ReadysetDC A CREATIVE URBAN ENTERPRISE

Interview: DC Mini Gallery

Reported by Justin

UPDATE: DC Mini Gallery has run into a few difficulties, specifically due to a false complaint. Now, they must make several renovations, which are costly. Please visit the DC Mini Gallery website and donate whatever you can!

I finally got to sit down (stand next to actually) with the creative minds behind DC Mini Gallery, the soon-to-open “art conservatory” in 14th Street Heights. This is the proprietor Michael Harris,  drummer of The Laughing Man, and Lindsay Hart, who will be managing the vintage/retail aspect. I got a great walk-through of the space and asked them a few questions.

J. Young: What is the concept behind DC Mini Gallery?

M. Harris: My general concept for the DC Mini Gallery is to create a multi-media art conservatory. I’m still working out what the definition of that actually is (laughs), but in a sense I want to create an environment that nurtures the art and music in this district and provides an outlet for the community that is organic and accessible. Because we are a very independent establishment, this is a gallery that will constantly be growing, evolving and changing. Essentially I took a look at all the things I like and would like to see in a gallery. I know I like paintings, and music, and soap so all that will be in there. Even stuff that doesn’t necessarily go together. I suppose in a way its narcissistic but I want to put as many things that i like under one roof and hopefully people will like those things too.

I think it’s a very exciting concept because it is so raw and unpolished. Right now, creatively speaking, it feels like DC is this young place still trying to find itself and I feel like the gallery taps into that…hopefully we can all watch each other grow up.

The basement could potentially be used for art installations, artists space, etc.

J. Young: What attracted you to 14^th Street Heights, and to this space?

M. Harris: It’s funny, there really wasn’t too much research put into it. I was driving by one day and saw a big sign in the window seeking a business for the space. Something in my gut made me look twice at the building, all i can really say is that i had a good feeling, it seemed to call to me. I wrote down the number of the owner and came back a few days later to look at the space and I was floored by how big it was and I could see the potential the space offered. I had been looking for an opportunity that would allow me to quit my day job and focus more on a career in the arts & music and I jumped in. It’s not the easiest time economically speaking to leave a steady pay check and invest your savings in a dream but I went with my impulse. Everything seemed to fall into place, it felt like the perfect time in my life to try this. There have been a few bumps and I expect more to come but I’m still very happy with my decision and the direction of the gallery. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for many years, I had the experience and a good team behind me so once I found the perfect space my ideas began taking off.

J. Young: What are your thoughts on the neighborhood?

M. Harris: I’m actually pleasantly surprised and really excited about the neighborhood. It seemed like a cool neighborhood when I first got the place but I didn’t find out until very recently that a lot of my friends are here. Our friend Gideon lives around the corner, some other people I know too. It’s actually kind of like a thriving, bustling neighborhood. Beyond just the young-twenties people who are here, just the existing community is really awesome, very supportive, very tight-knit, they support all of the businesses on this block. It’s mostly family owned, I don’t think there’s any corporate owned businesses in this 2-3 block radius. I guess you could say its a neighborhood thats “gentrifying” but i kind of like the culture clash..it will make for an interesting crowd. There’s a dance studio right next door, there’s a coffee shop 2 doors down, and there’s a liquor store which is always good (laughs). I thinks it’s just a really good block, I think the businesses really compliment each other very well, the restaurants, the Chinese take-out. It’s sort of like a 1 stop shopping block. If there was a grocery store it would be basically everything you need. It’s a really cool neighborhood.

J. Young: That’s your next project right?

M. Harris: Yeah, a grocery store (laughs).

J. Young: What kind of events do you want to host and how often?

M. Harris: Well we just confirmed that we’re gonna have tango classes on Monday and Wednesday nights. This is kind of the round-about answer, but our hours of operation are probably going to be something like noon-7, Wednesday through Sunday. But we are going to be open for special events on Mondays + Tuesdays and every night after we close. So, like I said there will be Tango classes, hopefully we’re gonna have some yoga in here, if I can find an instructor. Definitely art exhibitions, of all kinds. Painting, sculpture, visual, pretty much anything I think is cool. We’re gonna have movie screenings, hopefully every Wednesday we will have a movie. I want to start with the Royal Tenenbaums. I want to have a chess club…and an audio/video club, basically to add film to the mix as well as music. What am I forgetting?

L. Hart: There’s that underground puppet troupe I was telling you about.

M. Harris: Oh yeah puppets for the kids. I did think of something else… I want to have a spelling bee (laughs). Maybe a record fair. There’s a lot of stuff I want to do.

L. Hart: The possibilities are endless!

M. Harris: Maybe theater. Obviously nothing massive, it’s a very small stage, but maybe something for kids. I’m very open, as long as it’s interesting, fun, and generates interest.

J. Young: What DC Bands do you love right now?

M. Harris: I love all the DC bands..but specifically I love what Fffever is doing and True Womanhood…and also Imperial China, those guys kill it every show and are the nicest dudes you’ll ever meet. I also really dig Noon 30 they have a ton of potential. And though he won’t be in DC much longer Farley Miller in Cannot Be Stopped is really something to see. The thing that bugs me with DC music is people talk about the 80′s and how much better it was…i wasn’t here and that is probably true, but Bad Brains isn’t walking through that door. I hear alot of complaints about the bands here and it bothers me cause I think theres SO much potential for something here but the public can’t just be cynical and lazy…i know its hip to say “local bands suck”, but if you want good music you have to nuture the bands, give them support, come to the shows and help them stay alive. It takes time to develop a scene and commitment from everyone involved. Stay patient…good bands don’t happen overnight, but they will develop quickly when certain needs are met. I think in the next few years you’ll see alot of bands from DC take off nationally. There’s a really interesting and unique approach to noise that many of the bands are taking. Theres also a really good vibe between the musicians I’ve met. We like to play shows together and sincerely want each other to succeed. We share equipment and help each other with shows. I think there’s a really beautiful underground community here that goes mostly unnoticed but maybe thats a good thing, it will allow bands time to develop before the inevitable media blitz.

