Mi arts casa es su arts casa

For all my DC artist friends,

This post is about something I've always offered in passing, but wanted to really, intentionally put out there, as 2014 comes to an end.

I have a pretty awesome space in the +Brookland Artspace Lofts. One of the perks of being the first resident to move in. In fact, check out this video I took from when I and my roommate initially moved in, back in 2011!!

So granted there is furniture here now, but the living space set-up is very modular. Even with the furniture in, when it is all pushed to the sides, one is still left with a clear space to play in of 25' wide by 15' deep, with a ceiling just a little over 9' high.

I, myself, have had dance and theatre rehearsals in my apartment. And this is what I'm offering to my friends and arts colleagues. My space should you need it, and it's available.

Beyond the space, there would be a few additional perks:

• Food & drink: I would at least have bottled water stocked and available. Any other snacks, let's talk.
• Tech:
• I have a video camera and Google Glass for you to help document and record your process, if you want. With the video, I could probably even edit and send you highlights, of bloopers and breakthroughs in your process.
• I also have a blue-tooth speaker in case you need to play an audio/music.
• There is Wi-Fi.

What would I want in return, if anything? I'm honestly not sure yet. Maybe access to your social media analytics, so I could do an audit of your organization, which I would obviously share with you, but would also add to my own personal body of knowledge and data. Maybe permission to ask to interview and blog about you and the other artists you're working with, for my own social media channels. Would there be a monetary component for the space, food, tech, or my time at all? I'm going to leave that completely up to you.

But first things first. Let's just figure out if you could use the space at all.

The location's convenient, it's barely a 5 minute walk from the Brookland/CUA metro station.

And if you're driving, there's plenty of street parking as our street has not been re-zoned as a residential one yet. Bad for residents, but good for non-residents.

Time-wise? I just need to be here, so that limits it to 6:30pm and after on weeknights, and then weekends. Otherwise, it's just pending availability with any other commitments I might have.

If you want to put in a request, you can do that here: http://doodle.com/AWayofLife0.

I think that's about it for now. But, like I said, I'm trying to be more intentional about putting this out there as something I want to give back to the community I've received so much from. Especially as I've transitioned to doing more administrative things.

Because after my space was included this past week as one of the stops on a tour that included Dance Place and the Arts Walk on Monroe Street, one of the attendees' reaction and shock and awe reminded me of just how much of challenge space can be, in this city.

And if/when I move out of here (hopefully not anytime soon), I would hate to think that I didn't try to take full advantage of my apartment, even if only providing it as a place for others to help their own artistic visions manifest.

Just to reiterate, this is definitely a one-degree kind of thing right now. If I don't know you personally, I'm sorry. But if we know someone in common that you're working on something with, just have them ask.

- JR