DCist/WAMU/NPR
DC Unveils Go-Go Mural at the Apartment Building Where #DontMuteDC Began
Elliot Williams | September 15, 2021
On Tuesday, amid the morning traffic of Metrobuses and a small crowd of bystanders, D.C. officials unveiled a new mural celebrating go-go on a corner in Shaw, where a battle once brewed over D.C.’s music, culture, and treatment of longtime residents.
Fox 5
Northwest DC Mural Celebrates City’s Go-Go Music History
Fox5 Digital Team | September 15, 2021
DC culture has been synonymous with Go-Go music for decades – and a new mural in Northwest is celebrating the iconic sound of the nation’s capital.
NBC Washington
DC Go-Go Mural Unveiled at ‘Sacred Corner’ of Florida Avenue
NBC Washington Staff | September 14, 2021
A huge tribute to D.C. go-go music was unveiled Tuesday at what one official called a “sacred corner” for the District sound.
Washingtonian
New Go-Go Mural Pays Tribute to the #Don’tMuteDC Movement in Shaw
Damare Baker | September 13, 2021
The District is about to get more than half-a-dozen new murals within the next couple of months. One of them is already up: a brightly-colored piece that pays tribute to DC’s homegrown music—Go-Go.
WUSA9
Crown Act Mural Unveiled In DC
Tony Perkins | July 9, 2021
We’re celebrating art and natural hairstyles for Black women! The Bowser administration and D.C. Artist Candice Taylor unveiled a mural highlighting the Crown Act.
NBC Washington
New Mural in Anacostia Celebrates Crown Act
Cory Smith | July 8, 2021
In the 2000 block of MLK Avenue in Southeast D.C., a new mural celebrates the Crown Act.
Dove, Joy Collective unveils CROWN Act mural by Candice Taylor in DC
Roland Martin | July 8, 2021
WJLA ABC 7 News
Black Girls, Women Celebrate Their Right To Wear Natural Hairstyles Without Discrimination
Sam Ford | July 8, 2021
It’s painted on a pink background on the side of the Bus Boys and Poets Restaurant in Anacostia: The Crown Act. MuralsDC’s newest mural displays of images of Black women wearing their hair in various natural styles, from dread locks to twists to braids.
WATCH LIVE: Dove, Joy Collective Unveils CROWN Act Mural by Candice Taylor in DC
Roland Martin | July 8, 2021
WTOP
Mural Unveiled in DC Celebrates Black Natural Hairstyles
Lauren Hamilton | July 8, 2021
D.C.’s Ward 8 just became a bit more colorful. On Thursday, Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled a mural highlighting Black natural hairstyles on the side wall of the Far Southeast Collaborative Center at 2004 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.
The Washington Post
District Awards Medal of Valor To DC Police and Others For Response To Jan. 6 Insurrection
Peter Hermann | May 21, 2021
…And the honor was awarded to public works and Murals DC for the creation of Black Lives Matter Plaza in the wake of weeks of summer protests for social and racial justice and the violent clearing of peaceful demonstrators by federal police outside the White House.
District Fray
21 D.C. Makers + Curators to Follow
M.K. Koszycki | March 13, 2021
Nancee Lyons Department of Public Works Public Affairs Specialist | MuralsDC Coordinator
District Fray Digital
21 D.C. Makers + Curators to Follow
Flipbook Version
M.K. Koszycki | March 12, 2021
Nancee Lyons Department of Public Works Public Affairs Specialist | MuralsDC Coordinator
WAMU
How D.C. Put Up 51 New Statehood Murals in One Week
Mikaela LeFrak | July 2, 2020
June 19 was an incredibly busy day for Nancee Lyons, the head of MuralsDC, the District’s street art program. It was the first day in a new project to put up 51 new murals on the theme of D.C. statehood, all in one week.
The Washington Post
Celebrations of Black Family, Culture Break Out Across D.C.
Emily Davies and Michelle Boorstein | June 27, 2020
Downtown Washington blossomed into a rich celebration of black family and culture on Saturday, marking the sixth week of near-constant public expression in the District for racial justice.
The Washington Post
A Powerful Mural Was Created as Part of D.C.’s Push for Statehood. It Also Shows The diversity of The Black Lives Matter Movement.
