U Hall TV

U Hall TV provides a more intimate club experience than could ever be imagined in the middle of a global pandemic. Just two days away from celebrating its 10th anniversary in March—a celebration that’s usually a week of back-to-back dance parties and live performances—U Street Music Hall closed its doors to the public due to the pandemic. When D.C. entered an indefinite quarantine, owner Will Eastman created U Hall TV as a way to connect with the club’s loyal patrons. U Hall TV currently broadcasts live DJ performances via Twitch, where the audience can also connect directly to the artist through the chat feature, something that was near-impossible in real life. “The livestreams are the only way to fulfill our mission to present great music to our audience,” says Eastman over the phone. The livestreams also provide a means to raise money for the club’s staff through sales of U Street Music Hall merchandise. By the fall, Eastman plans to expand its offerings to include live bands, panel discussions, and artist interviews. Eastman says the ultimate goal “is to create a 24/7 full-service entity that melds community outreach with the best freeform new genre bookings with our no-attitude ethos.” The weekly schedule and livestreams are available at twitch.tv/uhalltv. Free. —Casey Embert

Scribble Scrabbles

When she isn’t casting whimsical brushstrokes in the jewel-toned colors of salt water taffy, Katie Pumphrey is casting strokes of a more athletic nature. In addition to being an artist, Pumphrey is a long distance swimmer. She earned her degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art and currently lives in Baltimore, where she fills her studio with abstract canvases splashed in acrylic and spray paint. Her latest solo exhibit, Scribble Scrabbles, explores the tension between calm and chaos, relying on wistful shades of lagoon blue and lavender and playful winks of pink to applaud the search for silliness amidst life’s sadness. It’s easy to imagine Pumphrey meditating on life’s uncertainty while bobbing along with the waves, musing on how we look to humor to navigate the rough, unpredictable seas and, once home, capturing her investigation in periwinkle. While some of her past works evoke more crystalized imagery—like the staccato turquoise denoting the wings of flying geese for her mural inside a Frederick health care facility—Scribble Scrabbles relies on nondescript gestures with carousel-colored paint. Her bold, rollicking brushstrokes in candy colors contain a brave, sweet philosophy, with all the sparkle and wisdom and possibility of the open waters—in spite of the unknown depths below. The exhibition is available at katiepumphrey.com and during limited hours at Washington Studio School until Aug. 29. Free. —Emma Francois