On February 22, 2025, Duke Ellington School of the Arts (DESA) in Washington, D.C., celebrated their 50^th year. We were honored to be a Silver Record sponsor of their celebration. At Properties on the Potomac, Inc., we believe that investing in the arts means investing in our community’s future.

Supporting Artistic Excellence in Our Nation’s Capital

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts stands as a beacon of creative excellence, nurturing the next generation of artistic talent in our nation’s capital. For 50 years this prestigious institution has transformed the lives of countless young artists, many of whom have gone on to achieve remarkable success in their fields. Several students from this year’s graduating class have already been accepted by Harvard and Yale Universities.

Their alumni list reads like the ‘who’s who’ of Hollywood, Broadway, and the world of fine arts and television production. This celebration represents everything we value as a company: excellence, community connection, and the transformative power of the arts.

This year’s Ellington Experience was hosted by one of the school’s most accomplished alumni—acclaimed actor and star of the hit series The Black Hamptons, Lamman Rucker. Lamman spoke about his Duke Ellington experience, explaining that his victories and sacrifices made him the person he is today. About his experience being a Duke Ellington alum in Hollywood, he said, “It is literally an industry joke that any show you see on Broadway, any tour that’s touring around the country, any show I’ve opened on multiple sets –  and immediately we know all you got to do is say, ‘Duke’ and  we noticed that we are everywhere…Whether you are a performer or not, God lives and works through you, too. Not just in the pen or check but how you work, how you live, how you treat other people, and how you let that voice come through…Thank you to all of our board, our sponsors, our staff, our faculty, our leadership.”

Tony-nominated Broadway producer and Ellington alum, Marjuan Canady, shared her enthusiasm and love for the Ellington vision, standards of excellence, and perseverance. Canady addressed the audience, saying,

“I see a lot of familiar faces here. My professors are here and it’s really full circle for me. Now I am a writer, director, Broadway producer, and most recently Hell’s Kitchen…You know, our excellence training, the rigor, the family that’s created here most importantly taught me what it means to be an artist citizen, an artist scholar, and that has gone with me every, every, every role that I’ve been on—thanks to Peggy Cooper Cafritz and Mike Malone. When I was a student here, musical theater was a new program. Some of you might know Corey Hawkins, who is Tony and Emmy nominated, Samira Wiley, Emmy nominated actress…they were all my classmates—they’re so incredible. It was experimental, it was structured but not very strong, and it allowed us to play. It allowed us to grow. It allowed us to make mistakes. And we took all of those gems with us wherever we went. So now, we have artistic directors, we have producers, we’re in all different areas of the industry because Ellington gave that to us and we stayed connected. My quick story is years after graduating college and grad school, I did the whole auditioning and you know, working 3 or 4 jobs hustling in New York as an actor. I started writing, producing my own work…all the things that we were doing here. You taught me how to produce grassroots style right as the organizer, as a cultural worker and as I started, I had these ideas of writing scripts, a story about my own history being a first-generation Caribbean American growing up in the city. So I had this idea to create a children’s story called Cantaloupe Kids. I pitched it to different companies and directors just like they tell you you’re supposed to do and I got rejected—make that hundreds of rejections. So what did I do? I called up my Ellington family. My sister, Crystal, is here who also graduated my year—she was one of my dance choreographers. Some visual arts students were my animators. As business partners all of us got together. It was about 20 of us, just friends, and we said we’re going to do this thing. Two years, three years, still doing it and performing, building all these shows the way that we used to do. And then that’s when PBS Kids called, that’s when the Kennedy Center called, that’s when the Smithsonian called and we were telling black and brown stories for young people to see us. If you are an alumni in this room, not only give but come back.”

Why We Support the Ellington Fund

As Lamman Rucker put it, “We want to be sure that the next generation of visionaries, of creators, of storytellers, of artists, receives the support they need to prove that the arts are more than just entertainment…they are a force for change and a means of expression. That’s all in a world that often prioritizes everything but creativity. But it is our duty to invest in the voices and visions that shape the future. The generosity tonight helps sustain the program’s scholarships and opportunities that allow students to chase their dreams just as I did once. I know this stage well.”

Our commitment to the Ellington Fund stems from our deep roots in the Washington, D.C. community. As a local real estate brokerage, we understand that truly vibrant neighborhoods require more than just beautiful homes—they need cultural institutions that inspire and unite.

The funds raised through this event directly support:

• Scholarships for talented students regardless of financial background
• State-of-the-art equipment and facilities
• Master classes with industry professionals
• Performance opportunities that showcase student talent

We Celebrate Artistic Excellence

Together with our community, we ensure that the Duke Ellington School of the Arts continues its legacy of excellence for generations to come.

The Ellington Experience was not just a fundraiser—it was a celebration of what makes our community special. From the stunning student performances to the inspiring student stories, this event punctuates the power of artistic expression to transform lives and communities.

At Properties on the Potomac, we’re proud to play a small role in supporting this incredible institution and the talented young artists who call it home.