Fund a DC Public Piano & Documentary!

Hi, my name is Iman Blackwell. I am a pianist, filmmaker, and senior at Georgetown University with one dream: to found a public piano in DC before I graduate in May 2023.

CW: Depression

As a pianist for over 18 years, rekindling my love for piano helped pull me out of a depression in 2022. Since then, I've dreamt of creating an accessible platform for the DC community to collaborate and rejoice in the art of music. After seeing the impact of public pianos in communities like Atlanta, I have chosen to bring a public piano to the streets of DC.

Starting in January 2023, my new organization--Sharps & Flats DC--plans to rescue one used piano from a DMV resident and refurbish it to be played at a local art organization or business in perpetuity. Not only will Sharps & Flats handle the costs and management for the transporting, tuning, and repairing of the piano, but we will also commission local BIPOC & LGBTQ+ artists to paint and beautify it before our grand opening in March or early April. If our first piano proves successful, we hope to expand our organization to multiple public pianos across the DMV area. To clarify, we are NOT a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit at the moment. We are a community organization and all of your donations will go toward the expenses mentioned above, directly poured into our organization exclusively.

All the while, we are filming the entire start-up process to inspire the community and document our journey to create a truly sustainable, ethical, and accessible non-profit, Sharps & Flats.

Your donation will support piano transport, piano tuning and repair, commission for the artists, and documentary production costs. If you have any questions or wish to offer a local piano, business, or pitch an artist for our project, please do not hesitate to reach out by clicking the contact button bellow. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram at @sharpsandflatsdc to stay up to date with our progress.

If you care to learn more about our mission, please read the director's statement below. Thank you so much for your help and consideration!

Warmest regards,

Iman June Blackwell

Founder of Sharps & Flats DC

Director of Sharps & Flats short documentary

“I have been playing piano since I was 3 years old, but had always been off and on as a musician since I entered college in 2019 and completely fell off when I experienced an episode of insomnia, severe anxiety, and depression in 2022. When I rekindled my love for piano and learned to express myself through original compositions, I overcame my intense mental health struggles. Thus, Sharps & Flats is not a story of refurbishing a piano for entertainment; it’s a story of connection. With Sharps & Flats DC, we’re trying to not just revive pianos, but to revive ourselves, our communities, and our homes. If 88 black and white keys had the power to make me whole again, then, in the hands of an entire community, they have the power to do so much more.”

—Iman June Blackwell

*We do not own the rights to the photo. Shot and copyrighted by Jeff Van Scoyk.