• Collage of Black performers, protestors, and artwork at the Park

    BLACK HISTORY MONTH

    From its civil rights history to the importance of diversity in modern-day programming, the Glen Echo Park Partnership acknowledges and honors the importance of Black culture. We are eager to celebrate Black History Month, and share the work of Black artists with our community.

    Watch Fox5's visit to the Park to explore our Black History Month programming >>

    Black History Month 2024 Programming

    Life Pieces to Masterpieces
    Stitch by Stitch | Park View Gallery | January 13 - February 17 | Learn More >>

    This exhibition, Stitch by Stitch, features a collection of colorful collages of acrylic-painted canvas scraps and ceramic work created by Black and Brown boys from Washington DC’s Wards 7 and 8 – specifically, program participants of the DC-based youth arts program Life Pieces To Masterpieces (LPTM). The stories told in each piece celebrate the power, joy, and resilience of the boys and men served by LPTM as they both persevere through their life challenges and celebrate their life triumphs.

    Marvin Tupper Jones
    Building a Mixed Race Community | Photoworks | February 10 - March 31 | Learn More >>

    Acclaimed photojournalist Marvin Tupper Jones has spent his life documenting his home of Hertford County, North Carolina. The history covered in this exhibit spans from 1851 to 1973 and takes the viewer from the antebellum time through the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the modern Civil Rights eras. It tells stories about over 30 people along with photographs and text. Four women are featured, as well as business people, farmers, carpenters, educators, church leaders, soldiers (Civil War and WWII), Civil Rights activists and organizations. Opening Reception February 11 at 2pm.

    Cheriss May
    From Passion to Purpose | Photoworks | February 23 @ 7pm | Learn More >>

    Join Photoworks for an inspiring artist talk with lauded portrait and editorial photographer Cheriss May as she shares her journey of turning her passion for inclusive storytelling into a purpose. Cheriss will captivate you with her stories and insights, leaving you motivated to pursue your own creative dreams. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from a true master of the craft!

    Cleveland Chandler, violin
    William Grant Still Sonata | Washington Conservatory of Music | February 24 @ 5pm | Learn More >>

    Accomplished violinist Cleveland Chandler (M.M., Cleveland Institute of Music, B.M., Peabody Conservatory of Music) will be performing works by often overlooked Black composer William Grant Still.

    Black Visual Artists at the Park

    The Partnership is proud to emphasize diversity in its lineup of exhibitions in the Partnership Galleries throughout each year, and has featured several talented Black artists in recent years, including:

    Black Performing Artists at the Park

    The performing arts are another cornerstone of programming at the Park. Recent Black performing artists include:

    Civil Rights at the Park

    From its beginnings as a Chautauqua in 1891 and later as a place of amusement in the 1890s, Glen Echo Park only advertised in newspapers with primarily White readerships. The park was not strictly segregated, but visitation by Black individuals and families was not encouraged, and likely discouraged. Restrictions hardened in 1931 with the opening of the Crystal Pool. From that point through the 1950s, the privately-owned Glen Echo Amusement was officially segregated and would not admit Black patrons. Thanks to a group of brave protestors–both Black and White–during the summer of 1960, the park was integrated the following year.

    Read more about how Glen Echo Park's carousel was central to the civil rights story of the Washington, DC area >>