Capturing the Imagination
Release Date: Friday, April 16th 2010
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They're here! Since the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) began installing French artist Niki de Saint Phalle's whimsical and colorful sculptures along the New York Avenue median from 12th to 13th Streets, heads have been turning, cameras snapping and people gawking at the larger than life figurines now gracing one of Downtown’s major throughways.
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The initiative, a private-public partnership between the NMWA, the Downtown BID and the DC Office of Planning, promotes cultural tourism, provides free access to the arts for Downtown workers, visitors and residents and is changing the face of New York Avenue.
Phase I of the bold, new outdoor arts project will include four 12- and 15-foot high Saint Phalle sculptures: Les Trois Graces (The Three Graces), representing women in Greek mythology who personified charm and beauty; Nana on a Dolphin, which links women with nature (Saint Phalle’s robust female figures are called “Nanas”); Arbre Serpents (Serpent Tree), similar to the Tree of Life, celebrates the connection between living beings; and #23 Basketball Player, 1999, which alludes to a well-known professional basketball player. All are made of fiberglass and encrusted with mirrors, colored stones and mosaic glass.
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The New York Avenue Sculpture Project will feature changing installations of world-class contemporary art by women. The temporary sculpture installations will be created in four phases between 2010 and 2015 and will change every one to three years.
The Phase I dedication will kick off at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, April 28, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a grand evening celebration at 7:00 pm inside the museum. Tickets to the evening fundraiser—replete with food, music and many surprises—are available for $1,000 per couple.
For more information, visit www.nmwa.org/sculptureproject.
