
I’m Kathleen, a longtime DC resident in my sixth decade of life, if you can believe it. I barely can.
I’m child free, pet free, and car free by choice. I lost my husband of over 30 years in 2018, my best friend of over 50 years in 2020, and the last steady freelance graphic design gig of my 35+ year career in 2022.
Life in DC in 2025 is decidedly difficult. However, I love art, music, history and all things urban—including urban people—and those things help get me through this otherwise super shitty time in world history. Also, I love lager beer. Lager beer helps.
Questions?
You can probably reach me by e-mailing kathleencole@me.com.

Installed in April 2025, it sits across from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and close to the Potomac & Anacostia Rivers.
The box was designed for SWBID, and features illustrations of some of SW’s “neighbors” living in and around the nearby rivers — crabs, heron, ducks, and striped bass (Rockfish).
The Traffic Control Box Beautification project is part of DDOT’s Arts in the Right-of-Way (AROW) program.

I was born in Boston, MA and grew up “downt tha Cape,” a place I never really liked. I left as soon as I was able, post college, and moved to Washington, DC, partially because I was obsessed with Dischord Records and the DC punk rock scene.
Ever since September 1989, I have lived near 16th & U Street, NW — just one block south of Meridian Hill / Malcolm X Park and 12 blocks north of the White House.
For over 10 years, I’ve maintained a Tumblr blog called “It’s art if I say so,” a quote from my favorite conceptual artist, Marcel Duchamp, as well as my answer to the eternal question “what is art?”

It’s made up of short clips from various concerts I’ve attended over the past few years, and is meant to demonstrate that Washington, DC is a very cool music city. Every clip is under a minute because otherwise I'm living in the moment.
The above photo is from the UK’s Lambrini Girls at the Howard Theater on 5/4/25.

Or, at least that it’s available to buy, exclusively through the experience of using an Art-o-mat® machine! Go find it on the 3rd floor of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) in Gallery Place / Chinatown neighborhood of NW.
Visit artomat.org for a full description of artist Clark Whittington’s “right smart” longterm conceptual art project.

The Capital City Go-Go play from November to March at CareFirst Arena in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Southeast (South! South! East!).
Once a month, during weekend night games, a local go-go band plays on the sidelines of the game during halftime and timeouts — AND IT’S AWESOME!











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