Theresa Vargas | June 27, 2020
On the outside wall of a building in Northeast Washington, a mural shows a dark-skinned man with light hair riding an electric bike. An American flag, secured to his torso with a chain, flows behind him.
RTV4 Slovenija
ULIČNA UMETNOST V WASHINGTONU
Prvi Dnevnik | July 26, 2020
WJLA
D.C. Commissions 51 Murals in A Week in Lead-Up to Statehood Vote
Jay Korff | June 25, 2020
The House votes Friday on a D.C. statehood bill. If successful, it will be the first time in history either chamber advances such legislation.
NBC
Artists Painting 51 Murals Across DC in Campaign for Statehood
Aimee Cho | June 23, 2020
D.C.’s Black Lives Matter mural made headlines around the nation. Now, the same artists are painting 51 more murals around the city in a push for statehood.
WTOP
How the DC Black Lives Matter Plaza sparked murals across the country
Andrea Cambron | June 21, 2020
When Keyonna Jones received a call from a fellow artist on June 4 about a secret project starting in just a few hours, she had no idea it would lead to one of the most iconic images of the Black Lives Matter protests and spark other cities to take notice.
Fast Company
Can Art Change the World? Inside the Debate Raging Over Black Lives Matter Murals
Mark Wilson | June 18, 2020
Keyonna Jones received the call from a fellow artist one Thursday night in early June, and she agreed to the job without knowing what or where she’d be painting.
The Washington Post
Missing Art Museums? Take a Mural Stroll Through Washington’s Art-Rich Streets
Peggy McGlone | June 17, 2020
With museum closures extending into their fourth month, art-starved D.C. residents like me are taking to the streets for their cultural fix. Thankfully, Washington boasts a rich mural game, one that can transform a neighborhood stroll into an open-air gallery visit.
The Conversation
How DC Mayor Bowser Used Graffiti to Protect Public Space
Rebekah Modrak | June 12, 2020
When President Donald Trump sent heavily armed federal law enforcement officers and unidentified officers in riot gear into Washington, D.C. during the height of protests recently, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser responded by painting “BLACK LIVES MATTER” directly on the street
The New Yorker
The Mimetic Power of D.C.’s Black Lives Matter Mural
Kyle Chayka | June 9, 2020
This past Friday, at around 3:30 a.m., staff from the District of Columbia Department of Public Works began painting the stretch of Sixteenth Street directly in front of Lafayette Square, which protesters of police violence had been occupying for days.
The New Yorker
The Secret Project That Led to Black Lives Matter Murals Coast to Coast
Robin Wright | June 9, 2020
A team of eight artists and a band of ad-hoc volunteers joined to create the Black Lives Matter street mural in Washington, D.C.
Revolt TV
“Black Lives Matter” Mural Artist Opens Up About Painting the Bold Statement in Front of the White House and More
Lauren “Bobby Pen” Williams | June 8, 2020
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently unveiled an in-your-face mural spanning two city blocks that reads “Black Lives Matter” only steps from the White House. This moment, Friday evening (June 5), instantly rocked social media as a historical moment for this nation.
The Washington Post
D.C.’s ‘Black Lives Matter’ Street Art Inspires Similar Giant Slogans in Cities Nationwide
Allyson Chiu | June 8, 2020
The sun had been up for only about an hour Sunday morning when Charman Driver and about a dozen other people convened on a street in downtown Raleigh, N.C., for another day of protesting racism. But instead of signs and banners, the group showed up with a different means of spreading their message: paint.
NPR
D.C. Renames A Road and Paints ‘Black Lives Matter’ Road Banner Near the White House
Martin Austermuhle | June 5, 2020
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser has commissioned a huge road banner in bold yellow paint that says Black Lives Matter and stretches over two blocks near the White House.
Canyon News
D.C. Paints “Black Lives Matter” On the Street
Annie Wei | June 5, 2020
On Friday, June 5, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the section of 16th street in front of the White House is officially renamed as “Black Lives Matter Plaza.
NPR
‘Black Lives Matter Plaza,’ Across From White House, Is Christened By D.C. Leaders
Colin Dwyer | June 5, 2020
President Trump’s term in office opened with a banner hanging from a crane not too far from the White House windows, declaring “Resist.” Now, in the final year of that term, there’s another protest slogan planted outside — only this statement, with the official backing of local leaders, is likely to stay put.
