A Washington, DC based event company is hoping to increase attendance at the city’s annual “Art All Night” events this year.
COVID-19 turned the 2020 edition of the two-day event into a virtual affair, but this year, DC’s free overnight arts festival is back in-person. The festival is presented by Mayor Muriel Bowser in partnership with 16 participating neighborhoods and Business Improvement Districts, with support from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (DCCAH) and the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD). DC Now Events, which serves as a liaison for companies and event organizers to identify demographics to properly curate their events, is touting its services as “Art All Night” returns.
The event platform’s director of brand partnerships, Nels Cephas, believes “DC Now Events opens up a whole new realm of opportunities for all events and networking needs in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.”
In a press release, the company recalled connecting several hip hop artists to event organizers in need of entertainment. “They had no idea this event was happening in NW DC. [DC Now Events] is really that hub to find their ideal venues they had no idea existed, contact the venues, and contact events to showcase new music,” Cephas said in the press release. “Plus, they can contact that person who is curating that event to perform at their next event. If you’re not a part of the DC art world you may not know about these art events.”
DisgoFever, a 30-year-old Maryland rapper, used the company to land several gigs during “Art All Night” and elsewhere throughout the city. “Through DC Now Events, DisgoFeva was able to get three-to-four shows per month using DC Now Events as a source to find events where he could perform,” Cephas said. “Between 2018-2019, he was able to perform at the Fillmore Silver Spring, and at a showcase for Roc Nation A&R Rell Carter at the Howard Theatre. He was also able to get featured on The HuffPost, and get his new music on BET, solely based off just following and connecting with DC Now Events.”
“Artists in other states can also use the platform to build a fan base in the DMV,” Cephas added. According to the “Art All Night” website, there are currently over 100 artists slated to showcase their work with different activations throughout the city. From Sept. 24 through Sept. 25 Mayor Bowser and her arts committee plans to bring “visual and performing arts, including painting, photography, sculpture, crafts, fashion, music, dance, theater, film, and poetry, to indoor and outdoor public and private spaces, including local businesses and restaurants.”