D.I.Y. in the District: Celebrating D.C.’s Artist-Run Spaces
Exhibit Dates: October 4—December 7, 2025
Exhibit Location: MLK Library, Great Hall
_0.png?itok=GrPXxaC-)
Credits: Left: d.c. space montage; Right; Don Cherry performing at the opening weekend of d.c. space, 1977
Courtesy of Bill Warrell
Artist-run. Homegrown. Non-commercial. Multi-media. Experimental. A D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) art space is usually all of these things - and yet no single definition applies to all. This exhibition celebrates key galleries and exhibition spaces in Washington, D.C. from the 1970s to present day that represent the boundless creativity, resourcefulness, and experimentation of artists working in storefronts, row houses, converted offices, and other unlikely spaces in a federal city known for its national museums and colorful, tranquil abstract paintings. Artist-run spaces flip the script on stereotypes and simplified ideas about culture in the nation’s capital. Though real estate, the cost of living, and lack of investment in the arts are abiding challenges, these spaces have supported generations of artists as they find community and test and develop their ideas.
Produced in collaboration with Rhizome D.C. and other partners, this exhibit will transform the Great Hall of MLK Library into a celebration of the artist-run and D.I.Y. arts scene in the District from the 1970s through the present day. Through key examples such as d.c. space (1977-1991) and Rhizome (2016-present) and others, this dynamic installation will highlight the vital role that non-mainstream art spaces play in the larger arts world and our city today. The exhibition is a tribute to archivist Ray Barker (1969-2024), who conducted a series of oral histories of D.C. Art Spaces from 2017-2018, and includes new interviews with representatives of D.C.'s present-day D.I.Y. spaces.
The program will be accompanied by a new zine documenting D.I.Y. art spaces in the District since the 1970s. A robust series of programs in the Great Hall during the months of October and November 2025 will celebrate D.C.'s artist-run scene through cross-genre sound, experimental storytelling, improvised movement, documentary screenings, special tours, and much more.
This exhibition is curated by DC Public Library in collaboration with advisors and consulting lenders, including: Bill Warrell, Claudia Joseph, Cynthia Connolly, Claude L. Elliott, Aziza Gibson-Hunter, Tatev Sargsyan, Layne Garrett, and others.