ReadysetDC from Ian Crawford on Vimeo.

ReadysetDC, the “Creative Urban Enterprise”, had its launch party at the Longview Gallery last Thursday, December 10th. First, the gallery itself was amazing for the event. Though it did get crowded at points during the night, it wasn’t a tiny space like so many other independent galleries in DC. Secondly, there was a great turn out for this event which shows that there is a lot of support for the local art/music/fashion scene and people who are trying new creative ventures everyday.

As soon as you got to the door, you were drawn away by the sounds of Indian music and the aromatic smells of curry – The Fojol Brothers were camped right in front! It was magnificent considering there was plenty of booze inside and not a bite to eat. Once you entered the sprawling space you immediately notice the artwork hung on the exposed brick and cement walls of the gallery. There was original artwork in the very back of the gallery with great pieces, all of which were for sale. I wished I had taken my camera to get shots for my own photo collection, but one of our photographers was on site to capture the event. There was an installation by the No Kings Collective which coincided with the For The Love of DC theme. There were also four different installations of photography by Tracy Clayton, Lillian Cho, Paul Frederiksen, and Vincent Gallegos, all of whom are DC-based and contribute to ReadysetDC. Besides having their photographs hung on the walls, some of the featured photographers were out snapping shots of the many attendees.

Local performing artists were of course in the building. I unfortunately missed Bullfight Academy, but caught Laughing Man when I arrived and Tennis System thereafter. Laughing Man is definitely first-class and I’ve seen them numerous times and have always enjoyed their shows. It was a huge space so not as intimate as Velvet Lounge where I saw them last. They played well and the crowd seemed to enjoy them, especially with the band taking a more hands-on approach to “crowd participation” by enlisting an audience member to play keyboards. It was great to have local performing artists included in the For The Love of DC theme because it showed the level of support ReadysetDC has for area talent. DMV native, Tittsworth was the resident DJ for the evening and is one of my favorite from the area. This was actually my first time hearing him live but was excited to see him have the crowd moving in the midst of an art event – A great addition to the line up of local talent for the launch.
I would have to say this was not only an event to view the art on the walls, which was great; but it was also a party to make new connections and throw ideas around. Since their launch party was very successful, I see future events conceptualized around the same sort of “Support DC” theme. The crowd was a diverse mixture of artists, business owners, musicians, and people in their 20s-50s. Because there were so many different types present, there was huge diversity in the guests’ fashion statement. People showed up in business suits, hats abound, along with many well-dressed people who clearly saw this as an opportunity to be creative with their looks for the evening.

Free booze is always a welcomed addition, as well as the raffle in which one of my friends won an HP Envy! Congratulations on a job well done! We look forward here at The Glass House to see what else ReadysetDC has in store for supporting local artists.