Kirstin Bruner / Art Exposure @ CVS-McPherson Square through 10 Jan

I'm not too sure exactly when the trend began but, for several years now, I have taken notice of the historic images window displays at several CVS stores. In particular, at Dupont Circle West and on Capitol Hill - Eastern Market which I would report on in several blog postings.

Unlike the historic images that would remain on display for an extended period of time at the Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill stores, both which reflected on the history of the respective neighborhoods, the window exhibitions at the McPherson Square CVS Store, located at the corner of 15th and K Streets, in NW, WDC which features mixed media and more contemporary art changes very frequently.

In July, 2000, Ann Wiker created Art Exposure, Inc. as part of the revitalization efforts in Downtown Baltimore. The organization consists of displays of local artists' original artwork in lobbies of office buildings, theatres, law firms, universities, hotels, cafes and restaurants. The artwork is rotated on a four to eight week basis and is offered for sale. The program started with nine artists and five buildings (venues for displayed artwork). To date, there are over seventy artists and forty venues participating throughout Baltimore, Frederick, Annapolis, DC and Columbia.

At this time, though most are located in the Baltimore/Columbia MD area listed amongst its participating venues is the Southern Railway Building which located at the corner of 15th and K Streets in NW Washington, houses the McPherson Square CVS. Which in recent months, the window exhibitions have caught my attention.

Due, partly, to my ongoing Historic Images Window Displays at CVS Project but, also, due to the fact that it has always been my intention to exhibit my photographs in public spaces, including storefront windows. One of my projects under development is to curate a Dupont Circle, Over The Years photography exhibition for the Dupont Circle West CVS store.

However, for now, I'm almost certain that in the next few months I will be contacting Art Exposure, Inc.. Perhaps, with plans for developing future exhibitions at the Southern Railway Building - CVS Store.

Though Art Exposure exhibitions are held in the interior of the Southern Railway Building, currently on display ... at the exterior ... and in the windows of the McPherson CVS Store are the acrylic paintings of Kirstin L. Bruner. Which will be on display through 10 Janaury 2007.

Click above image, which tagged as Kirstin Bruner - Art Exposure - SRB - 1500K - WDC may also be viewed in Art Exposure - Southern Railway Building WDC and Art News 2007 photosets.

A black Cadillac DeVille with license plate "Washington DC 800-002"

Shot at 4:08 pm on New Years Day, 1 January 2007, on Pennsylvania Avenue and 4th Street, NW, this picture of a black Cadillac DeVille with the license plate "Washington DC 800-002" depicts the Presidential Motorcade transporting President George W. and First Lady Laura Bush from the Gerald Ford's 'Lay in State' Funeral at the US Capitol to the Blair House Mansion for a meeting with Mrs. Betty Ford.

Click photo to view more Motorcades 2007 photos. Or visit Gerald R. Ford 'Lay In State' US Capitol 1 Janury 2007.

Friday's Photo of the Week . 5 January 2007

CLICK PHOTO

Gerald R. Ford State Funeral (Arrival) @ the US Capitol

National Mall . 3rd Street . WDC . 30 December 2006

N E W S G A T H E R E R S

2007 Friday's Photos of the Week

Sergeant Brett Parson / MPDC's GLLU

When Parson took over the gay unit in 2001, two years after it was created, he added a heavy dose of law enforcement to what started as a community outreach program. "We are not just going to protect gay people," he told Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey. "We are going to do real police work."

Other law enforcement agencies across the country -- Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago -- have officers who deal with the gay community, but none has a separate squad like the District's. In addition to four full-time officers, there are eight auxiliary and reserve officers, including one transgender member, Tomi Finkle, a retired U.S. Capitol Police sergeant who now carries a LadySmith .45. Read more.

Sergeant Brett Parson, a Washington DC area native, is head of the DC Metropolitan Police Gay and Lesbian Unit (GLLU). In existence since June 2000, GLLU is staffed by openly gay and lesbian members of the department and their allies.

In July 2006, the GLLU was awarded the prestigious "Innovations in American Government Award" from Harvard University’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation for reaching out to an under-served community and creating a model for community policing. This is the second time that a District program has received this $100,000 award – last year the District’s SEED School was a prize winner.

To learn more about the MPDC's GLLU visit their website at www.gllu.org.

NOTE: The GLLU office is not a full service police station and does not have regular business hours. In case of an emergency, dial 9-1-1. A member of the GLLU is alway on-call and available via the On-Call Pager at 1(877) 495-5995.

Click above 3 January 2007 photo of Sergeant Brett Parson to view my MPDC 2007 project. See also MPDC 2006 or MPDC or Cop Duty 2007 or Cop Duty 2006 or Cop Duty.

WDC's 2007 Mayoral Inauguration & City Council Swearing-In

WDC's 2007 Mayoral Inauguration / City Council Swearing-In

Washington Conventer Center . NW WDC . 3 January 2007

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Sam Gilliam's "Many Things" @ WCC

En route to the 2007 Mayoral Inauguration and City Council's Swearing-In at the Washington Conventer Center I'd come across an abstract piece of artwork, entitled Many Things, by Sam Gilliam amongst the center's art collection. Who I am surprised that I had never heard of but having seen Many Things and then checking the internet I certainly will delve more into Sam Gilliam and his art.

