‘Good Trouble’ Exhibit Makes Washington, D.C. Debut At Art All Night Anacostia

The September 11 event honors Congressman John Lewis’s legacy and marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with
reflection, art, music, community, and shared purpose

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Art All Night Anacostia returns Friday, September 11, with the Washington, D.C. debut of the Good Trouble Quilts, a collection of fiber artworks honoring the life and legacy of civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis. On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the free event will open with a moment of silence and reflection before filling Historic Anacostia with visual art, live music, go-go, spoken word, food, fashion, skateboarding and interactive experiences from 5 p.m. to midnight, extending along the business corridor on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE and Marion Barry Avenue SE.

Presented by the Anacostia Business Improvement District (Anacostia BID) and Art to Go-Go, this year’s event carries the theme “Good Trouble. Louder!” Inspired by Lewis’s life and legacy, the theme asks artists, residents, and visitors to consider how creativity can preserve history, challenge injustice, and advance the “Beloved Community” he envisioned.

The Good Trouble Quilts exhibit brings together more than 30 original art quilts by 34 artists affiliated with the Atlanta Quilt Festival. The works depict Lewis’s life, accomplishments, and call to civic action through stories of struggle, progress, hope, civil rights legislation, culture, and the arts. The traveling pop-up exhibit will be open for one night only, from 5 p.m. to midnight, at 1800 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE.

“The Good Trouble Quilts transform Congressman John Lewis’s legacy into a living expression of art, history and action,” said Michael E. Collins, board chair and interim president of the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation. “Bringing them to Art All Night in Anacostia invites a new generation to experience that legacy and recognize that creativity itself can be a powerful way to make good trouble.”

Quilting groups such as the Brown Sugar Stitchers Quilt Guild, which many of the exhibition’s artists, continue to give women a way to bond, tell their stories, and help others.

Throughout the evening, local businesses, artists, performers, and cultural organizations will transform storefronts, stages, and public spaces into venues for performances, installations, and other experiences. Visitors can meet local creatives, enjoy food from neighborhood businesses, and explore the corridor after dark.

“Art is not simply something displayed in Anacostia; it is part of how this community remembers, heals, tells its story and shapes its future,” said Kristina Noell, executive director of the Anacostia BID. “Art All Night invites visitors to experience Anacostia through the people who give it life: our artists, entrepreneurs, performers, young people and longtime residents. We want visitors to leave inspired by the creativity, courage and community spirit they find here—and eager to return,” said Noell.

This is the sixth consecutive year the Anacostia BID and Art to Go-Go have participated in the citywide Art All Night initiative. The event is supported by the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

EVENT AT A GLANCE

What: Art All Night Anacostia — “Good Trouble. Louder!”
When: Friday, September 11, 2026. 5 PM – Midnight
Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE and Marion Barry Avenue SE, Washington, D.C.
Admission: Free and open to the public
Information: https://arttogogo.org/art-all-night/

Visitors can experience Anacostia’s go-go, visual art, poetry, food, fashion, and skating while discovering neighborhood businesses and creative spaces.

Art All Night Anacostia is also an opportunity to support local artists and entrepreneurs and connect with the people and stories shaping one of Washington’s most historic neighborhoods.

For updates, follow @anacostiabid, @arttogogo.

About the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation
The John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation was conceived by Congressman John Lewis before his passing in 2020 to carry forward his and his wife Lillian’s shared commitment to purposeful living, education, justice, civic engagement and building the Beloved Community. Launched on Congressman Lewis’s birthday in 2022, the Foundation works to preserve civil rights history, amplify the voices of rising generations, strengthen democracy, and inspire people to make what Lewis called “good trouble, necessary trouble.” Through education, dialogue, collaboration and support for Good Troublemakers, the nonpartisan nonprofit advances the Lewises’ vision of a more just and peaceful society that recognizes the dignity and worth of every person. Learn more at johnandlillianmileslewisfoundation.org.

About Art to Go-Go
Art to Go-Go is Washington, D.C.’s official Arts and Culture District, powered by the Anacostia BID. It connects artists, businesses, cultural institutions, and community members while showcasing Historic Anacostia’s creative identity and strengthening the neighborhood as a destination for arts, culture, entertainment, and economic opportunity. Learn more at arttogogo.org

About the Anacostia Business Improvement District
Established in 2012, the Anacostia Business Improvement District works to advance inclusive economic development and cultivate vibrant commercial corridors enriched by arts, culture, entrepreneurship, and creative placemaking. Through neighborhood programs, business support and signature events, the BID helps strengthen Historic Anacostia as a destination for residents and visitors. Learn more at anacostiabid.org

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