Commemorate DC
Commemorate DC
The Office of Planning (OP) invites you to help plan new monuments and memorials in your community!
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 Ward 5 Subject:
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.
Meet the Artists:
Nessar Jahanbin is a DC-based muralist and lifelong artist whose work spans watercolor, acrylic, oil, sculpture, and aerosol. With over 15 years of experience, he has completed large-scale public and private murals across the country, from Washington, DC to Detroit, Los Angeles, and Miami. His work, commissioned by organizations such as MuralsDC, the Bethesda Urban Partnership, and the Anacostia Watershed Society, explores themes of identity, community, and resilience, while challenging viewers’ perspective and sense of space.
In addition to his artistic practice, Nessar is a local business owner and active member of his community. He owns Café U, a neighborhood coffee shop in DC’s U Street corridor, and co-founded Treehouse, a mixed-use art space and event venue in northwest DC. Through his art and entrepreneurial work, Nessar creates spaces where creativity and connection come together. He holds a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Art.
Eddie Harris is a multidisciplinary artist and entrepreneur based in the DMV area, whose creative journey spans decades. Raised in Alexandria, VA, Eddie’s artistic foundation was shaped by the vibrant cultures of Hip Hop, Go-Go, and Rock music in the 80s and 90s. Being introduced to woodworking, design, and music in those early years fueled his passion for blending craftsmanship and visual art. Eddie combined these skills to help run a multimedia recording studio in 2004. In 2016, Eddie left the music industry to focus on visual art, yet his passion for music remained an integral part of his creative DNA.
From vibrant portraits to abstract compositions and commissioned works, Eddie's portfolio includes striking wall murals and other large-scale artwork. Immersed in aerosol techniques and constantly refining his compositional skills, he draws inspiration from his diverse life experiences. Eddie’s exploration of cultural identity, connection, and emotional expression is rooted in the boundless creativity of his childhood. Through his art, Eddie tells compelling stories that reflect his imagination, resilience, and dedication to his craft.
Lindsay Gressard brings nearly 15 years of experience in public service and community-based work. She most recently served as a committee Communications Director in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she led messaging and strategy on environmental and
public lands issues. Previously, she worked as a program evaluator at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and as a middle school counselor and AmeriCorps volunteer in Atlanta Public Schools.
She now brings that public sector experience to her work as co-founder of Snyder Gressard Strategy, a legislative consulting firm supporting environmental nonprofits. Lindsay also co-chairs Free DC’s Arts & Culture Working Group and is active in grassroots art and advocacy efforts across the city. She holds graduate degrees in public health and counseling.
Announcing our 2025 Ward 8 Subjects:
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. Calvin founded The Washington Informer, a vital Black newspaper, while Wilhelmina was a passionate attorney and politican. 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!
Meet the Artists:
Nabi Bilal is the co-founder of CreativeJunkFood with over than 14 years of experience in graphic & interactive design, animation, illustration, and web design and web development. He is a graduate of Temple University with a concentration in Graphic & Interactive Design. He enjoys the process of taking an idea from concept to reality and has a knack for thinking outside the box.
Candice Taylor is the co-founder of CreativeJunkFood. A graduate of VCU, she received her BFA in Communication Arts with a concentration in design and media. Boasting over 14 years of professional design, animation, and branding experience, she is known to mix it up and has a tenacity for breaking barriers.
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 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!