Paddlestar Galactica, the ping-pong tournament event supporting 826DC’s programs, returns on Saturday, April 27th, 1 PM to 4 PM at SPIN DC! Learn more and sign up here.
On September 20, join Washington’s best and brightest at the Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center for our third annual trivia night to benefit 826DC. Previous hosts have included news personalities Chris Cillizza and Kenneth Vogel. This year’s host? TBD, but we haven’t ruled out Beyoncé yet.
In this 826-version of classic pub trivia, players can gain an edge on the competition by purchasing CHEATS, including “Bring a Ringer,” “Use a Smartphone,” and “Skip a Question.” Read the full menu of cheats available here. Trivia will consist of five rounds — including two extra-special political rounds, because….DC. At the end of the night, the team that answers the most questions correctly (whether by knowledge or by cheat) will take home the coveted Cheater’s Cup.
Sound fun? It gets better: every dollar spent on cheats directly benefits the free writing programs for District youth offered by 826DC! So what are you waiting for? Start sharpening your esoteric knowledge and sign up to reserve your seat at a table today.
Questions about sponsorship? We are happy to tailor a sponsorship package to your group’s individual needs. Please contact Areesah Mobley (Areesah@826dc.org) or call 202-525-1056 for more information.
We’ve been challenged by our July Community Partner of the Month!
826DC is so grateful to receive the continued support of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Many thanks to the Foundation for all it does for the arts community in the District. Along with a continued general operating grant to ensure we can grow at the right speed, Cafritz has also provided us with a challenge grant to raise $15,000 in new money. That means this fall, every dollar you give to 826DC’s programs will be matched 1:1, up to a total of $15,000, by our friends at The Cafritz Foundation. Stay tuned for ways to double your impact!
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is committed to building a stronger community for the residents of the Washington, DC metropolitan area through support of programs in the arts and humanities, community services, education, health and the environment.
Jamie Langhoff dedicated over 55 (!!!) hours to volunteering with 826DC this past school year. She is an expert illustrator who brings students’ stories to life during field trips and has even hosted her own workshop, Zine and be Zine, in which she helped students draw their own stories. We’re constantly amazed at her ability to create worlds from the words our students write. We asked Jamie to tell us a little more about her experience as an illustrator as well as her time working with young authors.
How/why did you get into illustration?
I have always LOVED cartoons and animation. Plus my Grammy taught illustration and old-fashioned cartooning in after school programs for over 30 years and only stopped when she got cancer at age 85. I love the way illustration breaks the normal boundaries and principles of reality and gravity and physical possibility. It’s a narrative device that opens up endless avenues of human expression. And it’s not just for kids!
Got any special techniques to share?
They don’t feel like special techniques to me! But I always start with warm up drawings or doodles. There aren’t any rules to what I start with. They don’t even have to be characters–they could just be scribbles or weird old flowers or cardboard boxes. My style is line drawing with no shading. I try to include as many details about the characters as the kids create. I like to make the backgrounds (setting) very detailed too.
How did you get involved with volunteering for 826DC?
A friend who used to volunteer there as a tutor told me about the field trips because she knew I liked drawing cartoons. I tried it once and immediately I was hooked! I love the creative space at 826 and the staff is really great too.
Did anything surprise you about the program?
I’m usually surprised at how smart and real the kids are! A lot from their lives come out through the stories they tell and the characters they create. So much of their truth and experience come through what they create–both collaboratively and individually.
What is the most memorable/ rewarding take-away from your time as a volunteer?
I love when the kids come back to the table where I’m drawing. They always get excited about what I’m making and say nice things. Sometimes kids ask how I got so good. And I always answer: “with lots of practice and patience–just keep drawing!”
[bctt tweet=”With illustration the possibilities are endless!” username=”@826dc”]
Do you have any advice for young illustrators or anyone who wants to get into illustration?
My advice is always: just keep drawing! And if you don’t know what to draw, just draw how you’re feeling at that moment. It doesn’t have to be a traditional self-portrait–it could be a line or a blob or a squiggle or a goofy robot. Over time you can hone your own style. And you can always keep evolving your style too, depending on what you want to do and create. With illustration the possibilities are endless!
Any other stories you’d like to share from your time as a volunteer?
Whenever the editor introduces me as the illustrator and the kids turn around eyes wide and jaws dropped like I’m famous, it feels amazing! My favorite moments are when the kids come behind the scenes to my table where I’m drawing and ask me questions and compliment my drawings. I love how excited they are–it fills me with such joy.