J. Young: Lindsay, how did you link up with Michael?

L. Hart: It was actually at an event in my basement. A couple months ago I started hosting these retail and art shows in an otherwise forgotten room in my house in Columbia Heights. I call it Bored of Trade. It started with a couple of friends of mine who also collect vintage, some are designers, screen-printers and artists. It is a collective for people who needed a place to show their work.

I guess that’s why Michael approached me and asked me to be a part of DC Mini. We essentially have the same vision — providing a creative space for people who may not have any other outlet. There are very few spaces where new, fresh talent can be shown.

So the short of it is, I was having these events in my basement, and he approached me afterwards. I came to see the space, and that was the beginning of things.

J. Young: How do you filter the selection?

L. Hart: When thrifting for “new” items, I try to choose the most relevant stuff to what’s going on in the fashion world today. It’s important to be able to look up-to-date while still wearing vintage pieces. There’s also no sense in buying new when you can buy used! I am currently using two other local vintage sellers, J Squared and Sister Sadie Vintage. They are friends of mine, and I trust their point of view and their knowledge of fashion and retail. In terms of other local designers, it’s still something that we’re looking into, but we are scoping out something different, something really well done. I’m kind of tired of run-of-the-mill crafters. It’s great that people are doing things, but there is a difference between design and craft. And I don’t know if I want to get into that argument now (laughs).

I think DC is full of people who really like to work with their hands, to have some sort of creative outlet from their day job, which is important, but I don’t think that it necessarily results in beautiful design. I am hoping to bridge the gap between hobby and well made merchandise.

J. Young: Who are your favorite designers?

L. Hart: Damir Doma, Matthew Ames and Ann Demeulemeester.

J. Young: How would you describe your style?

L. Hart: Well I work during the day, and I have to dress more conservatively. I guess my style is kind of grungy, not very girly. I like mixing blacks blues browns and grays.

J. Young: What’s the other side of Lindsay? At work?

L. Hart: More put together I guess, pretty boring.

J. Young: Who do you think will love DC Mini Gallery?

L. Hart: The community! I think DC has a serious lack of places where people can just go to collaborate and not really worry about the outside world. This is almost like a sanctuary. The physical space feels comforting, almost like its wrapping its arms around you. I think by fostering these community values, everyone will love it. Artists will appreciate the fact that their voices can be heard. I think it will be a destination for people who just want something different, who are tired of the same crap.

J. Young: Like a creative environment for everyone, even if you’re not creative?

M. Harris: Like a creative hub, that’s what I meant by an art conservatory. It’s not quite a museum, not quite a gallery, it’s just a place where almost anything can be fostered. It’s an environment.

I think everyone likes an underdog. Obviously with the whole economy thing, very few people are actually trying to start anything. You just hear everything’s dying around us. I hope people respect the struggle that it’s going to take just to keep it going. Hopefully that will be enough to keep people interested and really involved. We’re going to rely a lot on membership and donations. Not to say that our hands are out, but the community will have to be involved. The more they are involved the more fun it’s going to be.

L. Hart: Now it’s here, everyone will get used to it being around and not want it to go away. I think they are going to fight for it to stay.

M. Harris: I think so. I was thrilled with the turnout on Thursday. Just the numbers and the vibe. it was really cool.

L. Hart: Everyone was smiling!

M. Harris: I really almost shed a tear. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

J. Young: With this creative boom in DC, what role do you think DC Mini Gallery will play in this movement?

L. Hart: It seems to be at the very beginning of a movement, in the stage where people are getting really excited and supporting it. There are a lot of people creating things, but I think that the support is probably the most important part of the whole thing, and it’s definitely here.

M. Harris: I think that the role the space plays is just being here, and maybe if everything goes really well it will be something that nationally people acknowledge as a really cool thing in DC, and maybe bring a light to all of the cool stuff, you know. Maybe it just takes that one thing that’s new and fresh for people to say “Oh, maybe DC’s not this desolate wasteland of shitty bands. It’s actually cool!”

I’m not saying that I expect national press, I could really care less. But maybe finally it will give someone from a magazine outside DC a reason to go cover a local band. Or even an artist that we showcase in the gallery. A lot of it’s just not getting through. There’s a lot of great artists but maybe they can’t get into the two galleries in town. Maybe they can’t get a gig at the 9:30 Club or the Rock N’ Roll Hotel yet because they’re not good enough or at least people don’t perceive them as good enough, or whatever.

I just want to be an easy person to deal with. I want to treat the bands well. I want to feed them. I want to pay them. I don’t want to treat them like crap because only two people come to see them. Those are just all experiences I have, why it’s so hard to get a start. Because if you don’t have money or you don’t already have clout  people don’t give you a chance.

L. Hart: And this will give everyone a voice that needs one and will hopefully spread elsewhere to other metropolitan cities, letting them know that DC isn’t a completely sterile place. There is art happening here but no one sees it because there’s no outlet for it. I think now there is. Maybe the perception of DC will be changed forever.

I cannot wait for this place to open. A great concept that will hopefully be replicated all over the city. Thank you Michael and Lindsay for the great interview. Keep it coming!

The planned opening is June.