DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Public Art Building Communities Grant Support Petition FY25

Thank You For Your Support!

The Mount Vernon Triangle CID is in the process of applying for a grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities for a tile mural art installation. The project is proposed for installation on the the concrete fence base of the K Street NW bridge over I-395 located at the 200 Block of K Street NW in Washington, DC.
We need the community’s support for our grant application that – if approved – would be installed by September 30, 2026.
Project Background and Concept
This photo was taken by Matailong Du in support of the 2024 “Mount Vernon Triangle: Community in Detail” MVT Photo Walk exhibit.
Background: Throughout history, bridges have served as a physical and figurative embodiment of connectivity. Built in 1971, the K Street NW bridge over I-395 links Mount Vernon Triangle’s eastern-most boundary with the Northwest One neighborhood (that includes the former Sursum Corda cooperative) and NoMa neighborhoods. Beyond the bridge’s geographic function to unite communities, it also serves as a visual reminder of the residual impacts that urban renewal policies left on local communities.

Urban renewal—a series of federal housing and transportation legislation beginning in the 1950s—led to immense urban redevelopment, including the extensive construction of urban highways. Accordingly, the District of Columbia endured the destruction of dense neighborhoods and the consequent displacement of thousands of residents. The construction of I-395 alone displaced 4,700 residents—63 percent of whom were Black—erasing $483,000 in average home equity adjusted by inflation in 2025. Since its construction, residents have experienced disproportionate exposure to air pollution, noise pollution, and traffic-related injuries. Before the division caused by I-395, the site of the K Street NW bridge over I-395 was formerly an integrated residential block (tract 004703). Currently, the largely empty plot of land remains an underserved blight to the community.

A significant goal of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District (MVT CID) is to integrate our neighborhood with adjacent communities. The past two decades of exponential growth in the area are reminiscent of a forward-facing community, and we believe that public art is a perfect vehicle for starting a conversation regarding the impacts of this infrastructure on the land use patterns that define today’s Mount Vernon Triangle footprint. MVT CID is seeking funding support through a “Public Art Building Communities” grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to compensate the skilled creatives and trades – i.e., art, fabrication, and installation professionals – needed to execute this project.

Project Concept: The K Street Overpass project will manifest the connectivity, vibrancy, and welcoming nature of the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood and will draw influences from the Audre Lord poem “Bridge Through My Window”, while also reflecting on the impacts of Urban Renewal Policies that led to the construction of the K Street NW I-395 Bridge in 1971. MVT CID plans to work with renowned local artist Kelly Towles to create a continuous tile mural in the style similar to the works featured on his website. Alongside these focal points, the bridge will be filled in with decorative tiles designed by Kelly and include special tiles created by community members that express their “symbols of hope”. This project represents a unique opportunity to enhance the K Street NW bridge and create a powerful symbol of community connection in Mount Vernon Triangle.
1.Are you a resident or business owner in the MVT CID?