105.9FM WMAL
Black Lives Matter D.C. Blasts City’s Mayor for Painting “Black Lives Matter” on 16th Street
Heather Curtis | June 5, 2020
Social media blew up with praise for D.C. after Department of Public Works employees with Murals D.C. painted the words “Black Lives Matter” on part of 16th Street Friday morning and renamed the street “Black Lives Matter Plaza,” but not everyone praised the city for it.
DCist
D.C. Suspends Its Mural Program, Dealing Another Blow to Local Artists
Mikaela LeFrak | May 11, 2020
The D.C. government has quietly cut the funding for its street mural program, marking another financial hit for local artists who rely on government grants for income.
WTOP News
‘Vibrant’ DC Murals Put On Hold By Pandemic
John Aaron | May 8, 2020
Yet another victim of the coronavirus pandemic is a program that brightens D.C. streets. The MuralsDC project creates, on average, six to 10 murals per year. But its 2020 program year has been suspended by the Department of Public Works because of COVID-19’s impact on the city’s operations and budget.
The DC Line
The DC Lineup for This Weekend: Community Care and Connection
Jennifer Anne Mitchell | March 20, 2020
Virtual opportunities to connect with local projects like the Cherry Blossom Watch and MuralsDC are other options for this weekend, March 20 to 22.
The Washington Post
Where to Find 8 Murals Off the Beaten Path in DC
Austin Graff | March 24, 2020
You are on Week Two of being cooped up and working at home in your D.C. apartment. Or is it Week Three? Who knows anymore. The coronavirus pandemic has closed down restaurants, public spaces and stores, and residents are being encouraged to isolate themselves as much as they can. The only escape some have from their home these days is a walk around the neighborhood.
ABC-TV
Work of DC Mural Artists Celebrated with Bus Tour
Jay Korff | December 26, 2019
Washington DC may be a place defined by rhetoric and rules. But in the last decade, thanks to a unique partnership, dozens of blank and blighted facades scattered throughout the city have been transformed into stunning canvases of culture and color. Watch Video Story Here.
WPGC 95.5
Buck Hill Mural Coming to DC as Part of MuralsDC Project
September 2019
As part of the MuralsDC program, new artwork will be added to Wards 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7. The new mural on 14th and U streets will include jazz musician Buck Hill, Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a news release. View More.
WJLA/NC8
MuralsDC Bus Tour
Jay Korff | October 14, 2019
Watch video story here.
The Telegraph
Art in the Heart of the USA: Washington DC’s Must-Visit Museums and Galleries
September 16, 2019
There’s more to the American capital than laws, libel suits and legislation. View More.
Linn’s Stamp News
Postman Honored with Largest Mural in Washington, DC
By Bill McAllister | September 9, 2019
Roger “Buck” Hill, who walked the streets of Washington, D.C., as a letter carrier for 40 years, recently received one of the largest honors ever given a postal employee in the nation’s capital. View More.
Postal Times
Mural Honors Beloved Carrier Musician
September 5, 2019
A new mural in Washington, DC, celebrates Roger “Buck” Hill, a retired letter carrier and renowned jazz saxophonist who died in 2017 at age 90. View More.
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson Artist Joe Pagac Just Painted a 9 Story-Tall Mural in DC
By Cathalena Burch | September 1, 2019
Tucson artist Joe Pagac spent the better part of the past two weeks suspended 100 feet in the air, painting a mural that could thrust him into a national spotlight. View More.
Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO
Cool Jazz, Mural And Remembrances Honor Saxophonist Letter-Carrier Buck Hill
August 27, 2019
For more than three decades, Roger Wendell “Buck” Hill walked DC’s streets delivering mail by day but at night he was “The Wailin’ Mailman,” a saxophonist who accompanied greats such as Miles Davis, Max Roach and Dizzy Gillespie. View More.
Washingtonian Magazine
Photo of the Day
By Evy Mages | August 22, 2019
WUSA 9
Six New Murals are On The Way to DC. Here’s Where You Can Find Them
By Evan Koslof | August 19, 2019
Across DC, there are hundreds of murals beautifying the present, and celebrating the past. Now six more are on the way, sponsored by the city. View More. Also, Watch the Companion Video Story Here.
DCist
DC is Getting Six More Murals in Five Different Wards
By Gaspard Le Dem | August 9, 2019
D.C. is about to get another big splash of paint. This week, the city is getting started on six new murals that will go up across five different wards, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced in a press release on Thursday. View More.
