Transforming public spaces, celebrating
creativity, and building pride
ArtRX
Art RX is a creative call to action. It’s an open invitation for artists and cultural thinkers to help us shape public space through imagination, experimentation, and collaboration. Rooted in the belief that artists offer vital perspectives on the social and physical challenges facing our communities, Art RX provides a platform for using art as a tool for real-world solutions.
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Gallery of Southwest
The Gallery of Southwest celebrates local Southwest heroes, community spaces, and the unique architectural landscape, bringing the past, present, and future into one shared space. As part of the visual fabric, its narrative bolsters a deep sense of Southwest pride. These murals are more than just art; they are a testament to our community’s spirit, diversity, and boundless imagination.
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Traffic Box Art Wrap
Our Southwest Traffic Box Art Wrap project turns electrical boxes found on sidewalks and street corners into a collection of public art pieces. Find out where and what our 25 (and counting) art-wrapped traffic boxes look like!
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Asphalt Art
Asphalt Art brings color, creativity, and connection to our streets. We embrace art as a powerful and low-cost way to energize public spaces by focusing on bold, visual designs on intersections, crosswalks, and sidewalks. These pieces don’t just brighten the block—they make our streets feel safer, more inviting, and uniquely Southwest.
Learn MoreHirshorn In
The City
Recognizing the importance of art in creating a more vibrant community, the SWBID focuses on bringing public art into the neighborhood. In 2017, the SWBID partnered with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gallery to bring the art of Yayoi Kusama outside of the museum’s walls. The installation served a dual purpose by both enhancing public space and providing wayfinding from the L’Enfant metro station to the Hirshhorn’s entrance on Independence Avenue.
In 2018, the SWBID again partnered with the Hirshhorn to support their Brand New exhibition. Brand New SW was a public art project celebrating Washington’s innovative and collaborative art scenes. Washington-based artists No Kings Collective, NoMüNoMü, and SUPERWAXX created branded graphic posters inspired by Brand New: Art & Commodity in the 1980s, an exhibition exploring the iconic decade when artists blurred the boundary between art and marketing. These limited-edition posters were wheat-pasted, guerrilla style, around the public spaces of Southwest DC in April through mid-May 2018, in homage to the underground art practices of the 1980s.
For the newest Hirshhorn in the City project, the Hirshhorn brings the 1980s back, with a contemporary twist.
Public Art Framework
In Spring 2023, SWBID collaborated with community stakeholders to create the Southwest DC Public Art Framework. This framework aligns with our core goals of creating a vibrant community, fostering shared prosperity, enhancing connectivity, and showcasing the story of Southwest. With extensive experience in public art initiatives and ongoing community engagement, this framework will guide our annual planning, sustain a community-centered approach, and shape our collaborations with artists and creators. Together, we can bring more beauty and cultural enrichment to Southwest DC!
See Our Public Art Framework