Anacostia mural festival

what is Anacostia Mural Festival ?

This Spring, Washington, D.C.’S East Of the River

Communities will transform into a vibrant

outdoor gallery as the Capital Hill Boys Club

(CHBC) arts foundation presents the Anacostia

Murals Festival, bringing together more than 100

artists to create over 100 murals in just 18 days.

ART

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Culture

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IMPACT

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ART · Culture · IMPACT ·

Follow Us For 3 Weeks’ Worth of Culture

Follow us in three weeks of Programing, Activations and Art. We believe integrity, creativity, and empathy shape our communities . These aren't just words—they’re the foundation of everything we do during the Festival

100 Artists. 100 Murals. 18 Days. Anacostia Becomes America’s Newest Open-Air Art Museum Washington, D.C. — March 9th, 2026 — This spring, Washington, D.C.’s east-of-the-river communities will transform into a vibrant outdoor
100 Artists. 100 Murals. 18 Days. Anacostia Becomes America’s Newest Open-Air Art Museum Washington, D.C. — March 9th, 2026 — This spring, Washington, D.C.’s east-of-the-river communities will transform into a vibrant outdoor gallery as the Capital Hill Boys Club (CHBC) Arts Foundation presents the Anacostia Murals Festival, bringing together more than 100 artists to create over 100 murals in just 18 days. Taking place May 1–18, 2026, the festival will activate walls and public spaces throughout Anacostia, Pennsylvania Avenue East, Minnesota Avenue, and Deanwood, turning the neighborhood into America’s newest open-air art museum. Artists from across Washington, D.C. will paint simultaneously across multiple sites, creating murals that celebrate the history, culture, and community identity of neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River. Residents and visitors will have the rare opportunity to witness murals being created live while exploring a growing collection of large-scale public art. “This festival is about transforming our neighborhoods through creativity and community pride,” said Dietrich Williams, Festival Director and Founder of the CHBC Arts Foundation. “With more than 100 artists creating over 100 murals, we are building a living gallery that celebrates the voices, stories, and cultural legacy of Anacostia and communities east of the river.” The Anacostia Murals Festival will feature: • Live mural painting across multiple neighborhood locations • Public art tours and artist talks • Youth mural workshops and community art activities • Pop-up art events and performances • Opportunities to meet participating artists The initiative builds on the work of the CHBC Arts Foundation, which has facilitated more than 150 murals across Wards 6, 7, and 8 while supporting youth development and emerging artists through public art and cultural programming. The festival will open with a community celebration on May 1, featuring live music, local food vendors, and artist discussions highlighting the role of public art in shaping neighborhood identity and cultural storytelling. #murals #washingtondc #publicart #community @rikasso
We had an amazing time @colegioinglespdc creating murals and exchanging culture . We want to thank the school and their administration for allowing us to bring our international murals program to their school. Thank you @dcdpr & @eventsdc for your continuing support. We want to thank CeCe & Crystal for the connection with the school and the black community in Mexico 🇲🇽. For this trip we added our spoken word program and youth, @ifetheartist coached @lemonade_dream to curate a youth international talent show. The kids from the school were amazing! Thank you @ifetheartist for your guidance with @lemonade_dream . We love putting our kids in a position to learn how to lead, and teach others. On this trip we were able to explore Playa de Carmen, learn about indigenous cultures, exchange cultures with peers at the school, create a mural, and host & participate in the talent show. Our kids did a lot in 6 days. They visited @xcaretpark , ate new foods, swam in the ocean … they all fell off the banana 🍌 boat , swam the Myan river, jumped in Cenotes, snorkeled, chased sting rays lol and ate amazing Mexican street food. They also visited the @fridakahlo exhibit & Museum. While there they learned about her life but also @diegorivas_oficial Thank you to our amazing team of artist and community leaders. @_im_lew , @brianbaileyisart @noirwar @ifetheartist @dietrichw . Our super star volunteers, Tenika, Lisa, Kelli and the parents! Mark was a great captain for our team! We thank you for your leadership! So …. What’s next , well ! We are currently in the planning stages partnering with the school to establish an exchange program for the summer . Yes we are sending 3/4 kids from Anacostia to Mexico for the summer along with @brianbaileyisart to create murals and we will be receiving 3/4 kids from Mexico and admin to be in our summer murals camp here in Anacostia. When we return we will create another mural for their Tulum campus. Now can we tell you guys how great @colegioinglespdc school students & campus were! OMG!!! They welcomed us with open arms . Their campus is beautiful. #murals #youth #mexico #washingtondc
We are excited to be a part of a new exhibit D.I. Y. in the District: Celebrating D.C.’s Artist-Run Spaces (Oct 4-Dec 7, 2025) opening Saturday October 4 at the MLK Library. The exhibit features dozens of art spaces operating outside the mainst
We are excited to be a part of a new exhibit D.I. Y. in the District: Celebrating D.C.’s Artist-Run Spaces (Oct 4-Dec 7, 2025) opening Saturday October 4 at the MLK Library. The exhibit features dozens of art spaces operating outside the mainstream from c.1970 through present and invites you to contribute your own story to a map and a zine. Please save the date: October 4, 12:00-4:30 pm for our opening event, Art + Archives Day, featuring an interactive slideshow and discussion with d.c. space artists/curators at 3pm-and stay tuned for an exciting calendar of events including the D.I.Y. in D.C. Festival curated by Rhizome DC on October 18 & 19. #artist #museum #DIY #artistic
Framily, it’s voting time! Capital Hill Boys Club is up for the 40th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards and we would love your support. Vote now through Sept 22 at dcmayorsartsawards.com. It only takes a minute to make a big impact! The li
Framily, it’s voting time! Capital Hill Boys Club is up for the 40th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards and we would love your support. Vote now through Sept 22 at dcmayorsartsawards.com. It only takes a minute to make a big impact! The link is in our bio, vote CHBC then click submit. Then come witness the magic: Live from the National Theatre on Sept 25 Red Carpet Pre- Show at 6 PM with Kyle on the Mic• Admission is FREE — just bring your best look & Let’s show the world how DC does creativity. #MayorsArtsAwards #202Creates #EntertainDC
100 Artists. 100 Murals. 18 Days. Anacostia Becomes America’s Newest Open-Air Art Museum Washington, D.C. — March 9th, 2026 — This spring, Washington, D.C.’s east-of-the-river communities will transform into a vibrant outdoor
We had an amazing time @colegioinglespdc creating murals and exchanging culture . We want to thank the school and their administration for allowing us to bring our international murals program to their school. Thank you @dcdpr & @eventsdc for you
We are excited to be a part of a new exhibit D.I. Y. in the District: Celebrating D.C.’s Artist-Run Spaces (Oct 4-Dec 7, 2025) opening Saturday October 4 at the MLK Library. The exhibit features dozens of art spaces operating outside the mainst Framily, it’s voting time! Capital Hill Boys Club is up for the 40th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards and we would love your support. Vote now through Sept 22 at dcmayorsartsawards.com. It only takes a minute to make a big impact! The li

  • "WE can't accept any barriers, any limitations of any kind, on what we create or how we do it"

    —Alma Thomas

  • "The beautiful thing is that you can go into your studio and change the world"

    Sam Gilliam

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