WJLA
‘It Just Makes Me Happy.’ DC Dept. of Public Works Grant Helping Beautify City with Murals
By Jay Korff | August 9, 2019
For the next week, Eric B. Ricks’s canvas will be a massive wall outside Maya Angelou Public Charter Schools in Northeast Washington. This aerosol can painting expert’s mural: an ode to the school’s namesake Maya Angelou. View More.
DC Express
By Holly Simmons | October 15, 2018
Red the interview with 2018 MuralsDC muralist Nessar Jahanbin Here.
Prince of Petworth
New Woodley Park Mural Turned Out Great
By Staff | October 9, 2018
Photos of a new Woodley Park mural can be viewed here.
FOX 5
Artists helping brighten and revitalize DC neighborhoods as part of MuralsDC project
By Fox 5 Staff | October 5, 2018
More and more murals are popping up around D.C. as part of an initiative that aims to turn spaces that are at risk or have been defaced with graffiti into beautiful works of art. View More
The Washington Post
‘I wanted to be big’: The legend of Cool ‘Disco’ Dan
By Reis Thebault | August 12, 2018
Everyone knew his name. For years, an underground icon who went by Cool “Disco” Dan scrawled his moniker in nearly every corner of the nation’s capital — Metro cars, back alleys, the roofs of buildings. His spray-painted tag was ubiquitous in the 1980s and ’90s, and his legend towered over a grittier Washington. View More.
WUSA 9
‘MuralsDC’ continues artistic expansion across city
By John Henry | August 15, 2018
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office recently announced that the first of eight new murals had been painted in the city. View More.
DCist
Where Eight New Murals Are Going Up in The District This Summer
By Rachel Sadon | August 14, 2018
MuralsDC has installed a new mural in Ward 4 and will put in place seven more around around the District over the next few weeks. View More.
PBS NewsHour
Murals breathe life into Washington D.C. Communities
PBS Newshour Student Reporting Lab | July 9, 2018
Twenty five youth reporters and video storytellers from 17 states gathered in Washington, D.C. this summer to sharpen their journalism, camera and editing skills at the annual Student Reporting Labs Academy. Paired with mentors, SRL fellows spread out across the DC-area to tell stories centered around the history and arts that make up Washington, D.C.
Read their stories Here.
Washington Post Magazine
By Nathanial Koch | April 5, 2018
Murals are everywhere in the District, and there’s a city project dedicated to making sure of that. MuralsDC began in 2007 as an anti-graffiti initiative of the D.C. Department of Public Works, and it has been focused on adding to the city’s mural collection ever since. View More.
NBC News
Ben’s Chili Bowl Serves Up A Giant Mural of African American Heroes
December 29, 2017
View video story here.
WUSA 9
Murals DC Projects Celebrates 10th Anniversary
By Delia Goncalves | November 2, 2017
D.C. is home to hundreds of murals that paint the landscape of our city. Sixty-five of them were actually commissioned by the Department of Public Works and the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities. View More.
Current Newspapers
D.C. funds 11 new murals this year to mark anti-graffiti program’s 10th anniversary
By Grace Bird | October 11, 2017
To mark the 10th anniversary of D.C.’s annual mural program — surely the Department of Public Works’ most colorful approach to abating instances of graffiti — officials doubled the project’s usual budget and commissioned 11 murals across six wards. View More.
Revive Podcast
Interview with MuralsDC Coordinator Nancee Lyons
Proof of Consciousness | September 13, 2017
MuralsDC interview begins at mark 1:30 (one hour, thirty minutes in). Listen Here.
Voice of America
Preserving Street Art in Washington, DC
By Phil Dierking | July 21, 2017
Washington, D.C. has a complex relationship with graffiti and street art. View More.
Greater Greater Washington
Public Art Isn’t Just A Way To Fill Space. It Can Turn Whole Communities Around
By Nicole Cacozza | July 19, 2017
Last month, Ben’s Chili Bowl unveiled a new mural. The display brought a crowd of people outside to reflect on the bright colors, cultural touchstones, and iconic images that represent DC, U Street, and the history of the local black community. View More.
Voice of America
MuralsDC – Preserving Street Art in Washington D.C.
July 14, 2017
View video clip here.
