Welcome to Commemorate DC!

 

Welcome to Commemorate DC's community platform! This site is dedicated to guiding you through the process of participating in our commemortive works initiative! Here you'll find resources on the process to take a commemorative work from an idea to a built piece of public art! Our goal is to make it easy for you to engage, share your ideas, and help shape our public spaces with meaningful works that honor the people and stories that matter most to our communities. Join us in celebrating our history and impact and honoring the stories of our shared past!

Announcing our 2025 Subjects:

 

Thank you to everyone that participated in Commemorate DC’s voting process! Your voice has helped shape the future of Commemoration in the District and we are delighted to share the results with you.  

 

After receiving 54% of the votes from community members, Sterling Allen Brown was selected and will represent our Ward 5 Commemorative Work! Sterling Brown was a DC Native who was DC's first Black Poet Laureate. Brown had a career of research, teaching, literary writing and advocacy in asserting the validity of Negro spirituals and Black art/music as valid art forms. He also challenged the portryals of African American life, experiences and culture. As a long time Howard University professor, he influenced generations of writer, leaving a lasting impact on American literature.

 

After receiving 38% of the vote, Wilhelmina and Calvin Rolark was selected and will represent our Ward 8 Commemorative Work! Wilhelmina and Calvin Rolark were influential figures, known for their dedication to civil rights, journalism, and community empowerment. Wilhelmina founded The Washington Informer, a vital Black newspaper, while Calvin was a passionate activist and leader in the United Black Fund, supporting local non-profits. Together, they championed social justice, Black economic advancement, and education, leaving a lasting legacy in the city.

We appreciate everyone who took the time to vote, engage, and support this initiative. Your participation makes a difference, and we look forward to bringing their stories to life through public art!

A Look Ahead (Check Out Our Events Tab to Register): 

 

March 13th at 6pm: Commemorate DC 2025 Kick-Off: Unveiling our Stories, Building Our Legacy

Join us virtually March 13th at 6 PM as we are excited to launch this year's journey toward honoring the stories, legacies, and contributions that have shaped our community. Just like last year, we are bringing together voices, history, and creativity to learn more about the compelling stories behind these subject nominations, hear from those who submitted nominations, and get a preview of the engagement events planned for the community! Register at the events tab to get more information and to gain access to the live stream link!

 

March 29th: Walking Through History: A Community Commemoration Tours

Join us Saturday, March 29th for an inspiring journey through our communities as we explore potential sites for future commemorative works! At each stop, you'll learn about incredible individuals and stories behind the leaders, activists, and change makers who shaped our neighborhoods. We will conclude our event at the future site of this year’s commemorative works where you will have the chance to share your vision for what these commemorations should look like. This is your chance to be a part of something meaningful, creative, and community-driven! Register at the events tab for your Ward specific event!

RFA: Commemorate DC Artist Grant

 

Are you a DC-Based Artist or team of Artists with experience in Public Art? If so this grant opportunity could be for you! 

Applicants shall submit one application. The maximum award amount is $15,000 per organization. Incomplete or late applications or applications that do not follow the instructions and guidelines will be automatically deemed ineligible for review and funding. Prospective applicants should read through these guidelines in their entirety before submitting an application. Please note, there is no separate application to fill out for this grant. The materials required are listed on pages 8 and 9 of the RFA. Prospective applicants should create a submission package that includes all the required materials and submit them in the manner outlined in the RFA. Please view the recording of the Pre-Application meeting below, which may help answer questions you may have.

Release Date of Request for Applications: January 21, 2025

Deadline for Submission: February 28, 2025 at 3:00 PM

Pre-Application Conference: February 5, 2025 at 3:00 PM and February 18, 2025 at 2:30 PM

Virtual Candidate Interviews: March 3-5, 2025

Availability of RFA: The Request for Applications (RFA) is now live on the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs’ website (https://communityaffairs.dc.gov/content/community-grant-program).

Amount of Awards: The total funding available through this notice is $30,000. OP intends to make two awards at $15,000 each. The RFA does not commit OP to make an award.

Length of Awards: Grant awards are for the date of award through September 30, 2025.

OP Contact: Edward Giefer, [email protected]

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Why Commemorative Works:

Commemorative works are symbols of our shared past and values that can create distinct identities for neighborhoods, inspire us to live better lives, and remind us of the people and events that shaped the world we live in. Washington, DC is a city full of monuments and memorials to subjects associated with our nation’s history – some with a controversial past. There are few dedicated to Washingtonians that tell the story of our residents, neighborhoods, and local history. Residents shared with the Office of Planning (OP) that they value the sense of community pride created by commemorative works, as well as how they educate new residents or children in their neighborhoods. Eighty-eight percent of residents expressed interest in having a commemorative work in their neighborhood. 

To learn more about the people, places, and events currently honored in DC neighborhoods, check out featured commemorative works posted on OP's website.

About the Initiative:

Commemorate DC will support local partners participating in the program to increase commemoration of Black Washingtonians and other leaders of color in all Wards of the District. After subjects and sites have been identified, a design team and public artists provided by OP and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities will prepare concept designs. 

As the Nation’s capital, monuments and commemorative works have typically been focused on or reserved for commemoration to individuals or subjects of national importance within the monumental core, the original L’Enfant City, and mostly in Wards 1, 2, 3, and 6. Many of these subjects participated in slavery, systemic racism, and the mistreatment of, or took actions that suppressed equality for, persons of color, certain groups of people, and women.

DC's Commemorative Works Program reviews proposals submitted by sponsors, but since the program was established in 2001 has received only a handful of applications for local subjects. OP's Commemorate DC work includes technical assistance to community partners in all Wards to identify commemorative subjects and sites before supporting efforts. The Office of Planning's partners are convening meetings with community groups and residents to discuss subjects to commemorate, appropriate sites, and concept designs of commemorative works. Concept designs will be reviewed by the Commemorative Works Committee who will make a recommendation on each proposal to the Mayor and District Council, who have final review and approval.

 

Contact Us:

Zhetique Gunn, Program Manager, Urban Design 

Marvin Hodges, Community Planner, Urban Design 

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (202) 442-7600

We look forward to hearing from you!