The “United We Stand” mural is one of the several interesting new pieces in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District. This is less controversial and way more inclusive than the Kings Club barber shop’s Lee Harvey Oswald mural.
United We Stand Mural at the Kings Club barber shop in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District.
I am not sure whether murals in Dallas are as temporary as they are in Washington, DC, but hopefully this one sticks around.🌈
Like many other cities, Instagram-ready murals have proliferated around Dallas. This “ride it like you stole it” mural is in the Design District, specifically in an open lot called the “Design District Playground” that has several other rotating murals and exhibits.
I think this mural is awesome, but I am not sure about the sketchy tin man water tower in the background. 🥫
I love the murals in Deep Ellum. Here’s Gunter the Chiweenie with one of the several murals featuring kids. He’s also in an unusually good mood in this picture — maybe the kids are having a positive effect. 🎈
I love the art work popping up in the Dallas’ Victory Park and Harwood District neighborhoods.
This 8-foot tall sculpture of a hand giving the peace sign is one of my favorite pieces. The piece is called “Heavy Handed” and is by LA-based artist Nathan Mabry.
Apparently, another name of this gesture is the “victory hand,” which is probably why it makes sense for its placement in Victory Park right in front of a sports arena. ✌️
One new addition to Dallas’ Oak Lawn neighborhood is this beautiful mural featuring LGBT rights activists Martha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera on the side of Cedar Springs Tattoo.
The quote on the Martha P. Johnson side of the mural says, “Pay it no mind,” which is what the “P.” in her name stood for (and also the name of her documentary).
There’s a barbershop in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District with a Lee Harvey Oswald mural. It’s an unexpected shock tactic, but it definitely an attention grabber.
Bishop Arts changed a lot since my last visit three years ago — there are many new boutiques, bars and restaurants, plus numerous One-Plus-Five apartment buildings.
One surprise is the lack of major chains like Starbucks, but I suspect those are coming soon.
The Lee Harvey Oswald mural in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District.
I spotted another mural by Lisa Marie while walking in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington D.C.
One of the special (but slightly sad) things about street art is its ephemeral nature.
This mural is in the H Street neighborhood of Washington, DC, on the side of a townhouse. The construction next door looks like it will seriously obstruct the mural, if not completely close off the space between the buildings. I guess she’ll spend the next few decades staring at a brick wall, creating a really cool, if obscure, miniature art alley.
One of the new Union Market apartment buildings has this beautiful mural of a woman. It’s clearly designed for Instagram photos, but at least it’s a little more creative than yet another pair of wings.
No clue what happened to the green bike racks. 🚲
There’s a new Black Lives Matter mural along my dog walk route. This mural is in an alley near the corner of Mt. Olivet and Holbrook Street NE.
One of Washington D.C.’s newest monuments is “Black Lives Matter Plaza,” a portion of 16th Street Northwest closest to the White House.
A new mural of sorts recently materialized in NoMa.
New artwork is sprouting across the District lately, including here in Ivy City.
I did some outdoor exploring around Northeast D.C. this weekend and came across this interesting mural by Baltimore-based illustrator Jasjyot Singh Hans.
The murals are along of the Metropolitan Branch Trail in NoMa — a biking and walking trail along the train tracks between NoMa and Catholic University.
Apparently this mural was added last year as part of the Pow! Wow! DC mural festival, which is responsible for many of the noteworthy murals in the area.
My apartment building has a shuttle to the NoMA Metro Station during the weekdays, which means that I pass the “Rain” art installation almost every day. Rain is a series of changing lights that illuminate the underside of the M Street NE underpass near Red Bear Brewing.
In addition to taking selfies in front of the monuments, one of the most photographed spots in Washington D.C., is Blagden Alley — a collection of intersecting alleyways that are covered in murals. Blagden Alley has a La Colombe coffee roasters, several bars, restaurants and art galleries, among other things.
The mural that I’m in front of is called “LOVE” by Lisa Marie Thalhammer — it’s the word “love” written in rainbow colors across four different garage doors. Apparently she has several other pieces around the city, which I’ll have to track down one of these days.
We explored Southwest Washington D.C. for the first time this weekend and came across this funky multicolored church.
The former Baptist church is now Blind Whino, a nonprofit art gallery and performance venue. It was free to look around, and there were several cool art installations.
One of the most surreal parts of my move to Washington D.C. a few months ago was listening to an audiobook of John Grisham’s Gray Mountain while driving through the Appalachians, where the story takes place.
It felt strange to inhabit the same space as fictional characters – particularly because I was traveling through an unfamiliar place in the middle of the night.
These rusty sculptures are one of the strangest examples of public art that I have encountered recently.
Ingrid in a piece of sculpture art.
The sculptures are in a park near my apartment and the dogs seem to like them. The huge pieces change shape depending on your vantage point and often look like oversized rolls of pennies.
As the temperature climbs, our morning Katy Trail walks have become increasingly early.
The earlier mornings mean that I now have time to read and breakfast on the balcony before starting my work day. (Rather than starting emails before I have even showered.)
This morning’s book is The Shape of Design by Frank Chimero.
The Shape of Design by Frank Chimero.