Tour de Force Foundation — The Spark | April 2026
- tourdeforcedc
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
Tour de Force Foundation Newsletter
When support becomes public space
This month, we’re spotlighting work that turns space into a public platform for young artists. In Anacostia, CRUX, a student-led group exhibition organized by Mark Garrett and Capital Hill Boys Club, tackles urgent questions about authority, knowledge, and resistance while inviting the local community into the conversation.
This compelling grantee story brings visual art, performance, and public encounter into the same space. Young artists are encouraged to be cultural producers, interpreting the world around them and making meaning in public.
We believe this matters to makers. It matters to supporters. And it matters to viewers who walk in, look closely, and leave changed by what they’ve seen.
April Grantee Spotlight: Mark Garrett, Capital Hill Boys Club, and CRUX
TDF’s April grantee project comes from Mark Garrett and Capital Hill Boys Club as they bring CRUX into public view.
At the center of the project is a student-led exhibition that uses the full gallery and activates the exterior parking lot with live performance inside and out. It’s designed as a public-facing, multi-week experience rooted in Anacostia.
The exhibition is expected to open this spring and run for five weeks. It’s also set to feature spoken word and music in week 3, followed by a closing performance.
Students from Duke Ellington School of the Arts are central to the project as curators, artists, performers, and installers. The primary audience begins with the Anacostia Arts District community in Ward 8, then expands to Duke Ellington students, youth from partner schools, and members of the wider public reached through local media and outreach.
“Being a beacon for the arts in my community is worth continuing to enrich people’s lives and opportunities despite their circumstances.” – Mark Garrett.
The exhibition features artists including Benjamin Rivera, whose paintings invite viewers to ask questions rather than settle for fixed answers, and Kennedy Branum, whose visual storytelling explores hidden emotions and difficult social realities through contrast and metaphor. It also includes Richard Rivera, whose photography engages identity, resilience, and cultural memory.
Richard Rivera, Beloved, 18 x 24 inches, from CRUX. Courtesy of the artist and Intergenerational Art Gallery
Benjamin Rivera, No Kings, 60 x 40 inches, from CRUX. Courtesy of the artist and Intergenerational Art Gallery
Kennedy Branum, No Face, 24 x 18 inches, from CRUX. Courtesy of the artist and Intergenerational Art Gallery
Thinking about applying?
If you’re already building something meaningful in your community, whether through visual art, education, performance, or public engagement, this is the kind of work Tour de Force Foundation exists to support. TDF’s grants help artists and educators take ideas out of isolation and into public life.
Community Happenings
Looking ahead: Anacostia Murals Fest returns in May
Capital Hill Boys Club’s work doesn’t stop at the gallery. In May, CHBC will present the second annual Anacostia Murals Festival, a three-week public art event that'll transform one of Anacostia’s busiest corridors into an expansive open-air mural gallery and community gathering space.
The festival includes live mural creation, art installations, workshops, music, performances, and local vendors. It’s designed not just as an arts event, but as a form of creative placemaking rooted in Anacostia itself.
For us, that’s part of the bigger picture. The same grantee behind this month’s student-led exhibition is also part of a larger cultural ecosystem in Anacostia, one that moves between gallery space, mural practice, youth engagement, and neighborhood activation. This isn't just one isolated event, but ongoing creative life!
Give. Inspire. Repeat.
If you’re a supporter who believes in creative opportunity, public culture, and community-rooted work, help us make more of it possible.
Join the conversation
What kind of creative work do you believe deserves more support right now?
We’d love to hear your thoughts! Comment in the comments section at the bottom of this post.
Enjoying stories from the Tour de Force community?
Share The Spark with an artist or educator who might be inspired to apply.
Comments