Emancipation Hall, US Capitol, Washington, D.C.

10′ x 3′ x 3′

Bronze

2007

This bronze sculpture of Frederick Douglass to commemorate the abolitionist, politician and publisher, who is seen here portrayed as an orator in the middle of giving a speech. Crumpled in his hand is the self-published North Star, the influential Black antislavery newspaper that Douglass founded, printed, and distributed himself. Gripping the lectern, lips pursed, about to say what needed to be said for hundreds of years, Douglass is shown moving forward, staring intently out as he is about to address the crowd. In this dynamic moment, we see a passionate, confident and determined Frederick Douglass stepping forward, forever leading the nation with his impassioned orations and profound writings.

Additional symbols can be found within the figure, including the chain on his vest, leading to the watch in his breast pocket, which speaks to time passing and issues for which he fought in this country that are still not eradicated now. The chain is oversized for a typical watch, representing the chains of bondage and Douglass’s early life as a child born into slavery. On the podium stands an ink pot and quill, representative of his prodigious and influential writings.

The sculpture was commissioned by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities. It took a constitutional amendment, passed by both houses of Congress, and Presidential Signature, to allow the District of Columbia to place the statue of Frederick Douglass in the US Capitol. The dedication ceremony was officiated by then Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner. Also in attendance were Senators Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton.

Watch the creation of the Frederick Douglass Statue

Wilson Building, Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C.

8′ x 3′ x 3′

Bronze

2018

This heroic-sized bronze sculpture commemorates the life and work of Washington, D.C.’s beloved “Mayor for Life,” Marion S. Barry, Jr. The intention was to portray the mayor walking among and waving to his constituents, as he always had, highlighting his dedication to his community and Washington, D.C. After learning more about his life, legacy, and presence in D.C., his unique story and exceptional personality are expressed in this statue. Friendly, determined, and a skilled politician, he is portrayed as most remembered him, in his favorite suit and crocodile skin shoes. A quote from Barry’s autobiography is engraved in the plinth, explaining his efforts while holding D.C.’s most powerful office.

Commissioned by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, the statue is currently on permanent display outside of the John A. Wilson building on Pennsylvania Avenue. This is one of only three full-body, bronze statues of African Americans erected in the District of Columbia. Barry is also the first local-elected official to be honored with a statue.

Oklahoma City, OK.

Concrete Bridge Deck Reliefs

2017

On the bridge deck, CDR designed a respite area/pedestrian facility for commuters traveling to and from Oklahoma University. The design pays homage to the university’s start as an agricultural college. A furrowed row design is scored into the concrete sidewalk, representing Oklahoma’s planted fields. Two different tall grass bas relief patterns are cast into the seating walls, which references both the indigenous vegetation but also the state’s Dust Bowl years, when they learned that the native grass was essential to enriching and rooting the soil. Facing Lindsey Street framed by two small, faux brick and quoin columns will be cast text reading, “City of Norman.”

A custom railing was designed for the bridge the design of which mirrors the arched lintels found throughout the University. Centered on the parapet and bracketed by two cast concrete columns with brick and quoin design is a concrete bas-relief image of the Seed Sower, David Ross Boyd, the first president of the university and a symbol of the University’s dedication to education and growth.

Gaithersburg, MD.

Concrete Streetscape, Engraved Pavers, Landscaping.

2019

CDR’s aesthetic design for this pedestrian park uses Crown Plaza’s theme of “innovation” to pay homage to those in pursuit of discovery and originality. This respite area centers around quotations by innovators, artists, musicians and authors engraved into pavers within a larger central ring, bordered and intersected by three smaller rings in the Crown Plaza Park hardscape. Colorful concrete treatments, curvilinear benches, circular planter walls, and landscaping all contribute to this educational and restful pocket park in the center of the redeveloped Crown neighborhood in Gaithersburg, MD.

National Harbor, MD.

24′ x 70′

FŌTERA® Concrete Terrazzo, Engraved Granite Benches.

2008

This 1,618 square foot FŌTERA® concrete terrazzo map of the headwaters of the Potomac River is integrated into the central plaza of downtown National Harbor, a $4B development overlooking the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. Local cities, including icons and key monuments famous to each, are identified in this outdoor, public art, environment. Hidden imagery of regional wildlife and portraits of important local figures are veiled throughout the installation, creating a sense of discovery for viewers that evokes the exploratory spirit of John Smith’s surveying of the region in 1608. The names of these icons are inscribed on the faces of granite benches that line the length of the balcony, which creates a game to engage people to discover, learn, and enjoy.

Spiro, OK.

10’ Diameter

FŌTERA® Concrete Terrazzo

2010

A 6′ diameter signage icon was created out of FŌTERA® concrete terrazzo, inspired by an original ink-wash painting of the “Raccoon Warrior” by Donald R. Johnson for the Spiro Mounds Archeological Center, the only prehistoric American Indian archeological site in Oklahoma open to the public. One of the most important American Indian sites in the nation, the Spiro Mounds are world renowned because of the incredible amount of art and artifacts dug from the Craig Mound, the site’s only burial mound. Home to rich cultural resources, the Spiro Mounds were created and used by the Caddoan speaking American Indians between 850 and 1450 AD.

Washington, D.C.

6′ x 32′

FŌTERA® Concrete Terrazzo

2007

Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL.

13.5’ x 13. 5’ each

FŌTERA® Concrete Terrazzo

2005

Monumental portraits of Hippocrates of Cos, John Gorrie and Elizabeth Blackwell provide a powerful presence at a great distance but are also appreciated at close range, since the images are created from thousands of small pieces of stone and recycled glass aggregate. From a distance, viewers see the strong yellows and tans in the Hippocrates panel, the russet shades of the Gorrie panel and the sepias and blues in the Blackwell panel as large vibrant color fields that stand out against the red brick and white marble architecture. As one approaches the exterior niches, the terrazzo murals reveal language fading in and out of each monumental portrait honoring the predecessors of modern medicine and are inlayed into the building’s architecture. This text and icons specific to each doctor contribute to the portrayals of Hippocrates the ancient scholar, Gorrie the inventor and Blackwell the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree.

The Roswell Museum, Roswell, NM.

71’ x 18” bench and 7’ x 3’ x 3’ bronze statue

FŌTERA® Concrete Terrazzo Bench, Bronze Statue

2008

A FŌTERA® concrete terrazzo mural illustrating the life of Robert H. Goddard caps the 71’ long bench lining the length of the courtyard. At the far end of the space, a larger-than-life bronze statue of Goddard peers through a “spotting” telescope at the original rocket tower surrounded by a cast stone enclosure with a quotation about space. The door of the launch control shed serves as a metaphoric portal allowing the community to access Goddard’s ambitions for space.