"Entering Sam Gilliam's U Street studio--so discreet that the only entrance is an unmarked loading dock off a narrow alley--is like walking into a kaleidoscope." Susan Bauer reports in an October 2005 Washingtonian article entitled Five Washington Artists.

Something tells me, that I will soon be returning to U Street.

Click 3 January 2007 photo taken by Elvert Barnes. As it represent the beginning of a newly launched Sam Gilliam Project.

Farewell to Gerald R. Ford

I began my documentation of the Gerald R. Ford State Funeral in WDC on Saturday evening, 30 December 2006, when the body arrived via Constitution Avenue for a Lay in State at the US Captiol from Saturday night until Tuesday morning. At 9:30 am, 2 January, a funeral procession would proceed along Pennsylvania Avenue and pass the White House for a State Funeral Service at the National Cathedral. I concluded my documentaion, on Tuesday afternoon, 2 Janaury 2007, on the 7th Street SW Bridge over looking Waterside Drive and the Southwest Freeway as the body was transported to Andrews Air Force Base.

To view my collection of photos visit Gerald R. Ford State Funeral / WDC which may take a few days/weeks for me to complete since I took quite a few photos over the span of 4 days. Click above photo to view Gerald R. Ford Memorial site.

Chinatown Bus ... not just for broke students, starving artists and cheap travelers, anymore!

I first heard of Chinatown Bus a couple of summers ago when photographing in Dupont Circle that an acquaintance inquiring of goings-on in NYC would ask if I had ever taken the Chinatown Bus to NYC. Replying that I had not heard of Chinatown Bus I explained that it was my practice to take AMTRAK as opposed to a bus or a plane. He then inform me that a Chinatown Bus fare from Chinatown WDC to NYC would cost about $20.

When revisiting Chinatown on 12 December 2006 I'd observe, for the first time, a group of people many with luggage waiting in line on Eye Street between 6th and 7th Streets, NW, which caused me to believe that it was the location that the Chinatown Bus must pick-up passengers.

As I had done one year before on Christmas Eve 2005 and New Years Day 2006, on New Years Day 2007 I would return to Chinatown in connection with my now ongoing Chinatown WDC project. During which time I'd observe many people, some in groups, milling about with luggage.

And as I captured pedestrians at the intersection of 7th and H Street, which is another one of my ongoing projects, I'd observe that groups of people with luggage had begun to congregate in front of a Chinese restaurant on H near 8th Street. Recording the street scape of Chinatown WDC on New Years Day 2007, I'd walk over and began taking pictures.

When a bus pulled up, I would then realize that they were waiting in line for the Chinatown Bus. Which, in a different location than 600 block of Eye Street, must be one of several WDC locations for Chinatown Bus network.

I'm not sure who Mike is but in a picture story about Chinatown Bus Mike says "I used to be able to pack my things, run out the door, and catch the next Chinatown Bus at 10 minutes before scheduled departure.

But it looks like those days may be gone. At least with respect to the weekends and major holidays. During the week, no worries. For Saturday morning travel and holidays, I recommend buying Chinatown Bus tickets ahead of time and arriving at least 20 minutes early. The word is out and people are taking the Chinatown Bus!"

To find Chinatown Bus info for New York, Boston, Washington DC and Philadelphia visit here. To learn more about other companies that run out of Chinatown Boston/New York (and other cities as well) that provide reasonably priced, regular service visit www.chinatownbus.org. Or contact Mike by email at chinatown_bus@yahoo.com or chinatownbus@gmail.com.

Click photo to view my now ongoing Chinatown Bus project. I have feeling and, for the sake of my ongoing Chinatown Bus project, that I will soon be taking the Chinatown Bus to Baltimore, Philadephia or New York City.

For the sake of my Chinatown Bus Project!

New Years Day 2007 / WDC

Gallery Place (WMATA) Station . Lower Level

NW WDC . 1 January 2006 @ 3.32pm

New Years Day 2007 WDC

"A personal connection to Gerald R. Ford ..."

In the process of documenting the funeral procession to view the body of Gerald R. Ford, at the US Capitol, a man in a yellow jacket and his wife, both from Boston, would mention to me that the man in front of us, who was from Michigan, had a personal connection to Gerald R. Ford.

According to them, as a young boy the Michigan man suffered from a debilitaing and near fatal disease and had it not been for the efforts of Gerald R. Ford he would have died.

Just before the procession proceeded through the final check point before entering the US Capitol Building, which is when I'd turn around and head back, handing the Michigan man my card I suggested that he contact me by email ... if he wished for me to include in the caption of the photos that I took of him information pertaining to his 'personal connection to Gerald R. Ford'.

The Michigan man's connection to Gerald R. Ford is an important story to tell. And one that should be told in his own words.

Click photo to view 31 December 2006 Gerald R. Ford Procession at the US Capitol photoset. Or photos tagged as Gerald R. Ford Funeral WDC to view entire collection which includes photos from the 30 December 2006 Gerald R. Ford Arrival Procession.