It’s not every day that a busy sidewalk on Connecticut Avenue becomes an artist’s concrete canvas, but the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) is doing just that with its “Explore Our Neighborhood in Chalk” project, Monday, Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (If it rains, the project will be moved back each day Aug. 6-8 until the weather permits.)
The chalk mural will be drawn by Whitney Waller who will transform the Connecticut Avenue Overlook into sidewalk scenery for commuters, office workers and tourists to enjoy. The Connecticut Avenue Overlook is located at the top of the Golden Triangle in the semi-circle above the underpass, near Dupont South Metro Station.
Whitney Waller, of Virginia Beach, is currently a Bachelor of Fine Arts student at the Corcoran College of Art + Design. She teaches for the Corcoran’s Aspiring Artists and Camp Creativity programs. She is also one of the Corcoran’s Summer Saturdays chalk artists, as she recreates gallery pieces on the front steps. She has previously studied at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts.
Waller will use chalk to recreate iconic destinations that are located within the 43 blocks of the Golden Triangle neighborhood, including the National Geographic Museum, St. Matthew’s Cathedral, the Heurich House Museum and the Tiny Jewel Box, located in a historic building on Connecticut Avenue.
While the chalk art project is temporary, the Golden Triangle BID has other permanent public art displays that have made the central business district one of the city’s most vibrant commercial areas. Last year, the BID unveiled the second phase of the Connecticut Avenue median, complete with colorful plants and a display of lights, pattern and movement programs that change the avenue into a magical scene at night.
“This chalk art project is part of the Golden Triangle’s ongoing effort to create interest and add texture and excitement to Connecticut Avenue,” said Leona Agouridis, executive director of the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District. “We’re using this chalk art project to showcase our treasured buildings, special events and numerous services. Our public art program is another way we’re promoting vitality in this neighborhood.”
