FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 5, 2023
CONTACT:
JR Russ (CAH) – [email protected]
Raymone Bain (The Barry Legacy Foundation) – [email protected]
Marion Barry Jr Legacy Public Art Project Artist Team Announced
(WASHINGTON, DC) –– The DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities (CAH), The Marion Barry Jr. Legacy Foundation (Barry Foundation), and The Department of General Services (DGS) have selected Nabeeh “Nabi” Bilal and his team members Candice Taylor, Joseph Orzal, Kaliq Crosby, and Keyonna Jones as the artist team for The Marion Barry, Jr. Legacy Public Art Project. The public artwork will be installed in the lobby of the Mayor Marion S. Barry, Jr. Building (Barry Building) at 441 4th Street, NW, Washington, DC.
“Through a thorough and very comprehensive process, I believe that we have chosen the best team to capture the essence of who Mayor Marion Barry was, and the historic accomplishments and contributions he made to this city, through art, interactive learning technology, and display objects, all of which will be easily accessible and available for all ages," said Reggie Van Lee, Chairperson of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
In partnership with CAH and DGS, and in collaboration with the Barry Foundation, the artist team will create a permanent work of public art to capture the salient moments in the life of the late Mayor Marion Barry, Jr. and convey the story of his contributions to the transformation of the District of Columbia.
"The Lobby Mural being created for the Marion Barry, Jr. Building will capture the very essence and contributions made by Marion Barry, to the District and its residents, in his more than 40 years in office” says Mike Rogers. “He would be especially proud that the Mural is being developed by a group of local artists from his beloved Ward 8! The Barry Mural is sure to be a special attraction to residents and visitors alike; and, will assist in telling the story of our history over the last 50 years."
“Marion Barry Jr. is an iconic figure in the history of Washington, DC and the nation,” said Keith A. Anderson, Director of the DC Department of General Services “His work continues to positively impact the lives of District residents. DGS is proud and honored to work on the Marion Barry Jr. Legacy Public Art Project with our partners at the Commission on Arts and Humanities to ensure his contributions are remembered for generations.”
CAH sought artists, design professionals, and teams comprised of practicing professional artists with demonstrated design, fabrication, and installation experience with large-scale interior mural, multi-media project development and display systems. Finalists were initially selected through a Request for Qualifications process, and then presented written proposals and mockups of their designs for review and evaluation by a review panel. The panel then selected Nabeeh Bilal as the lead artist along with team members Candice Taylor, who runs CreativeJunkfood, a multimedia creative studio based in Washington DC that specializes in animation and video, public art, and installations, and branding and creative direction with Bilal, Joseph Orzal; artist, curator, and owner of NoMüNoMü arts collaborative in Baltimore, Kaliq Crosby; local graffiti and muralist, and Keyonna Jones; muralist and Director of Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center.
“Marion Barry is a larger-than-life figure, and we are honored to be the artist team selected to pay tribute to his legacy through the Marion Barry Legacy Project,” said artists Bilal, Taylor, Orzal, Crosby, and Jones. “As DC natives, we grew up with him as our Mayor and recognize that DC would not be the thriving metropolis that it is today without the people he worked with, the programs he established, and places he helped build. We look forward to working with The Marion Barry Legacy Foundation and CAH to honor our Mayor For Life.”
The public art project will be installed in the lobby of the Barry Building and will consist of a large-scale interior triptych legacy mural, interactive kiosks and/or exhibits linked to the mural to provide a dynamic interactive learning experience, display cases and/or objects, and placement of the 8 ft. plaster mold of the bronze Mayor Marion Barry, Jr. statue installed at the John Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
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CAH is an independent agency in the District of Columbia government that evaluates and initiates action on matters relating to the arts and humanities and encourages programs and the development of programs that promote progress in the arts and humanities. As the designated state arts agency for the District of Columbia, CAH is supported primarily through District government funds and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Barry Foundation serves to protect, preserve, and promote the legacy and contributions of Marion Barry, Jr.
DGS is a DC government agency comprised of more than 700 skilled employees with expertise in the areas of construction, building management and maintenance, portfolio management, sustainability, and security at District-owned properties.