Washington, D.C., December 3, 2014 – New comic book splash page art will soon grace the wall of the Lobby Project in NoMa. Join us for an art reception and talk from artist JD Deardourff on December 11, presented by the NoMa BID and the Washington Project for the Arts. The event is free and open to the public from 6 PM to 8 PM. Wine and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. A brief program will take place at 7 PM. RSVP here.
“B and E” is JD Deardourff’s exploration into the energy, technology, destruction, construction, and juxtaposition of the urban and natural environment he sees in NoMa. Deardourff makes abstract landscapes based on comic book collages. In his collages, he extracts the positive space information until he is left with what really interests him: exaggeration, action, movement, black contour line, and -most importantly- artificial color. These collages are then transformed into bold, painterly screen prints through a process that mimics the way comic books were traditionally printed. JD’s work is intuitive and unpredictable, but for this project he has created a sequential, abstract narrative. It expresses the evolution of the NoMa neighborhood through composition, shifts in color, and the repetition of imagery.
The exhibit will be visible in the Lobby Project, located at 1200 First Street, NE, Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 7 PM, from December 11 to January 30, 2015.
About the Artist
JD Deardourff is an artist living and working in Washington, D.C. In 2012 he received a BFA with an emphasis in printmaking from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. JD has exhibited his screen prints in Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. In addition, he has designed graphics for Burton Snowboards and album art for RAMP Records.
About WPA
Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that serves as a catalyst for contemporary art. WPA supports artists at all stages of their careers and promotes contemporary art by presenting exhibitions, issues, and ideas that stimulate public dialogue on art and culture.
About the Lobby Project:
The Lobby Project started in October 2013 as a pilot project from the Office of Planning to activate underutilized spaces in office buildings. The project is an activation of an office lobby at 1200 First Street NE with a ‘Nerds in NoMa’ speaker series, art, WiFi, lectures, and the creation of a new social and professional gathering space. Formerly a vast, empty space, the Lobby Project brought movable, comfortable furniture, great art and programming to the lobby of 1200 First Street, NE. The project would not be possible without the support of building owner Principal Financial Group, building manager Polinger Shannon & Luchs and NoMa design firm Ayers Saint Gross. The rotating art shows are possible through a partnership with the Washington Project for the Arts. Previous installations have included work by Gabriel Mellan, Amanda Leigh Burnham, Edmond van der Bijl, Fawna Xiao, Anthony Palliparambil, and Michael Crossett.
The popular Nerds in NoMa speaker series will return to the Lobby Project this January. For more information, visit www.NerdsintheLobby.com.
About NoMa
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood nestled among Union Station, the U.S. Capitol, Shaw, and the H Street, NE corridor in Washington, D.C. Over the last several years, private developers have invested more than $5 billion in the 35-block area within the NoMa BID boundary, and have plans to develop more than 16 million square feet of additional office, residential, hotel, and retail space. With a capital investment of $50 million from the District government, NoMa will soon have great new parks and public spaces as well. NoMa is home to more than 3,900 terrific new apartments, and more than 40,000 people work here each day. NoMa is the most connected neighborhood in Washington, D.C. With unparalleled transportation access on Amtrak, VRE, MARC, two Red Line Metro stops, and vehicular access to Interstate 395, visitors, workers and residents can easily travel throughout the region as well as get to New York or anywhere on the East Coast. NoMa has a WalkScore of 92 and offers great biking facilities, including three free outdoor air pumps, the East Coast’s only Bikestation, the 8-mile Metropolitan Branch Trail, and seven Capital Bikeshare stations. The NoMa BID organizes more than 50 free award-winning community events each year, connecting more than 20,000 friends and neighbors. For more information about NoMa, visit nomabid.wpengine.com and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter. Follow us on Twitter @NoMaBID and like us on Facebook.
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For immediate release
News media contact:
Ali Newman
202-617-0409
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