MidCity DC
By Staff | July 2017
You can read the short blurb about the unveiling when you click here and then browse to page 24.
Prince of Petworth
If You Haven’t Seen The New Ben’s Mural Yet
By Staff | July 5, 2017
See photos of the mural here.
The Griot
DC’s Ben’s Chili Bowl repaints famous mural without Bill Cosby
By Jacquelyn Martin | June 26, 2017
People were surprised to see that the famous mural on Ben’s Chili Bowl had been repainted and while there were still the glowing faces of the Obamas, Muhammad Ali, Prince and others such as Harriet Tubman, one face was missing. View More
CNN
Cosby’s Image Removed from Famous DC Mural
by Nami Dockery | June 27, 2017
Bill Cosby is no longer part of a mural on the side of a popular eatery in Washington. The images of Cosby and former president Obama were included in the original mural at Ben’s Chili Bowl. View More
CNN
DC Mural of Prominent Figures Painted—Without Bill Cosby
By Nancy Coleman | June 26, 2017
After over 50 years of loyalty, an iconic Washington, DC, restaurant honored patron Bill Cosby in 2012 by painting his face onto a mural outside the diner. View More
AFRO
Ben’s Chili Bowl Unveils New Mural
By Linda Vilakazi | June 22, 2017
Like the old mural, the new mural honors various heroes and influences of Black history. Ben’s Chili Bowl teamed up with artist and Washingtonian Aniekan Udofia, and accompanied by his Art Director Mia DuVall, unveiled the newest and — what is intended to be the last — mural on June 21. View More
93.9 WKYS
The New Ben’s Chili Bowl Mural Was Unveiled Yesterday
June 22, 2017
Ben’s Chili Bowl has officially unveiled their completed mural and they had a celebration with some of those highlighted. View More
People Magazine
See Towering Michelle and Barack Obama Alongside Prince and Harriet Tubman in Massive New D.C. Mural
By Lindsay Kimble | June 22, 2017
Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are among the prominent black figures, politicians and celebrities covering the outside walls of famed D.C. restaurant Ben’s Chili Bowl in a new mural unveiled Wednesday. View More
Huffington Post
Bill Cosby’s Face On Famous D.C. Mural Replaced With 15 Black Stars
By Lilly Workneh | June 21, 2017
The mural, by artist Aniekan Udofia, now includes First Lady Michelle Obama, Muhammad Ali, abolitionist Harriet Tubman and singers like Chuck Brown, Gladys Knight, and Prince as well as contemporary artists like actress Taraji Henson, comedian Dave Chappelle and rapper Wale. View More
The Washington Times
Ben’s Chili Bowl unveils new mural
By Emma Ayers | June 21, 2017
The D.C. Department of Public Works and the Commission on the Arts and the Humanities worked with Ben’s Chili Bowl on the mural project. View More
DCist
Photos: Meet The Legends Of The New, Cosby-Less Ben’s Chili Bowl Mural
By Christina Studivant | June 21,2017
The sketch we saw along the side of Ben’s Chili Bowl earlier this month is now colored with the various shades of African Americans who’ve made their marks in the District and beyond. View More
TMOTTGoGo Magazine
The New Ben’s Chili Bowl Mural for the Summer of 2017
June 21, 2017
The newly re-designed mural is now in affect. Again from the creative works of Aniekan Udofia, this time the mural displays Former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, Prince, Harriet Tubman, Muhammad Ali, Chuck Brown, Roberta Flack, Donnie Simpson, Russ Parr, Taraji P Henson, Wale, Marion Barry, Jim Vance, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Dave Chappelle and Dick Gregory. View More
MSN
Ben’s Chili Bowl mural gets some new faces
June 21, 2017
The new mural, named “The Torch” was crafted by Aniekan Udofia, artist of the original mural. View More
WUSA
Ben’s Chili Bowl reveals new mural
By Nick Leimback and Katelyn Haas |June 21,2017
Ben’s Chili Bowl revealed its new mural this Wednesday. Over 30,000 people voted for who and what they wanted to see on the wall and they came out to see its unveiling! View More
Washingtonian
PHOTOS: The New Ben’s Chili Bowl Mural
By Rosa Cartagena | June 21, 2017
After whiting out its old mural back in January, Ben’s Chili Bowl will officially unveil its new mural Wednesday. The old one featured Donnie Simpson, Barack Obama, Chuck Brown, and Bill Cosby. Three of those men returned on the new mural. Cosby, a longtime friend of Ben’s, didn’t. View More
WAMU
Who’s On Ben’s Wall? A New Mural Brings VIPs To U Street’s Chili Bowl To Find Out
By Mikaela Lefrak | June 21, 2017
One of DC’s most high-profile murals has gotten a face lift — and multiple new faces. The owners of Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street unveiled a new version of the landmark restaurant’s famous mural Wednesday. The redone painting celebrates DC history and black culture while removing one particularly controversial face. View More
The Washington Post
