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D.C.’S EXPERIENTIAL ISSUE. July marks the second month in 2022 where we’re debuting a brand-new theme for the magazine, and we’re very excited to introduce readers to our take on all things experiential in the D.C. area. We’ve played with the idea of a tech or innovation issue for quite some time, but both felt limiting in some way. When we started thinking about how experiences across all facets of life, from arts & culture to food and cocktails, are made immersive through technological advances and innovative approaches, we realized we could expand our theme to encompass so much more of what our city has to offer. This began with our cover stories. July is also noteworthy in that we’re introducing our first-ever split cover: half of our print copies feature new age art destination ARTECHOUSE’s latest exhibit, “Aṣẹ: Afro Frequencies,” and the other half feature prolific indie artist Angel Olsen, who is playing Wolf Trap on July 21. And both are equally experiential: ARTECHOUSE turns five this year, celebrating a successful run as one of the District’s first locations to invite artists to push boundaries by embracing the latest technology and engaging audiences in new ways. Olsen, on tour with Sharon Van Etten and Julien Baker this summer, is trying her hand at a retro country album, tackling yet another genre as she expands her ever-evolving repertoire. Each cover story feels like a choose-your-own-adventure exercise, where you can deep dive into one art form or another and what makes it tactile, interactive and a form of unique expression.

Within this month’s robust pages, we packed in as much experiential content as we could: a look back at Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building’s “FUTURES” exhibit, closing on July 6, a return to Capital Fringe Festival, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at National Building Museum, Burning Man reimagined by a DMV photographer, a deep dive into all things Web3 — including NFTs, DAOs and more complex acronyms, experimental cocktails, hemp-infused liquor, navigating polyamory, and a “how to” on tarot card reading. We also interviewed entrepreneur Chinedu Enekwe, who is pushing digital boundaries and building pathways to prosperity for Black creators; Nayef Issa, the founder of promotion company Nü Androids, marrying digital art with dance music; and Molly Smith, the outgoing artistic director of Arena Stage responsible for years of innovation in contemporary theatre. Plus, an afternoon with three powerhouse female food bloggers, behind the scenes with 2022 RAMMY nominees, “Beyond King Tut” at National Geographic Museum and much more. A special thanks to my incredible team for the long hours, intentionality around delving into new subject matter and fresh approach to the visual storytelling in this issue. Please pick up a copy at Whole Foods or one of our retail or partner locations, and join us on July 14 for our next issue launch party at ARTECHOUSE.

Monica Alford
Editor-in-Chief

FEATURED

Culture

Paving the Way for D.C.’s Immersive Experiences: ARTECHOUSE Turns Five

“We are probably the original platform to give these artists the opportunity to produce their exhibits.”

Music

Getting Through to the Other Side with Angel Olsen

“I have nothing to lose, and I don’t have anything else to prove.”

Culture

Saying Goodbye to “FUTURES”

“I am just so astonished and delighted by what has resulted and how people have reacted to it, and that we actually managed to pull it off at all.”

EAT

Eat

Cooking Up Connection: Three Local Food Bloggers Share Their Stories

“For me, cooking and sharing food is almost primal.”

Eat

2022’s RAMMY-Nominated Upscale Restaurants Talk Resilience + Casual Cuisine

We spoke with each restaurant about how they survived the last two years and what they enjoy at a not-as-upscale spots.

Eat

7 Restaurants That Make Impossible Meat Impossibly Good

We found seven D.C. restaurants working with Impossible meat in innovative, delicious ways.

MORE EAT

Eat

Summer of Love Apples

Oyster Oyster’s Rob Rubba gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse of his recipe testing with tomatoes.

DRINK

Drink

Hemp-Infused Spirits: The Story of Tusk

Morton introduces the DMV region and beyond to a variety of hemp-infused goods, including a line of hemp-flavored liquors.

Drink

Experiments in Cocktail Chemistry

There’s always something new to drink — it’s just a matter of what deserves your utmost attention, and these spots all hit that high mark.

MUSIC

Music

Nayef Issa Fosters the Growth of D.C.’s Cultural Landscape

“I never vibed with the corporate structure. I work on passion.”

CULTURE

Culture

ARTECHOUSE Turns Five: A Timeline

Peruse through how this innovative gallery became one of the leaders in immersive experiences.

Culture

New Theatre in Dystopia: Capital Fringe 2022

“Literally no one else does what Capital Fringe does, which provides a platform to primarily local DMV artists to do whatever the f–k they want.”

Culture

National Building Museum’s Summer Block Party Series Returns with “The Playhouse”

“‘Midsummer’ was chosen pre-Covid, but I’m thrilled that it’s what we’re doing.”

MORE CULTURE

Culture

“Unbound:” The NFT Installation Making Waves in Washington’s Creative Community

“Unbound” features the work of four local, independent artists of color making waves in the local arts and entertainment industry.

Culture

Life + Afterlife at Nat Geo’s “Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience”

The National Geographic Museum is here to set the record straight in their new exhibit “Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience.”

Culture

A Conversation with Broadway Director Steve H. Broadnax III

“When I do work, it’s a sense of ministry. I’m on assignment to expand Black men beyond the stereotypes presented in mass media, designed to keep us oppressed and enslaved.”