V Street Studio @ Harrison is a new vibrant cultural arts space in the District of Columbia's U Street Corridor dedicated to showcasing the works of local artists and art exhibits curated through a partnership between DC Department of Parks & Recreation and Arena Social Arts Club. We support artist and community development by providing a platform for district residents to come together and experience the beauty of art.
V Street Studio @ Harrison will provide quarterly residencies for local artists and provide them with complimentary studio space to create new works and display upon competition of the program. The newly renovated space is now home to a mural by local artist Cell Spitfire, which pays homage to the DC music scene. Â Show exhibits will be accessible for viewing during regular operating hours and artist reception events.Â
Arena Social Arts Club is a DC based 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Arts Organization whose mission is to highlight Black Artists and Curators and to showcase Visual, Performing and Literary Arts in a multi-functional, community space that aims to advance the importance of Cultural Arts through events and genuine engagement. Our Main Focus is to Support and Uplift the Integrity of Artists/Curators of Color and Preserve the History and Heritage of African American Culture through Art. By providing complimentary Studio & Gallery Space for Artists/Curators of Color, our program helps artists attain success in an industry that lacks diversity. All participating artists will retain 100% of sales and receive the necessary Mentorship, resources and tools to expand their expertise in the Arts; Au Gratis.
Hiba Alyawer is an Iraqi-American Abstract Artist, Designer and Founder of HZL Art and Design LLC. Hiba’s passionate expression of feelings, thoughts and outlook on life began at a young age. She painted on scraps of cardboard and newspaper. Many of her paintings were sketched while she sat beside her family and neighbors in a basement in Kuwait during Desert Storm’s bombing campaign. Art was her only mental refuge from the earth rattling bombing, and she drew and painted the skies in bullet colors. What she lacked in paint she made up for in vision and feeling love for those she knew, fear of the unknown, and the yearn to escape to a more colorful, border-less reality. In 1992, Hiba immigrated to the United States with her family. The years in her new home proved to be the most impactful. Seeing the Gulf War through the eyes of the teenager served as a launching pad for future paintings, where she developed an abstract style where use of brilliant colors, creative shapes, and curved lines, were central to each piece. She is always inspired to create artwork that tells a story to the prying eye and inquisitive mind. Her work gives a feeling of optimism and cheerfulness created by the accents of color and design energy which exudes from her work. She hopes to inspire people and awaken their playful inner child and ignite their imagination with her vivid colors and playful marks. Hiba’s creations is for the art enthusiast that wants to make a bold loud statement with their collection. Hiba is DC's Sleepless Artist as she works through the night painting and sleeps very little while maintaining a successful career as a Data Scientist. Hiba's exhibits her work throughout the year in DC and Miami and her artwork is part of private collections nationally and internationally.
Visit Hiba's Website
