D.C. to Announce Seven New Public Art Murals
Written by DCCAH
Saturday, 23 October 2010
http://www.washingtoninformer.
Program is Designed to Help Combat Graffiti
Thanks to a unique partnership, seven communities in the District are a
little more colorful. Councilmember Jim Graham, the DC Commission on the
Arts and the Humanities (DCCAH), and the Department of Public Works (DPW)
will announce seven new murals as part of the MuralsDC program Tuesday,
October 26, 2010, at 10:00 am.
The event will take place in front of the Ward 1 mural at the former Bruce
Monroe School site (the mural is located in the 700 block of Columbia
Road, NW). The event will culminate with a brief mobile tour of the murals
and a celebration at the tour’s final stop at 1432 Pennsylvania Avenue,
SE.
Councilmember Graham launched MuralsDC in 2007, to combat the growing
trend of illegal graffiti and reduce urban blight. DPW receives funding
for the program through the Committee on Public Works, chaired by Graham,
and works with DCCAH and the Midnight Forum, a non-profit after school
arts program, to locate potential mural sites and artists.
By pairing local artists with District youth, the program provides a
positive learning environment for youth to express their artistic talent,
respect public and private property, and gain greater community
appreciation.
Through the program, 27 works of public art have been installed throughout
Wards 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, since its inception. Murals are installed
in neighborhoods, or on properties, hardest hit by graffiti.
“This year we were able to address some particularly highly targeted areas
and also created original art at two locations where lots of children
convene and can be inspired daily,” said Councilmember Jim Graham,
referring to murals located on a playground and school in Ward 1 and 8
respectively.
“With the guidance of the Midnight Forum, we will continue to work with
some of the region’s best known artists to help our youth turn
‘blightness’ into brightness.”
“We are committed to strengthening communities through art as a tool for
not only expression but engagement and education, especially with our
youth population” said DCCAH Executive Director Gloria Nauden. “Proactive
outreach to youth to do something positive is far more effective than the
time reprimanding them for doing something negative. And, usually results
in a better outcome in their quality of life and overall community.”
DCCAH has provided a “citywide cell phone tour” of public art destinations
that include all twenty-seven murals. By dialing 202-292-2656 and pressing
the assigned stop number, guests can be connected to the voice of the
artists who describe the artistic process involved in the creation of
their perspective artwork.
The seven murals, located in Wards 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 each reflect the
character, culture and, in some cases, the history, of the neighborhoods
in which they are located. For example, the Capitol Hill east mural in
Ward 6 pays tribute to legendary composer and marching band leader John
Philip Sousa, a DC native, while the Deanwood mural in Ward 7 incorporates
nostalgic scenes of the community’s past.
“Municipalities, businesses and private citizens typically spend millions
of dollars each year to remove graffiti from public and private property
and we’re seeing graffiti taggers become increasingly brazen,” said DPW
Director William O. Howland, Jr., whose agency responds to more than 1,000
requests for graffiti removal each year.
“We’re definitely seeing the financial benefit of MuralsDC, even it means
just one less wall that we have to come out and treat or repaint.”
To date, very few of the buildings that have participated in the program
have been retagged and those that are have reported only minimal graffiti.
“Our experience with MuralsDC has been 100 percent positive,” said Ginny
Johnson, Director of Development for MOMI DC, which owns and manages an
apartment building that received a mural last year. The building, located
near the Takoma Park metro, runs along the red line tracks and was a prime
and repeat location for graffiti. “One year later – it has accomplished
exactly what it was intended to do. We have had no problems with pesky
tagging on the wall since the mural was completed and it is a great
addition to our building, community, and to the scenery for red line metro
riders.”
For more information about the city’s free graffiti removal services,
visit DPW’s website at www.dc.gov. To get a sneak preview of this year's
murals visit http://muralsdc.
locate the stop numbers for each mural for a personal tour.
Written by DCCAH
Saturday, 23 October 2010
http://www.washingtoninformer.
Program is Designed to Help Combat Graffiti
Thanks to a unique partnership, seven communities in the District are a
little more colorful. Councilmember Jim Graham, the DC Commission on the
Arts and the Humanities (DCCAH), and the Department of Public Works (DPW)
will announce seven new murals as part of the MuralsDC program Tuesday,
October 26, 2010, at 10:00 am.
The event will take place in front of the Ward 1 mural at the former Bruce
Monroe School site (the mural is located in the 700 block of Columbia
Road, NW). The event will culminate with a brief mobile tour of the murals
and a celebration at the tour’s final stop at 1432 Pennsylvania Avenue,
SE.
Councilmember Graham launched MuralsDC in 2007, to combat the growing
trend of illegal graffiti and reduce urban blight. DPW receives funding
for the program through the Committee on Public Works, chaired by Graham,
and works with DCCAH and the Midnight Forum, a non-profit after school
arts program, to locate potential mural sites and artists.
By pairing local artists with District youth, the program provides a
positive learning environment for youth to express their artistic talent,
respect public and private property, and gain greater community
appreciation.
Through the program, 27 works of public art have been installed throughout
Wards 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, since its inception. Murals are installed
in neighborhoods, or on properties, hardest hit by graffiti.
“This year we were able to address some particularly highly targeted areas
and also created original art at two locations where lots of children
convene and can be inspired daily,” said Councilmember Jim Graham,
referring to murals located on a playground and school in Ward 1 and 8
respectively.
“With the guidance of the Midnight Forum, we will continue to work with
some of the region’s best known artists to help our youth turn
‘blightness’ into brightness.”
“We are committed to strengthening communities through art as a tool for
not only expression but engagement and education, especially with our
youth population” said DCCAH Executive Director Gloria Nauden. “Proactive
outreach to youth to do something positive is far more effective than the
time reprimanding them for doing something negative. And, usually results
in a better outcome in their quality of life and overall community.”
DCCAH has provided a “citywide cell phone tour” of public art destinations
that include all twenty-seven murals. By dialing 202-292-2656 and pressing
the assigned stop number, guests can be connected to the voice of the
artists who describe the artistic process involved in the creation of
their perspective artwork.
The seven murals, located in Wards 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 each reflect the
character, culture and, in some cases, the history, of the neighborhoods
in which they are located. For example, the Capitol Hill east mural in
Ward 6 pays tribute to legendary composer and marching band leader John
Philip Sousa, a DC native, while the Deanwood mural in Ward 7 incorporates
nostalgic scenes of the community’s past.
“Municipalities, businesses and private citizens typically spend millions
of dollars each year to remove graffiti from public and private property
and we’re seeing graffiti taggers become increasingly brazen,” said DPW
Director William O. Howland, Jr., whose agency responds to more than 1,000
requests for graffiti removal each year.
“We’re definitely seeing the financial benefit of MuralsDC, even it means
just one less wall that we have to come out and treat or repaint.”
To date, very few of the buildings that have participated in the program
have been retagged and those that are have reported only minimal graffiti.
“Our experience with MuralsDC has been 100 percent positive,” said Ginny
Johnson, Director of Development for MOMI DC, which owns and manages an
apartment building that received a mural last year. The building, located
near the Takoma Park metro, runs along the red line tracks and was a prime
and repeat location for graffiti. “One year later – it has accomplished
exactly what it was intended to do. We have had no problems with pesky
tagging on the wall since the mural was completed and it is a great
addition to our building, community, and to the scenery for red line metro
riders.”
For more information about the city’s free graffiti removal services,
visit DPW’s website at www.dc.gov. To get a sneak preview of this year's
murals visit http://muralsdc.
locate the stop numbers for each mural for a personal tour.
