Washington, D.C. – Each Quarter the District of Columbia Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME) highlights the achievements of a District of Columbia resident who exemplifies excellence in creativity, education, creative entrepreneurship, economic revitalization of creative businesses, social justice, or racial equity. OCTFME is pleased to recognize Tom Noll as the DC STAR for the 1st Quarter of 2022.
Tom Noll is indeed a prolific, passionate Renaissance Man. A whimsical creative artist, sculptor, children's book author, landscape designer, decorator, and art collector with a generous heart and mind, he loves his adoptive city of Washington, DC. Tom has been a resident of Washington, DC, for over16 years and in the D.C. Metro area for almost 40 years.
Tom is an award-winning children’s book author. He wrote “Trash to Treasure” Series - Recycling Creatively with L.T. (The Bicycle Fence, Selling Eggs), a children’s book that empowers, educates, and inspires young readers to Recycle and Go Green in creative, practical, and fun ways. A good storyteller, Tom reads to and teaches kids about art, recycling, and creativity. He takes great pleasure in donating his books to children, libraries, schools, and organizations.
"Wow, what a way to start a new year! It is indeed an unexpected and humbling honor to have been chosen as The Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment's (OCTFME)* DC STAR; for all these years doing something creative and artistic that I love. My gratitude to the OCTFME team, its Director Angie Gates, and Mayor Muriel Bowser for their leadership, dedicated and passionate work supporting the growth and sustainability of the broadcasting, film, music, Entertainment, and creative economy and labor market industries in all 8 Wards of the District of Columbia. I call D.C. my chosen home, and I celebrate and cherish the diverse, inclusive, supportive. Uniquely creative D.C. artists and arts advocates community that brings to our city such a strong creative economy,” said Tom Noll.
A resident of the Bloomingdale neighborhood in Washington, DC, Tom is admired as the artist and creator of the fun and popular White Bicycle Fence Art Installation at the lovely corner park on Rhode Island Avenue at 1st and T Streets N.W. Out of his own pocket, he landscapes, upkeeps the park, and creates unique artsy pieces to creatively decorate the White Bicycle Fence for major holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, and other seasons. It has become an appreciated destination for families to bring their kids to take holiday photos.
Tom is also a sculptor who uses recycled materials like rebar, sandstone, metals, and nature found materials. It has been said: “Mr. Noll's environmental sculptures are all at once powerful, graceful and whimsical – as if the metals were playing with nature forms. It is art with a purpose.”
As an artist, he creates Magical Fairy Boxes out of recycled jewelry boxes, clocks, and unique items he finds in his travels thru antique, consignment, and second-hand shops. As a decorator, he creates unique environments to express the individuality or creativity of store, home, or garden owners.
Tom Noll celebrates and honors the diverse, eclectic, and uniquely creative close-knit D.C. Arts Scene, artists, and arts advocates that bring about our city's strong creative economy. He has been called a connector of people, ideas and an influencer in the DMV arts and culture scene. With his spouse, they stay current and purposeful in their love and support of diverse, small, and large organizations, as well as established and emerging creative forces. With their unique and sartorial outfits, they are hard to miss at artsy and cultural events around town. He designs his wild hats to complement his park decor as the stylist!
Tom believes in: “The positive, transformative and nurturing power of the arts, humanities, and culture to improve and elevate the quality of life of children and adults. The creative industries have been and will continue to be critical factors in our city's economic development, revitalization, richness and keep on making our Nation's Capital a vibrant and rich world-class destination!”
Tom adds: “Despite the tumultuous political times, the heartbreaking and prolonged pandemic that we have all been living in, paired with the uncertainty and direct financial hit that our individual artists and arts organizations are facing, I believe that their vitality and creativity will endure. I see that artists continue to create, diversify, connect, inspire and help each other. We always have been a vigorous, resilient, and strong ethnically diverse community of art makers and supporters!"
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About OCTFME DC STAR
OCTFME launched the "Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment DC STAR” as a Creative Industry Contributor Spotlight Feature. It highlights and recognizes the achievements of one (1) District resident per quarter who has demonstrated a significant and notable accomplishment in the area of creativity, education, creative entrepreneurship, economic revitalization of the creative businesses, social justice, or racial equity in the District of Columbia.
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About OCTFME
The Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME) produces and broadcasts programming for the District of Columbia's public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable television channels and digital radio station; regulates the District of Columbia's cable television service providers; provides customer service for cable subscribers; and supports a sustainable film, music, and entertainment creative economy and labor market in the District of Columbia.
OCTFME award-winning content provides resourceful information on government activity, education, current events, history, music, arts, and Entertainment. OCTFME operates and manages the District's government television access channels: the District Council Channel (DCC), the District of Columbia Network (DCN), and the District Knowledge Network (DKN).
OCTFME manages, operates, and programs the District of Columbia Entertainment Network (DCE). This 24-hour on-demand streaming network delivers diverse and inclusive – FREE – lifestyle, music, live events, sports, arts, variety shows, talk shows, educational and entertainment programming from the nation's capital into homes via ROKU, Apple T.V., and Amazon Fire T.V. as well as iPhone and Android mobile devices by downloading the DCE Network App or at DCENetwork.com.
OCTFME also operates, manages, and programs DC Radio 96.3 HD4 digital radio station, the District of Columbia's first government radio station, in partnership with Howard University's WHUR. It is one of only two full-power, city-managed and programmed radio stations in the country.
OCTFME provides production support services that advance film, television, video, Entertainment, interactive, multimedia, and digital media content creators. These services include permitting; location scouting; production support; job placement assistance; workforce development; and the D.C. Film, Television, and Entertainment Rebate Fund.
OCTFME supports the creative economy through Mayor Muriel Bowser Presents: 202Creates initiative, administering programs supporting the growth and sustainability of the creative industries in all 8 Wards of the District.
OCTFME provides additional support to the Creative community through the Creative Affairs Office (CAO). CAO showcases and preserves the District of Columbia's rich creative communities throughout all 8 Wards. CAO builds sustainability in the creative community through policy, programming, and education, which further expands the pathway to the middle class for the creative workforce. CAO coordinates public, private, and community partners to accomplish all goals and create equitable and inclusive opportunities for the District's creatives.
For more information, contact the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment at (202) 671-0066, visit us online at: entertainment.dc.gov, and follow us on Facebook.com/entertaindc, Instagram.com/entertain_dc, and Twitter.com/entertain_dc.
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