By Courtney Zott

January 26, 2012

You call yourself “Chief Creative Contrarian” of the project. What is it about the mainstream culture in D.C. that you oppose?

Well, I have two ideas. One is that I am not an artist and I know there are lots of people like me who are not but still want to be around creative people. So my focus is how do I give access to creative people to the people who are like me, people who are working regular jobs — lawyers, lobbyists — who want to find a way to access creativity. It’s not about becoming an artist, but just surrounding yourself with art.

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By Katie Rogers

January 3, 2012

“Washington is home to some of the most plugged-in, powerful people in the nation, and The Washington Post follows those influencers closely. But not all of the limelight should fall on the Typical Washington Insider, and that’s where D.C. Tweeps comes in. When we created D.C. Tweeps in 2010, our aim was to learn more about the people on Twitter who informed you, entertained you and even kept you fed during an average day. We thought of it this way: If Washington’s Twitter scene is one big, packed-to-the-gills menu, we wanted to hear a little bit more about your daily diet.”

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By Holly E. Thomas

December 22, 2011

Holiday traditions, whether they’re silly or sentimental, are our favorite all-natural upper — they make you feel all warm and fuzzy, brighten your spirits, and create the feeling of connection, even when you’re far from home. While we have our own list of must-dos around this time of year, we’re always more than a little curious to see how others celebrate. Okay, okay, so we’re a bit nosy — but you’ll thank us when you’re adopting these heartwarming (and hilarious) traditions for yourself. We tapped some D.C. residents who are shaking up the scene in a major way, whether it’s a chef on a winning streak or a tireless — and on-top-of-her-game — media guru. They’ve shared their most-loved holiday traditions with us, and we’re delighted to share them with you before we OD on cuteness. That’s just how we roll — always sharing and caring!

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By Maura Judkis

December 21, 2011

Philippa Hughes, the founder of the Washington-based art company Pink Line Project, saw the wheatpaste depiction of Parsons at 14th Street and Swann, Northwest, Wednesday morning and snapped a photo of it. She said she’s not sure who created it. “Lean and Hungry” is the name of a local theater group, but when contacted, the group denied any responsibility (Exact quote from the group: “Wild. Thanks!”).

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December 6, 2011
                                                                        

Philippa P. B. Hughes’s title at The Pink Line Project is chief creative contrarian—apropos, as Hughes is leading the charge when it comes to spicing up DC ’s cultural climate. Hughes and Pink Line connect and celebrate everything art-related in the Washington area: heralding new talent, announcing gallery shows and events, and promoting innovative ideas. Which is why when Hughes professed her love of Joel D’Orazio’s work, we immediately knew he was deserving of a place on our gift list.

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By Philippa P.B. Hughes

November 23, 2011

Descriptions of the D.C. art scene used to begin like this: “It’s not New York, but…” I don’t hear that very often anymore. Lately, it seems like the arts in D.C. are starting to develop a unique personality from the ground up.
Many smart, ambitious, culturally curious D.C.-ers have seen the need for more creative opportunities for artists and they made it happen themselves. They didn’t wait around for someone to give them permission. This kind of creative initiative defines the D.C. art scene.

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By Lavanya Ramanathan and Stephanie Merry

November 17, 2011

“The gallery system is still the tippy-top ideal in some ways,” adds D.C. Arts and Humanities commissioner Philippa Hughes, noting that a handful of conventional galleries have also opened in the past year. But Hughes, whose own first art events in Washington were the definition of pop-up parties, says she sees these art spaces — only one of which calls itself a gallery — as evidence of the broadening scene: Thanks to technology and social media, she says, the gatekeepers are transforming considerably, to include those with little formal art training but plenty of ambition. “We don’t have to wait for a gallery to anoint us anymore,” she says.

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By Philippa P.B. Hughes
November 9, 2011

I attended the Transculturel Forum of contemporary art in Haiti a little over a month ago. This program brought artists from around the world (Madagascar, Cameroon, Canada, Guadeloupe, Togo, Benin, France, Dominican Republic) to make art with Haitian artists and students for one week.

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By Sarah Marloff

November 8, 2011

Most people would consider cities like San Francisco and Manhattan the artistic Meccas. Those who call these cities home revel in the artistic culture that they’ve had a hand in creating, while fledgling artists dream of moving there. One the other hand, cities like Washington D.C. have begun to build an independent art scene, but have a difficult time attracting emerging artists.  Philippa Hughes, creator and “Chief Creative Contrarian” of the district’s Pink Line Project has been involved with the city’s art scene since it started.

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By Lavanya Ramanathan

November  8, 2011

We are about to be knee-deep in art openings/parties/talks this weekend, so naturally, the Going Out Gurus turned to art and culture maven Philippa Hughes to help us wade through it all in this week’s got plans?chat.

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