Former Lobbyist Philippa Hughes, mastermind behind culture powerhouse The Pink Line Project, was pitted against another creative mind, Ora Nwabueze of event staging company The Dunes, in a bartending battle extraordinaire.
Of course, the boozy battle was bogus -- but the pair did collect tips and bar tabs at Marvin Wednesday night for a fundraising to benefit the Underground Art Coalition, which plans to convert an abandoned trolley station beneath Dupont Circle into a dynamic community art center.
"Ora's making the drinks, I'm just taking the money," confessed Hughes, who also said she had never before served as bartender. "I can probably pour you a beer but the competition is really just (for) play."
Competition for the underground space, on the other hand, is much tougher, with several groups expected to submit original proposals to the city this month.
"I know groups have tried to plan use of the space in the past," Hughes said, "but this time is different. They were commercial entities and our group is a non-profit. We're really going to do it right. We're fighting the good fight."
