The Dreaming and Building Together Series: Anacostia Arts Center

Welcome to The Dreaming and Building Together Series!

Join us for the 2025 ’s Dreaming and Building Together Series, a community-wide, collective journey to reimagine and shape the future of the Anacostia Arts Center.

This is not just about updating a building, it’s about shaping the future of what happens within it.

Our Future in Focus

In the final session of the Dreaming and Building Together Series, we’ll unveil the proposed design for the new Anacostia Arts Center. This is your chance to see how community input has shaped the vision for the space and to offer final feedback before plans are finalized.

We’ll also discuss what programs, events, and opportunities you want to see once the new space reopens. This is your moment to help ensure the future AAC truly reflects the needs and spirit of the community.

Who is invited?

We want to hear from you: our neighbors, entrepreneurs, artists, creatives, and community members about how you envision using the space, what you value most about it, and what you need as creators, business owners, and residents of this community.

Background

In December 2023, the Washington Areas Community Investment Fund (Wacif) acquired the Anacostia Arts Center (AAC) to ensure the space remained preserved for the economic development of the local Anacostia community, accelerating the growth of local entrepreneurs in Wards 7 and 8 through the HIVE Co-working space, affordable retail, space for artists to showcase their work, vendors to sell their products and the community to congregate, convene and celebrate together.

The AAC, a building with over 85 years of history, has significant infrastructure needs. This redevelopment is an opportunity to modernize the space, expand and renew the co-working areas, enhance the spaces available for artists and community use, and ensure it meets the needs of those it serves.

Wacif remains committed to preserving the identity of the AAC as "Anacostia’s living room," a welcoming and vibrant hub for entrepreneurship, creativity and community.

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