A traveling collection of fiber art honoring the late Rep. John Lewis arrives in Washington for the first time Friday, Sept. 11, when Art All Night Anacostia opens at 5 p.m.
The Good Trouble Quilts, created by predominantly African American fiber artists, have been shown in Atlanta; Montgomery, Alabama; and Peoria, Illinois, since premiering at the Atlanta Quilt Festival in 2022. The works interpret Lewis's life through cloth, color, stitching and imagery. They have never been displayed in the city where Lewis served in Congress for more than three decades.
Organizers of the Inspired by John Lewis: Good Trouble Gallery said in a statement published by the Hill Rag that bringing the quilts to Anacostia is about linking national civil rights history to the neighborhood's own story and using art to bridge generations. They said they want young people to become curious about Lewis, elders to see their experiences honored and visitors from across Washington to come east of the river.
The gallery is at 1800 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE in Historic Anacostia. Alongside the quilts, it will feature visual art, historic imagery and storytelling tied to civil rights and culture.
The Anacostia edition carries the theme "Good Trouble — Louder!" The evening will include go-go music, spoken word, fashion, skate culture and performances along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE and Marion Barry Avenue SE. Admission is free.
The quilts' Montgomery stop took place at the Southern Poverty Law Center's Civil Rights Memorial Center in March 2023, timed to Jubilee weekend commemorating the 1965 Bloody Sunday march that Lewis helped lead. The Atlanta Quilt Festival expanded the project into a three-year trilogy, with the final installment premiering in August 2024.
Lewis, a 17-term Georgia congressman and civil rights leader, died in 2020 at age 80. He represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District from 1987 until his death.
Art All Night is in its 15th year. The citywide festival runs Friday, Sept. 11, and Saturday, Sept. 12, with free programming across all eight wards. In 2025, the event drew a record 250,000-plus attendees and featured more than 1,200 artists and performers, according to a release from Mayor Muriel Bowser's office. Rosemary Suggs-Evans, director of the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development, said in the release that every performance and visit creates an opportunity for someone to discover a local artist or spend with a D.C. entrepreneur.
The Anacostia Business Improvement District said a full schedule of participating businesses, artists and performers for the Anacostia edition will be announced closer to the event.
Upcoming
- Friday, Sept. 11: Art All Night Anacostia, 5 p.m. to midnight, Historic Anacostia
- Friday, Sept. 11 – Saturday, Sept. 12: Art All Night citywide, free programming across all eight wards
- Sunday, Sept. 13: Run for the Arts 5K, 9:30 a.m., Yards Park Marina, Navy Yard
