H Street NE Corridor to Dedicate Fountain Mural by Frederick Douglass Sculptor Steven Weitzman

Weitzman Studios — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 07:23:09 +0000

Washington DC -– The DC community will come together to celebrate the revitalization of the H Street NE corridor. The ceremony will culminate with the activation of the water feature that frames the Starburst Intersection mural. It completes the artist’s and city’s vision for the artwork to remind passersby of the change and renewal that characterises the neighbourhood.

Titled “Cornerstones of History,” the stunning 6 x 30 foot long full color concrete mural is a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Duke Ellington, Rosa Parks and Bessie Smith. Standing as the focal point for the new renovated area at the corners of H Street NE and Benning Rd., it was created by renowned figurative sculptor and highway and bridge aesthetic designer Steven Weitzman for the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.

The DCCAH has worked with Weitzman on multiple projects including the bronze statue of Frederick Douglass dedicatedand installed in Emancipation Hall of the United Stated Capitol in a grand unveiling ceremony officiated by Vice President Biden and Speaker John Boehner on June 19, 2013.

Area artist Steven Weitzman designed “Cornerstone of History” as homage to past personalities of the famed neighborhood and was made from FÔTERA® Full Color Concrete Terrazzo. The mural and its water feature will stand for many generations to come as a fitting compliment to an era that helped shape the character and fabric of the District.

Weitzman is currently working on Aesthetic Designs for twelve bridge projects in five states nationwide.

Read the original article here

The post H Street NE Corridor to Dedicate Fountain Mural by Frederick Douglass Sculptor Steven Weitzman appeared first on Home.

Frederick Douglass finds new home in the Capitol

Weitzman Studios — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 07:14:27 +0000

In 2012, after a five-year wait, a bill authored by Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) and back by Del. Eleanor Holmes Nortog unanimously voted upon to have the Frederick Douglass statue placed on Capitol Hill. “I think it is a really good way to show how a long time residence of Dc and advocate for voting rights is remembered,” said Ka’mal McClarin, curator at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. “It is a memory of him fighting for that cause.”
The Frederick Douglass statue, currently located at Judiciary Square, will soon be moved to Capitol Hill’s Emancipation Hall. Douglass, a writer, abolitionist, and advocate for the equality of people is one of three African Americans to be represented in this hall. Emancipation Hall holds two statues of notably exceptional peop le from each state. However, Washington, D.C. is not a state, which did not warrant a statue or representation, until now.

The creator of the Douglass sculpture, artist Steven Weitzman, has been a professional artist since the age of 19. When Weitzman entered the National Competition for DC Arts and Humanities in 2006, he was required to create a clay model of Frederick Douglass. After the small clay model was formed in 2007, he then made a full-size clay
model from which the bronze statue was formed. The bronze was then placed on display in Judiciary Square in 2008.

“It’s a very incredible honor, a very humbling experience,” said Weitzman. “I’m thrilled.” When asked what message he hopes people receive from his work of art, he says he hopes people see Frederick Douglass’s message and everything his life represented.

An actual date or time has not been scheduled for when the statue will be moved.

Read original article here

The post Frederick Douglass finds new home in the Capitol appeared first on Home.