President Robin-Eve Jasper. “Last year’s murals are a terrific gift from the artists to the community. They broadcast the creative, dynamic nature of NoMa and are enjoyed by everyone.”

This year’s POW! WOW! DC roster of 15 artists includes eight from the Washington region; four from across the U.S., including legendary New York graffiti artist STASH; and three international artists.

CHELOVE (D.C.)
JD Deardourff (D.C.)
Jordann Wine (D.C.)
Julia Chon (D.C.)
Key Han (D.C.)
Martin Swift (D.C.)
Mas Paz (D.C.)
Matt Corrado (D.C.)
Kaplan (Hawaii)
Madsteez (Los Angeles)
STASH (Brooklyn)
TRAV (Los Angeles)
It’s a Living (Mexico)
Muro (Spain)
Qbic (Russia)

Over the course of almost two weeks, these artists will create 15 murals at a number of NoMa locations, such as the Metropolitan Branch Trail, the new AVA apartment building at 55 M Street NE, and the District of Columbia Housing Authority building at 1133 North Capitol Street NE.

“Last year was just so amazing,” said Towles. “The D.C. community really embraced the festival, and I’m really excited to make this year’s POW! WOW! even better.”

The festival — which is being sponsored by the NoMa BID and neighborhood real estate developers Foulger-Pratt and Skanska, as well as a number of other District businesses — will have its official kickoff party at Storey Park (1005 First St. NE) on Saturday, May 20, from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm. The event will include live art-making, local vendors, DJs, food trucks, and more. POW! WOW! DC will also feature several walking tours, led by Towles, of all mural sites, both as the artwork is in progress and once all murals are completed. Learn more at the NoMa BID website: nomabid.org/powwow.

About NoMa
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood in Washington, D.C., nestled among Union Station, the U.S. Capitol, Shaw, Union Market, and the H Street NE corridor. Already, NoMa has more than 18 million square feet of commercial and residential space, and almost 40 percent of NoMa’s office space is home to private-sector tenants, including major media, technology, and think-tank organizations. Each day, more than 100,000 people are out and about in NoMa’s commercial core. Through a public-private partnership with the D.C. government, the neighborhood will soon have great new parks and public spaces—an important development, as NoMa now contains 4,800 new apartments, and more than 54,000 people work here each day. NoMa is also the District’s most connected neighborhood, with a WalkScore of 92, stellar cycling infrastructure, unparalleled rail options, two Metro stops, and vehicular access to major highways. The NoMa BID organizes more than 50 free community events each year and also offers the District’s only free, outdoor WiFi network. For more information about NoMa, visit nomabid.org and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter. Follow them on Twitter (@NoMaBID) and Instagram (@noma.bid), and like them on Facebook.

Sponsors
NoMa BID
AVA NoMa
Courtyard Marriott Hotel
Event Rentals DC & NY
Foulger-Pratt
Skanska
Whole Foods Market