We may have stepped away from our blogging for a while but the painting never stopped. Even during a year that saw an initial pause in operations due to the ongoing health emergency and its impact on the District government’s operations and budget (for the superstitious, this is our 13th season so go figure 😉), MuralsDC managed to pull off the world’s first “Black Lives Matters” blocks-long mural.
MuralsDC’s Black Lives Matter mural project came together in under 24 hours. Led by some of the city’s top muralists, the 16 letters reach 40-feet high and spanned 580 feet. The artists met on June 5, hours before dawn at 3am. The rain had just stopped and the ground was wet so DPW employees, led by DPW Director Chris Geldart, pulled out leaf blowers to dry the pavement they had used mechanical sweeper to clean just hours before. After the artists did their calculations, took their measurements and did their prep work, they went to work.
DPW crews, other DC government employees, DC residents and demonstrators came together to help with the fill in work. Everyone wanted to be a part of such an historic moment. Workers and artists wrapped up just in time for the Mayor’s presser, during which she announced that the two-block stretch of road (the 800 and 900 blocks of 16th street, NW) where the mural now lives permanently was being renamed to “Black Lives Matters Plaza.”
We don’t know what the rest of the MuralsDC season will bring but we know it will continue to bring new and exciting opportunities. DPW remains committed to our mission of beautifying Washington, DC’s corridors and providing opportunities to local artists to help us achieve that goal.
We thank all of the artists and property owners who applied to be a part of the 2020 season. If we don’t get a chance to work with you this year, we look forward to seeing the work we began with you in fiscal year 2020 manifest in 2021!
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