Jake’s American Grille (5018 Connecticut Avenue) is donating the wall overlooking the Exxon for a MuralsDC project, and the community is invited to provide input on what should be included.
The mural is to reflect the character, culture and history of the neighborhood.
The owner of Jake’s will have final approval of the design and will choose from a list of artists who will in turn engage youth and community members in the creation of the work.
MuralsDC was founded in 2007 to combat illegal graffiti, but that’s not the aim in this case. The project is funded by the Department of Public Works in cooperation with DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
If you are interested in providing ideas and inspiration, answer the questions below and email Nancee Lyons ([email protected]) at the Department of Public Works.
Do you need inspiration? Our neighborhood history page is full of ideas, such as the streetcars that shaped the neighborhood’s development, the first public school in Forest Hills, and the woman who gave neighborhood children better places to play and learn.
From the MuralsDCProject.com Fact Sheet:
MuralsDC was launched in 2007 as a creative solution to the rising tide of illegal graffiti in the District. The public art created through MuralsDC has revitalized blighted and vandalized properties and helped to generate a hip, new energy throughout the nation’s capital.
Since 2008, the program has been funded by the Department of Public Works (DPW), in cooperation with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH), as part of its graffiti abatement initiative. The annual budget for the project is $100,000. Artists who participate in the program are selected based on their capacity to instruct and execute work using graffiti concepts and to engage youth and community members in the creation of the work. Each mural reflects the character, culture and history of the neighbourhoods in which it is located. Mural site selection is based on areas of the District with high incidence of illegal graffiti as identified by DPW, property owners and others in the community.
To date, the program has produced nearly 60 murals in every ward of the city. Property owners have found the program to be highly effective in ending the cycle of tagging on their buildings, which has resulted in a significant cost savings for both the city and the business owners.
MuralsDC uses the creation of each piece of public art as an opportunity to teach youth ages 14-23 the techniques involved in aerosol painting as a strategy to prevent future vandalism and promote respect for public and private property. The program invests in the interests of youth by pairing them with master level artists who are themselves living examples of what is possible when a community provides opportunity, mentoring, and hands-on experiences.
While one of the program’s goals is to expand the experience and exposure of local artists, the program has also worked with artists from other countries. As an international city, what better way to help shape the District’s public art landscape than to blend local perspective with the cultures and experiences of those from
Past MuralsDC artists include: Joel Bergner, James Bullough, Alicia Cosnahan, Hamilton Glass, Daniel Hopkins, Addison Karl, Coby Kennedy, Peter Krsko, Cecilia Lueza, Michael Owen, Byron Peck, Juan Peneda, Justin Poppe, Pose 2, Cita Sadeli, Eric B. Ricks, Daniel Roncesvalles and Aniekan Udofia.
Michael Meyer says
The first article of the Bill of Rights in the US Constitution would make great mural content.