This week is the rain date for the Fridays at Fort Totten Concert Series. Check out photos from last week’s concert. If it does not rain, this week will feature music by Cecily. Friday 6:00 pm-8:00 pm at the corner of South Dakota Avenue & Galloway Street NE. Bring a lawn chair for seating. Sponsored by On Tap Magazine and The Modern at Art Place.

Shining Stars Pediatric Dentistry, located at 435 Ingraham Street NE, is open for business! Conveniently located near Fort Totten metro station, the pediatric dentistry is the first business to open at the Art Place at Fort Totten Development. The practice by Dr. Gina Pham, a 15-year board-certified pediatric dentist, is accepting appointments for comprehensive dental services for infants, children, and teens. As children return to school, now is the perfect time to book those back-to-school checkups. Book an appointment online or call (202) 600-4833.

Fridays at Fort Totten Concert Series continues this week with live music by La Unica and eats by El Pollo Submarine food truck. Takes place 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street NE. Bring a lawn chair for seating. Sponsored by On Tap Magazine and The Modern at Art Place.

A special edition of Fridays at Fort Totten Concert Series is in store for tomorrow 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Live music by Deacon Izzy and eats by Capital Chicken & Waffles. First 100 guests get free ice cream from Dolci Gelati. On the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street NE. Bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating. Sponsored by On Tap Magazine and The Modern at Art Place.

At last week’s ANC 5A meeting, zoning counsel for the Cafritz Foundation presented a few high level renderings for the second phase of Art Place at Fort Totten. This phase will be located generally on South Dakota Avenue NE between Ingraham and Kennedy. The developer must submit its second phase plans to the Zoning Commission by September 4. We generally knew about everything they presented. The second phase will be mainly commercial, but there may be some residential use. They will incorporate uses that were scheduled for future phases. They envision the space as a family entertainment zone, but think moreso a family theater and other theater and arts uses, not Dave & Busters type entertainment zone. The Explore! Children’s Museum will be in the second phase. The development team is still talking about a grocery store. The building itself is currently designed to have a grand plaza on South Dakota Avenue to serve as a “striking entrance” into the building.

Cafritz’s zoning counsel was there to talk about the second phase, but lots of residents had lots of thoughts to share about the first phase, mainly centered on when there would be sit-down restauarants and useful retailers in the first phase. The team there did not have much to say about that because of course they were hired to provide assistance with zoning not retail. We’ll be hearing more about the second phase in due time.

Fridays at Fort Totten Concert Series continues tomorrow with live music by Justin Trawick & The Common Good and eats by Carnivore BBQ food truck. 6pm-8pm on the corner of South Dakota Avenue & Galloway Street NE. Bring a blanket or lawn chair for seating. Sponsored by On Tap Magazine and The Modern at Art Place.

Explore! Children’s Museum End of Summer Shindig
The Modern at Art Place (400 Galloway Street NE)
10:00 am

Free registration at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-explore-end-of-summer-shindig-tickets-48281637678

Come learn about Explore! Children’s Museum while you enjoy arts and music activities with our neighbors. Participate in another exciting Mad Science Show! Visit Cowboy Barry’s petting zoo, Color with Luna and friends and have your face painted by Fairy Jennabelle.

The first 100 children will receive a signed children’s book by local author Tom Noll. Activities will also include learning and playing with Squishy Circuits, a STEAM activity.
Show Schedule
10:30: Story Time with Tom Noll
11:15: Things That Go Boom! A Mad Science show
12:15: Uncle Ty-Rone, The Kids’ Comedian

Naming public spaces and objects after someone is a practice I have always found a little fascinating. I suppose it is one way of making sure history is not lost and of acknowledging the contributions of individuals who may not necessarily be well-known but whose impact on civic life has been substantial. Back when Art Place at Fort Totten was first planned, some residents asked for a community benefit to include naming public areas of the development in honor of African-American/minority artists and performers, especially those from Lamond-Riggs and Ward 5. These could include chairs, benches, trees, open areas, statues, plaques, etc. Now that the first phase has been built and the second phase is upon us, it seems like an apt time to make good on naming a public space.

I suppose the arts focus is because the project itself is supposed to be arts-focused. It would be interesting though if this were a broader project around recognizing a group of people important to the neighborhood’s history. Maybe it could have been a group of people like the ones who fought against building a freeway through the neighborhood, the people who advocated for building a neighborhood library, the residents who first formed the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Asssociation and established a well-respected, active civic association at a time in DC’s history when civic associations were segregated by race. Maybe it could have been recognizing the first group of Black Americans who began moving into the neighborhood in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s following Brown v. Board of Education.

Anyhow, the ask was for honoring artists and performers, so that’s what it shall be. Please share in the comments your recomendations of African-American/minority artists and performers who should be honored, especially those from Lamond-Riggs and Ward 5.