Pop-Up Visual Arts Programs
Over the years we have brought uniquely designed artist driven pop-up programs to parks and events throughout the County.
Here are some of our past programs:
Columbia Pike Recipes for You, a Community Book Art Project by Sushmita Mazumdar
Summer 2016
Showcasing the diversity of Columbia Pike through celebrating the cuisine found there, the Columbia Pike Recipes for You bookmaking project was developed with Arlington artist Sushmita Mazumdar. Enthusiastically received when it debuted at the “Art Island” during the 2016 Columbia Pike Blues Festival, it was decided to bring the project to additional locations including multiple visits to the Columbia Pike farmer’s market, Wakefield High School’s We Are All Arlington! event and “DIY stations” in Arlington Mill Community Center, and Arlington Central Library.
Recipes and stories from Columbia Pike restaurants were collected, and a display board was created where the public could “see” the food diversity of The Pike. Teaching people how to make simple yet creative books by hand added an interactive element which became the Columbia Pike Recipes for You project.
Read more about the project and download the recipes here.
Paint a Columbia Pike Mural by David Amoroso
Columbia Pike Blues Festival, June 2016
David Amoroso – Arlington artist and long-time resident living just off Columbia Pike – designed a “paint by number” mural highlighting landmarks of Columbia Pike. Everyone was invited to paint the mural and is now on display at the Arlington Mill Community Center.
David Amoroso’s work explores the aesthetics and energy present in the imagery of popular culture and reflects his affinity for striking color combinations and bold design.
Live Screen Printing by JD Deardourff
Columbia Pike Blues Festival, June 2017
JD Deardourff, Washington, DC silkscreen artist, designed a special limited-edition Columbia Pike tote bag. Participants chose between two different color options and silkscreened the final color layer with the artist where they saw their bag transform!
JD Deardourff uses a bold color palette in his screenprints, murals, paintings and collages, pulling inspiration from comic books by emphasizing the highly energetic, exaggerated story panels. Deardourff received a BFA with an emphasis in printmaking from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2012.
Button Making designed by Hannah and Todd Churn
Columbia Pike Blues Festival, June 2017
While waiting for the ink to dry on your Columbia Pike bag, you could color and make your own musical instrument buttons designed especially for the Blues Festival by Hannah and Todd Churn.
Art Churn is the husband and wife art duo of Hannah and Todd Churn, located in Washington, DC. Animators during the day, they created Art Churn as a platform to sell their favorite pieces they create at night, ranging from adorable cats to magical creatures. You can also find Hannah Churn’s artwork on the Art on the ART bus, and “Let’s Go to the Park”, a bicycle safety coloring book, both collaborations with WalkArlington.
Color Your Future Garden by Marcella Kriebel
Summer 2017 & 2018
Marcella Kriebel provided five different black line illustrations that you can choose to watercolor in your own way: Arlington seed planting charts that reveal the diversity of the County through a broad selection of vegetables grown in our community gardens in one of the four seasons, or a map of the Arlington Community Gardens.
Read more about the project and download seed planting charts and coloring pages here.