Photo by: Garry W.

This past Labor Day, I had the pleasure of covering the Kennedy Center's Finding a Line Exposition,which is a 7.5-hour event that is happening from Sept. 4 to Sept. 13. The exposition showcases local skaters, musicians, art exhibits, and brands from around the D.M.V., mixing them into a beautiful, primordial ooze of artistic enjoyment.

As the nation's performing arts center, the Kennedy Center is a natural fit to showcase the intersection of the great American skateboarding subculture with music and art. From stage plays to orchestral works, the merging of histories is a natural phenomenon in the arts. In

Finding a Line, the Kennedy Center is embarking on a new exploration of their grounds, which is both vibrant and thrilling. Festival Curator Ben Ashworth, an accomplished visual artist, designer, builder, and skateboarder, and one of the founding members of the now legendary D.C. Fight Club (which is an underground skate park/gallery/creative space in an abandoned warehouse which became a center for local and national cultural events), said:

"We are all moving through physical space together and making up our lives as we go. Skateboarding visually represents this idea—because it allows us to witness an individual flowing through cities, streets, and pools and reacting to them in an improvisational manner. It is this creative process of finding a line that lies at the heart of what I do."

The skate crews hosting Labor Day's Open Skate Session were sPACYcLOUd and Skate Girls Tribe. sPACYcLOUd was created in D.C. and the product of designer Tatiana Kolina and several local artisans. Its focus is geared towards the "sui generis" spirit that lives in all of us.

I, for one, had a great time recording this event and standing on stage right next to one of the many live bands that played in the venue throughout the week called SEE-I, one of America's premier reggae party bands. The eight-piece group knows how to get people dancing all night with a smile on their face. The D.C. band boasts guest musicians and members from the Thievery Live Band and the Chuck Brown Band, among others.

You could feel the stage shaking from the members jumping up and down and swinging their dreadlocks to the music. I was tempted to put my Nikon down to swing mine along with them and just enjoy the show, which I did for a bit, but who was going to record my footage if I didn't?

In the video link above, you will hear some of the music and see some of the fast-paced skate boarding and high-flying tricks that was happening in and out of the main bowl. The main bowl was right in front of the band, which made watching very exciting for the participants and fans.

Skaters of all ages, colors, and creeds graced the bowl, which just goes to show that no matter who you are or where you come from, sometimes all you need is the company of others. Participants and fans all came together through a mutual love of skateboarding, which is what Finding a Line was all about.