11th Street Bridge Park and Washington Performing Arts have received an award of $250,000 from ArtPlace America, to support community-driven East of the River arts programming and the continued work of transforming an old freeway into a new civic space over the Anacostia River.
The ArtPlace partnership builds on the rich resources and networks of two essential D.C. organizations. The 11th Street Bridge Park draws on its extensive community outreach and consultative process, anchored by more than 500 stakeholder meetings for design development and impact. Washington Performing Arts will leverage its long-term Ward 8 arts education programs rooted in the DC Public Schools; its robust collaborations with national and local partners including THEARC; and its innovative artist-centered Mars Urban Arts Initiative, which engages local communities and cultivates artistic talent.
Program content will be collaboratively developed with the community of artists and residents and may include public performances, school concerts and public storytelling workshops. Ultimately, this partnership strives to provide a comprehensive and varied platform to create and showcase arts and cultural programming for and by Ward 8 that will authentically reflect its robust neighborhoods, its singular identity and its diverse residents.
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See below for recent updates, press, and events from this project
press
Sep 6, 2019
Throughout this community-led process, it became clear that the Bridge Park had the potential to be more than just an innovative public space. In particular,... Read More
press
Mar 14, 2019
Could examining a place’s historical context contribute to more equitable development? That’s the belief of the nonprofit Building Bridges Across the River (BBAR) and researchers... Read More
press
Jun 22, 2018
In conversations across the District, and particularly in the neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River where I work, there is a very real and heartfelt... Read More
press
Mar 14, 2018
For passersby along the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., it’d be easy to assume there hasn’t been much progress building the 11th Street Bridge Park,... Read More
press
Apr 10, 2017
The 11th Street Bridge Park will physically connect both sides of the Anacostia River. It’s a 1,200-foot-long, pedestrian-only expanse that will let people stroll between... Read More
press
Nov 21, 2016
On the evening of Sept. 17, people in running shoes swarmed over Washington, D.C.’s Yards Park. Contestants in a relay race, they chatted with team... Read More
press
Jul 12, 2016
The 11th Street Bridge Park, a project of Ward 8-based nonprofit Building Bridges Across the River at THEARCand D.C. Government will be Washington, D.C.’s first... Read More
press
May 3, 2016
The 11th Street Bridge Park, a planned $45 million attraction traversing the Anacostia River, is still years from being built but a non-profit organization is... Read More
press
Jan 25, 2016
Surgery is performed within the human body to mend a chronic condition. Knee replacement, for instance, is deemed necessary when the connection between the femur... Read More
press
Jan 21, 2016
“Did you know how hot Anacostia is?” began the listing for 1330 T St. SE. The home is a recently renovated 1920s bungalow with original... Read More
blog
Oct 03, 2019
The 11th Street Park Bridge project in D.C. will do more than transform an old freeway bridge into a vibrant public space—it's also lifting up...Read more
blog
Feb 11, 2016
Establishing an organization as a touchstone for positive change in the community is one thing, but sustaining engagement with that community is another entirely. During...Read more