Ben’s Chili Bowl says goodbye to Bill Cosby and welcomes Prince, Wale, Muhammad Ali to its mural
By Perry Stein | June 21, 2017
Bill Cosby is no longer featured on the Ben’s Chili Bowl mural, but more than a dozen black luminaries and cultural figures have a spot on the massive public painting. View More
NBC4
Interactive: New Ben’s Chili Bowl Mural Features DC Legends
By Kyle Rempfer and Andrea Swalec | June 21, 2017
The D.C. institution Ben’s Chili Bowl unveiled a new mural on Wednesday, showcasing 15 African-American legends of music, politics and media. View More
WTOP
Ben’s Chili Bowl unveils much-anticipated new mural
By Kate Ryan | June 21, 2017
A mural on a D.C. landmark seemed to come to life Wednesday afternoon as a number of the luminaries on the wall of Ben’s Chili Bowl appeared in person to celebrate the artwork’s completion and the 10th anniversary of the District’s MuralsDC program. View More
Los Angeles Times
Famed D.C. mural replaces Bill Cosby with Dave Chappelle, Taraji P. Henson and Obamas
By Nardine Saad | June 21, 2017
A high-profile mural in Washington, D.C., has been updated to replace comedian Bill Cosby’s visage with those of Barack and Michelle Obama as well as actress and D.C. native Taraji P. Henson, athlete Muhammad Ali, comedian Dave Chappelle and several others. View More
Washington City Paper
Ahead of Tomorrow’s Unveiling, A Sneak Peek of the New Ben’s Chili Bowl Mural
By John Muller | June 20, 2017
Everyone looked crisp and clean with the exception of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, whom a Department of Public Works employee agreed was in need of a little touch up. View More
WUSA 9
DC graffiti replaced with mural art
By Ellen Bryan | October 03, 2016
WASHINGTON (WUSA9) — When you drive through D.C.’s most crime ridden areas, you’ll easily find graffiti on old buildings or down abandoned alleys.
The Department of Public Work has been working to replace tagged buildings with original works of art. It’s part of a program called MuralsDC.
Last week, artists worked on walls on 14th Street NW and T Street NW. Kate Deciccio and Rose Jaffe spent the last ten days working on a wall on the back of the Xi Omega House at 4411 14th Street NW. View More
ABC News
‘Graffiti Apprentices’ in Washington DC Help Create Street Murals to Combat Illegal Tagging
By Janet Weinstein | August 5, 2016
Ann Gill was in 10th grade when she noticed a flyer in her school office advertising for something called a “graffiti apprenticeship” — a program where aspiring young artists could be paid up to $15 an hour to learn street art. Gill says she had always been interested in art, but because she attended an all-academic high school in Washington, D.C., she struggled to find an outlet. “It said you get a job and you get paid and I was looking for money at the time!” she laughed. “So, I had to do it.” View More
Washington Post
Washington is Fighting Graffiti Artists — But It Loves the Graffiti Aesthetic
By Jessica Contrera | March 22, 2016
The music is blaring, the air smells like paint fumes, the bricks are splashed in red and now here comes a cop. The heads in the alley turn. “We’ve got a guest,” somebody quips, but nobody runs. Seven artists are hanging out in a U Street alley, where a vacant building is covered in elaborate graffiti. A guy in a fedora who goes by Viceversa is perched on a ladder, filling in his name on a wall already painted with the words MIZTA, GONG and R.I.P. DABS. Cory Stowers, president of the graffiti crew Double Down Kings, walks up to the officer. View More
Washington City Paper
New D.C. Council Bills Aim to Prevent Graffiti, Violations of Students’ Privacy
By Andrew Giambrone | January 19, 2016
Beware, D.C. graffiti artists: Legislation being considered by the D.C. Council could increase the penalty for illegal spray painting to at least $2,500, up from just a few hundred dollars. Co-introduced this morning by Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd and Ward 8 Councilmember LaRuby May, the “Anti-Graffiti Amendment Act of 2016” would fine those who willfully place graffiti on property without an owner’s permission “not less than $2,500” and possibly lead to imprisonment “for a period not to exceed 180 days, or both.” View More
Washington Post
Program Unveils City’s Tallest Mural
November 18, 2015
MuralsDC, a graffiti prevention program that replaces tagged walls with original artwork, recently unveiled the city’s tallest mural, on the southwest side of the Paul Laurence Dunbar apartment building, 2001 15th St. NW. View More
Washington Informer
D.C. Unveils Newest Mural in Northwest
By WI Web Staff | November 10, 2015
City Administrator Rashad Young and the D.C. Department of Public Works’ MuralsDC project unveiled Monday afternoon “Connectivity DC,” the District’s newest mural, in Northwest.View More
Washington Post
A Man Afraid of Heights is Painting the Tallest Mural in D.C.
