We are getting so excited to celebrate the launch of the Exposed DC Photography Collection! More than 300 photos featured in our annual shows will soon be part of the DC Public Library’s The People’s Archive. Join us Saturday, May 24 for a one-day-only event on the beautiful rooftop garden at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library downtown. 

We have organized a full day of activities we hope you’ll check out. The event and all activities are free. We encourage registration for daytime attendance; registration is required for the reception as space is limited. Event will go on rain or shine.

This event is supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. We are also grateful to our wonderful sponsors Aperturent, where you can rent lenses, cameras and so much more, and Capital Photography Center, offering in person classes from basics to special techniques. 

Media inquires can go to George Williams, DC Public Library communications office, or Heather Goss, Exposed DC.

Launch Celebration Schedule

Saturday, May 24, 2025
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
901 G St NW, Washington, D.C.

10am – Celebration begins. Join us on the 5th floor for ongoing and special activities through the day. 

All day – Projections and displays of the Exposed DC Photography Collection, including:

An ongoing site-specific projection installation by D.C. multimedia artist Robin Bell, with special live remix performances at 2 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7 p.m. transforming archival images into a dynamic visual experience.

All day – Make your own Artist File. Photographers and other artists are invited to bring items to create an Artist File at the DC Public Library. This is a way to preserve your history and help future researchers learn about our region’s art scene. You can donate exhibition postcards, artist CVs, brochures and catalogs, correspondence, and other ephemera.

11 a.m. – Workshop – Care of Digital Files. Join The People’s Archive staff for an overview of how to care for your digital files. Learn simple strategies for organizing, storing, and extending the life of your digital files. Meet on the 5th floor. (1 hour)

1 p.m. – Guided tour of Memory Lab. Join The People’s Archive staff for a tour of the Memory Lab at The Labs. Learn about resources available for personal archiving of documents, home movies, and photographs. Meet on the 5th floor. (30 minutes)

2 p.m. – Robin Bell – Live Remix. Watch a dynamic presentation of the Exposed DC Photography Collection and other cultural images. (30 minutes)

3 p.m. – Guided tour of People’s Archive. Join The People’s Archive staff for a special tour of The People’s Archive. View treasures from the collection and learn more about services and resources available in the DC Public Library’s local history department. Meet on the 5th floor. (45 minutes)

5:30 – 9 p.m. – Evening Reception. Join us on the 5th floor and the rooftop garden to celebrate two decades of photography featured in the Exposed DC Photography Collection. Free but registration required (donation suggested), as capacity of the space is limited. 

• 6 p.m. Robin Bell performs a live remix of Exposed DC images (30 minutes)
• 7 p.m. Champagne toast (15 minutes)
• 7:15 p.m. Robin Bell performs his final live remix of the evening.
• Music by DJ Sequoia and v:shal
• Registered attendees receive one drink ticket with more available for donation on site. Non-alcoholic beverages and limited snacks included. 

About the Collection

The Exposed DC Photography Collection is a visual record of Washington, D.C. from 2006 to the present, composed of more than 300 photographs contributed by local photographers. The images document the city’s street life, cultural events, architecture, and political moments—ranging from widely recognized landmarks to everyday scenes that define life in the District.

The collection began in 2006 as a project under DCist, a local news site known for its coverage of civic life in Washington, D.C. As the initiative grew, Exposed DC became an independent nonprofit organization and cultivated a wide network of photographers committed to documenting the city’s neighborhoods and communities. Over the past 18 years, the group has hosted an annual photography exhibition highlighting the work of local artists.

In addition to photographs, the archive includes a range of supporting materials such as promotional designs, exhibition catalogs, organizational business records, and documentation from Exposed DC events. These materials provide additional context about the evolution of the organization and its role in the city’s cultural landscape.

In 2024, DC Public Library partnered with Exposed DC to acquire and preserve the full collection. It is now housed within The People’s Archive, the Library’s permanent local history division.

This marks the first time the full collection has been formally preserved by a public institution and made accessible to the public through a centralized platform. The collection is available at https://digdc.dclibrary.org 

Why This Collection Matters

The Exposed DC Photography Collection represents a significant transfer of cultural memory into public stewardship. These images were made by residents with personal connections to the city’s people and places. The archive reflects a wide range of lived experiences and geographies—from street corners to civic marches to local festivals—offering a record of Washington from below.

The collection documents a period of profound change in D.C., including population growth, gentrification, infrastructure development, and political activism. Many of the locations and communities represented have since transformed or disappeared. By making these images publicly accessible and digitally preserved, the Library provides a resource for historians, educators, artists, journalists, and residents interested in understanding how the city has changed over time.

This is also the first time these images have been indexed, described, and presented together as part of the city’s memory—preserved alongside oral histories, newspapers, maps, and other materials that make up the District’s historical record.