Street artists from across the United States came together yesterday to share an important message with District residents, “vote.”
Organized by Murals for Humanity with support from the Uptown Main Street, the artists painted a set of murals on building surrounding the intersection of 14th and Crittenden Streets in upper Northwest DC, which is also home the the 14th Street Graffiti Museum.
Anchoring the project is a large mural of the word “vote.” Each letter is the work of a different artists. The “V,” formed by a collage of protestors, is the creation of New York-based Lady Pink, whose work has been seen on the subway trains of New York City to a current exhibition at at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Another iconic New York-based artist, Ron English designed the Statue of Liberty-inspired “O.” and DC’-based Eddie Harris made a portrait of the late civil rights activist and longtime DC mayor Marion Barry the focus of his letter “T.”
Completing the mural is St. Louis-based Pete “Eyez” Wollaeger’s letter “E,” which contains an abstract American flag and portrait of Uncle Sam.
LA-based artist Jules Muck also contributed her talent to the project, painting a stand-only mural depicting President Abraham Lincoln with rainbow-colors and the words “vote” streaming from his eyes.
When asked why he was part of the project, Harris told WDVM that “If that word doesn’t get out, if we don’t keep pushing and pressing, someone might get left out. Someone who needed to see it might not see it.” Harris currently has a pop-up gallery just steps from the mural at 4710 14th Street, NW.
Donations to support Uptown Main Street’s community efforts can be made online at www.uptownmainstreet.org.
Murals for Humanity is partnering with the Anacostia BID and MuralsDC to paint a second set of murals in Southeast DC at 2400 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. .
