The lives of Benjamin Banneker and Phillis Wheatley (Peters), two understated contributors to the foundations of our Nation’s Capital, are the inspiration for "Capital Stars." Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) was a self-taught mathematician,…

Inspired by how DC's music history serves as a solid foundation for today's arts and entertainment culture, "Soundwaves of Shirley Horn" honors a musical legacy local from this neighborhood. Famous jazz musician Shirley Horn (1934-2005) was a…

The creation of go-go music has been traced back to one night in The Maverick Room when Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers decided to continue playing percussion between songs so that the crowd never stopped dancing. Through the Color the Curb grant…

Located on the side of what was once “Frank Holiday’s Pool Room” (where Duke Ellington was known to frequent in the early 1900’s), this wall features from left to right: the “Queen of Gospel” Mahalia Jackson, Composer/Musician Duke Ellington,…

The Howard Theatre Walk of Fame celebrates the District of Columbia's rich musical history and is an homage to the iconic artists that played the legendary venue. (From The Historical Marker Database).The Walk of Fame features Cab Calloway, Mamie…

This sculpture is an embodiment of history, but with a contemporary twist. Encore is a 20 foot tall stainless steel sculpture of Duke Ellington sitting upon a three dimensional treble clef, and piano keys that shift in scale as they spiral upward…

In 1975, a small group of artists established the Spanish-American Community Arts (SACA) Project as part of the umbrella organization Fondo Del Sol. By 1976, the SACA Project renamed their group El Centro De Arte Inc. (commonly referred to as El…

The Old Corcoran Art Gallery, now the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, began construction in 1859 from designs of James Renwick and Robert Auchmutz. It was one of the first buildings in the United States erected exclusively as a…