Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) is a platform for collaborative and experimental artist-driven projects, dialogue, and advocacy. Artists curate and organize all programming—as an extension of their own intellectual research. Their projects can take many forms, from conversational dinners, exhibitions, field trips, film screenings, grass-roots organizing meetings, and installations, to lectures, performances, podcasts, publications, symposia, workshops, and more. WPA encourages proposals from artists living in the greater DC-Baltimore region as well as those who have a strong connection to the area or who are investigating issues that resonate there. WPA provides a home base where artists can freely present work, pursue ideas, and organize discussions, it has empowered and earned the respect of the local creative community.
Washington Project for the Arts
1964
Philip Johnson commissioned Warhol to make a large-scale work for the exterior for his pavilion for the New York World’s Fair, along with other artists. Warhol’s provocative response, a multiple portrait of ‘Most Wanted Men’ was installed a few days before the opening but was deems too inflammatory and contrary to the upbeat image of the World’s Fair and the work was taken down.