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5th & K - 14th & V - Shirlington - About The Curator
5th & K
"Surface Matters" is co-curated by Carolina Puente and Simone Jacobson (curator-in-residence). The exhibition features work by Michele Colburn, Temme Barkin-Leeds, Johnnie Bess, David Murphy, Kim Gillespie and Jenn Verrier. These artists scratch beneath the surface of conflict zones and American 'hoods to see what beauty and pain lies beneath. From Islamic architecture-inspired ink drawings to video game commentary and every day life in Afghanistan, we're sure you'll be amazed and inspired by the nuances in this diverse collection of work from emerging and established artists. In the upstairs loft, you'll find a show we call "Celebrate Community: Showcasing N Street Village Resident Artists," which showcases the work of women currently associated with N Street Village. N Street Village, founded in 1972 is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that offers a safe, empowering community for women facing homelessness poverty and related challenges such as mental illness, addition and chronic health problems. The exhibit first appeared at Fathom Creative in April 2011 and was the first of what N Street hopes will be many more like it. For these talented featured artists, this was their first opportunity to explore their artistic abilities.
In the main space, "M3: MC’s, Mics & Metaphors [Re/Mixed]" explores the creative power of the lyricism and poetry of hip-hop music through visual imagery. This exhibition first appeared at Flashpoint Gallery in 2010 and received critical acclaim. M3, remixed by Simone Jacobson (curator-in-residence) and Tewodross Melchishua uniquely for the 14th Street Busboys and Poets, gathers a group of emerging artists from around the country, each responding to the theme of the MC (Emcee, or Master of Ceremonies) or simply a favorite hip-hop verse or song. These visual artists are working in a variety of media, including photography, mixed media, painting, video and animation. The featured artists include Derrick (Benetez) Bryant, Damani K. Diop (Reality), Dissident Display (Adrian Loving & Ayo Okunseinde), Jeff Henriquez, Ann (Sole Sister) Johnson, Hasaan Kirkland, Jeff McCauley, Tewodross Melchishua, Darian Robbins, Marcel Taylor, Elizabeth Stewart, Aniekan Udofia, Charles Jean-Pierre, and Nicole Cohen. In the Langston Room, black and white photographs highlighting the rich history of African American musical forms, curated by Emma Mae Gallery, are on display as part of "The History of Rhythm & Blues & The Gregory Gaskins Experience."
Tiny Treasures: Size Matters and Food for Thought is co-curated by Cory L. Stowers and Simone Jacobson (curator-in-residence). Featured artists include Bensonn Anspach, Bat Favitsou Boulandi and Tim Rodgers. Dominating the main dining space are colorful MemeBots (pronounced MEEM-Bots) by Bensonn Anspach. Says Anspach, "A meme is a unit of culture (i.e., a personality, story, video, etc.) that is spread through some segment of society. Each of my MemeBots are robots representing a Meme. Each MemeBot has a name and an associated name, some more involved than others. My bots succeed when they make me smile." You'll also find fantastically comical "downers," as Rodgers calls his own version of robots in the main hallway, and contemporary takes on pop culture staples (think ewoks) by Boulandi. Additionally, Food for Thought (on display in Paul's Den and the bookstore) offers a world of possibilities for the viewer. By peeking into small windows of irony, humor, provocative social commentary and the joy of eating, featured artist J. Ford Huffman's "little theaters" beg a closer look in order to decipher the tongue-in-cheek messages the artist has subtly crafted. We're proud to offer a new look into the seldom showcased art of diorama building.
About The Curator-In-Residence
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5th & K
14th & V
Shirlington
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Born in Phoenix, Arizona and nurtured in Washington, DC, Simone Jacobson is a performer, writer and curator of artistic talent, projects and programs. Simone officially joined the Busboys and Poets tribe in May 2011 and also manages the events and programs at our Hyattsville location. She is the founding co-director of Sulu DC, a monthly showcase of and intentional home for Asian American and Pacific Islander performing artists in our nation's capital. Simone studied French Language and Literature at the University of Maryland and earned an MA in Arts Management at American University. Her writing has appeared in Beltway Poetry Quarterly as well as online on sites such as The Root, The Pinkline Project, The Lantern Review and The Couch Sessions. Her poem, "Mathematics and Mothers," will be included in the upcoming anthology Bop, Strut and Dance: A Post-Blues Form for New Generations. A specialist in arts and cultural programming for diverse communities, Simone is a proud Burmese-American gypsy and managing editor for Words. Beats. Life: The Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture. To purchase artwork, for submissions guidelines and all other art-related inquiries, she can be reached at 
