(From DCist contributor Seth Thomas Pietras)

DCist ventured down to Hemphill Fine Arts on 14th Street NW to see the opening of the William Christenberry exhibit and was satisfied not only by the artwork but by an increasingly lively neighborhood for a Thursday night at seven o’clock. Amid the new construction and old tattered buildings, a vibrant, active crowd was wandering about the restaurants, bars and stores. Never mind this inconsistent and torturous weather, the people of D.C. are apparently ready to get outside and explore.

A number of them were inside Hemphill, where a packed house enjoyed the 22 photographs and ink works of the older-school mixed-media photographer William Christenberry. Largely known for his worn and remote images of rural and backwoods Southern life, Christenberry’s most recent work, on display, is a clearer, more settled version of his earlier material. Most attendees thought it was “fun to see what he’s been up to lately.” With an open bar, who can disagree?