2013 G40 Art Summit - September 13 - October 6, 2013
Art Whino returns in 2013 for the fourth edition of the G40 Art Summit. This year Art Whino will be teaming up with Suite Nation to present a month-long, multi- experiential Art Summit with musical performances throughout the month. This year’s theme is the “Art of transformation” and the exploration of reclaimed spaces and objects. The location of this year’s Summit will be an all surrounding art experience with every inch of the space covered with awe inspiring works of art. The building itself has a rich background. Completed by James A. Boyce over a 12-year period in 1875, it exemplifies an eclectic mix of Victorian and Romanesque architectural styles combined with Gothic Revival and Queen Anne elements. The building has remained vacant for two decades and is now coming back to life inside and out, following its external and internal revival this past fall and spring.
Art Whino commissioned Atlanta based artist HENSE to complete a full building mural wrap resulting in the building’s current lively, colorful and graphic appearance. Following this intervention, Art Whino teamed up with Australian mural artist, MEGGS, to create a mural that covers what will be the performance space on the second floor of the building; the mural covers the entire room from floor to ceiling with bursts of primary color and stylized imagery in bold black outlines. Just like in past years, the G40 will be a massive exhibit featuring over 300 artists and 500 works from around the globe. The exhibition will feature canvas work from artists, installation walls, installation rooms and full size 10’ murals. The sheer size of the exhibit will require multiple visits to take in the full experience. Events throughout the month will allow visitors to return to the space and continue their exhibition experience, including various opportunities to meet featured artists and attend a wide variety of programming, from musical performances to social events.
Heineken joins the team this year as a official sponsor of this year's Summit. Following the successful debut of the Heineken Mural Project during Miami’s 2012 Art Basel, the company continues with the project in Washington D.C. and hosts the Heineken Lounge at the G40 host venue. Heineken Lounge attendees will get a chance to meet and see the work of the Heineken Mural Artists in a sensory-stimulating space while enjoying Heineken product and snagging giveaways. Heineken’s commitment to supporting mural art makes the company an ideal supporter of G40. The lounge will have a DJ and furniture for people to relax and chill surrounded by art and music. In addition to this lounge, Heineken be will activating four blank walls throughout Washington DC that will be part of the Heineken Mural Project. These full facade murals will be completed by the same four artists that will create murals at G40’s Heineken Lounge, in this way connecting back to the event space and acting both as an art piece that encourages and inspires creativity in the community and as an art piece that spreads awareness of the month long G40 event.
In accordance with the gallery’s mission to support, promote and grow Washington DC’s arts scene we are also proud to announce that Art Whino will have a permanent presence in Washington DC with the establishment ofBLIND WHINO: SW Arts Club. Blind Whino is our non-profit venture which will provide a wide range of programming at 700 Delaware Ave. Programming will range from Art Workshops to Art Events. The building will also serve as a beacon that exemplifies the positive impact that mural art can have on a community. HENSE’s exterior mural created a catalyst for new life for this building and MEGG’s recently completed mural proliferates this life into the interior of the empty building with its graphic primary colors and colossal scale. The Art Club at the 700 Delaware building will inspire the community to spread the arts throughout Washington DC.
About the G40
The first G40 Art Summit in 2010 compounded artistically explosive cultures from all over the world and brought them to the DC metro area. By bringing all of these cultures from throughout the world to one place it allowed the visitor to be fully immersed in over 1000 works by 500 artists organized by floors corresponding to their cultural hubs. In 2011 G40 delved into the new brow art movement which is at the forefront of creative culture and growing, with hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the world. Some of these genres include customized collectibles, skateboard art, stencil, wheat paste and 3D installations. In 2012 the theme was the "Art of the Mural". Traveling to Richmond, VA. and inviting 12 of the top mural artists from around the globe to unleash their creativity to 20 large scale walls throughout Richmond as well as having six exhibits in pop up galleries along the main street of the arts district. With two dimensional work and installations by each mural artist, these shows offered the opportunity to experience a more personal scale and a closer look at the execution and detailing of the mural artists' work. In 2013 a 138 year old vacant church was given new life with a full mural wrap on the exterior building by Hense and a massive interior mural by Australian artist Meggs. In keeping with this spirit of this transformation of the building the theme for the group art show was Transformation as artists were challenged to use found objects and re-purpose them in their artwork.