By Candice Norwood | November 8, 2015
Aniekan Udofia flashed a quick smile and a peace sign as a cherry picker hoisted him 80 feet above 15th Street NW recently — higher than he has ever gone to create one of his distinctive murals. “I just don’t really focus on the height because this is what I signed up for. The work has to get done.” View More
Borderstan
Happy People Star in New U Street Mural
By Andrew Ramonas | October 27, 2015
A mural with two people who appear to be laughing is taking shape on an exterior wall of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Apartments at 15th and U streets NW. View More
WJLA
D.C. Elementary School Fights Back Against Graffiti
By Mike Carter-Conneen/WJLA | September 17, 2015
A D.C. elementary school repeatedly tagged with graffiti is fighting back against vandals with art. The project – part of the MuralsDC program – is funded by the Department of Public Works. View More
Washington City Paper
BroCoLoco: A Team of Brothers Designs Murals Shaped by Community Input
By Olivia Adams | August 10, 2015
Since 2007, the District government has enlisted the help of artists both local and international to beautify the city’s graffitied walls through its MuralsDC initiative. This year’s project targets six walls around the city with help from selected artists including newbies Aaron and Jared Scales of BroCoLoco, a D.C. art collective focused on murals and public art with architectural roots. View More
DCist
Our Favorite Street Art And Murals In The D.C. Area
By Matt Cohen | April 16, 2015
D.C. doesn’t have a Banksy (though we did have Borf for a while, and oh do we miss them), but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any shortage of phenomenal street art and murals in the area. View More
Washington Post
District Seeks Walls and Artists for Street Murals D.C. News in Brief
April 1, 2015
The D.C. Department of Public Works and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities are seeking donated wall space for MuralsDC, a free program that uses art to discourage graffiti. The program has produced more than 50 murals citywide since 2007. View More
DCist
Map: Here’s Where New Murals Are Going Up in D.C.
By Rachel Kaufman | July 29, 2015
D.C.’s MuralsDC project, in its eighth year, has announced where six new murals are going this summer. The six murals, in Wards 1, 2, 4, and 6, will join 54 others in all eight Wards of the city. They’re scheduled to be completed throughout September. View More
Hill Now
D.C. Seeking Space for New Street Art
By Andrea Swalec | March 23, 2015
The District wants to turn more graffiti-covered walls into public murals.
Business and property owners who want to donate walls are being sought by Mayor Muriel Bowser, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the D.C. Department of Public Works. View More
Curbed
Mapping 10 Street Murals in Southeast and Southwest, D.C.
By Michelle Goldchain | January 15, 2015
We’ve mapped murals in both the Northeast and Northwest quadrants of Washington, D.C., and now it’s finally time to look at what art the Southeast and Southwest quadrants have to offer. View More
Voice of America
Graffiti Artists Getting Praised, Not Punished
By Julie Taboh | October 3, 2014
VOA’s Julie Taboh introduces “On Assignment” to a group of graffiti artists the city of Washington is putting to work to beautify public spaces. View More
Voice of America
Mural Artists Help Beautify Washington, DC
By Julie Taboh | September 12, 2014
WASHINGTON—Graffiti is a crime that afflicts most major U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C.
Building walls, especially in low-income neighborhoods, are often defaced by this typically illegal form of artistic expression.
But officials in the nation’s capital have come up with an innovative way to overcome their graffiti problem. MuralsDC enlists the talents of these local artists to help beautify, rather than deface the city. View More
Washington City Paper
Poolhouse Blues: Aniekan Udofia’s New Mural in Eastern Market
By Christina Cauterucci | August 1, 2014
One of D.C.’s best-known muralists, Aniekan Udofia, is taking his work in a new, conceptual direction. His past pieces have kept to a literal scope: the pro-statehood U Street NW mural of a gagged George Washington; the portraits of Chuck Brown, Bill Cosby, Donnie Simpson, and Barack Obama on the side of Ben’s Chili Bowl; an image of Duke Ellington engulfed in swirling piano keys on his namesake building in West End.
“This is more like the next level,” he says of his latest work, a cool-toned, free-flowing image of an underwater woman on the north-facing wall of the William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center in Eastern Market. “My stuff now is more abstract.” View More
WAMU 88.5
Ward 7: Battle Over Mural Exposes Fault Lines Among Community Leaders
By Lauren Ober | March 28, 2014
Pennsylvania Avenue east of the Anacostia River is a drag strip of gas stations, liquor stores, discount shops, and funeral homes. Then there’s Thai Orchid’s restaurant.
It’s easy to miss the low-slung brick building that houses Vernon Bhagirat’s restaurant. But some Ward 7 residents like Maceo Thomas want to change that.
He helped spearhead a project to brighten up the Pennsylvania Avenue business corridor with a little public art. Two years ago, Thomas and another Ward 7 neighbor, Veronica Davis, submitted an application to the city’s MuralsDC initiative to put a mural on the west side of Thai Orchid’s. View More
Washington City Paper
The Brush Off: D.C.’s New Murals
By Ally Schweitzer | August 22, 2013
Mural art doesn’t seem like the kind of discipline that should be broken into seasons, like fashion or the performing arts—not least because so many murals, with their all-together-now imagery and perennial visibility, seem lodged in a permanent Sesame Street-like past. But the District’s MuralsDC program is calling its new slate of wall art a “season,” and it formally kicked it off last week with the unveiling of a new piece in Shaw. View More
Washington Times
DC Murals Serving as an Artful Alternative to Graffiti on Walls
By Meredith Somers | April 25, 2013
The District sets aside about $406,000 annually to remove graffiti, but officials have dedicated a separate budget of $100,000 to a 5-year-old project encouraging constructive creations in areas often targeted by taggers. View More
WJLA
D.C. murals create artful alternative to illegal graffiti
By Jenny Doren | August 16, 2013
WASHINGTON (WJLA) – D.C. leaders are fighting illegal graffiti with some art of their own. They’re putting up massive murals in spots repeatedly targeted by vandals in hopes of inspiring creativity and deterring crime.View More
Washington Times
Creating a wall of art: D.C. artist starts his masterpiece with hope of deterring graffiti
By Meredith Somers | August 12, 2013
A bare brick wall alongside a store in Shaw drew little attention from passers-by Monday, but by the end of the week a larger-than-life woman wielding a pencil-shaped gun amid swirling colors will be watching over the Northwest neighborhood.View More
Greater Greater Washington
“Geocaching” uncovers murals about DC culture and history
Abigail Zenner | July 29, 2013
Hidden treasures lie all over Greater Washington. For those in the know, these finds can create a new map of local culture and history, street art, and changing neighborhoods in a game called “geocaching. Similar to orienteering, geocaching is a massive, worldwide GPS-based treasure hunt. Using a GPS device or a smartphone app, the “cacher” tries to find hidden objects, called “geocaches” or “caches” for short, hidden by other cachers. They can be big or tiny, a large tupperware or just a tiny magnet with a paper log inside. Once found, the cacher logs their finds online.View More
East of the River News
Neighbors to Raise Funds for Mural
Charnice A. Milton | 2012
Located on Pennsylvania Avenue in the Fairlawn area, Thai Orchid’s Kitchen has become a neighborhood favorite since opening in 2010. “Since January, we’ve been meeting there for monthly community dinners,” said Maceo Thomas, a Ward 7 resident. “You can pay one price for an all-you-can-eat experience.” Last month Thomas began a campaign to raise funds to bring a mural to Thai Orchid’s wall, the culmination of a process that began a year ago.View More
