Calling All Artists to Spruce Up Barracks Row Overpass

LOOKING FOR A SPACE to show off your art? Local officials have a sizable canvas they're looking to fill.

Barracks Row Main Street, a non-profit organization looking to revitalize the 8th Street SE corridor, and the D.C. Department of Transportation are looking for someone to create an urban mural on the Southeast Freeway overpass. According to a press release, the goal of the project is to craft a unique landmark that expresses the character of the surrounding neighborhood.

Specifically, organizers would like the art to be reflective of the history of the strip — considered the oldest commercial corridor in the city — and tie the area together with the nearby Anacostia River and Navy Yard. Graphic representations must include a transportation theme, according to the groups, but waterfront, nature, commerce and architecture scenes are also welcome.

Funds for the project are being provided by the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Enhancement Program. Although the schedule of the art installment is contingent on D.C.'s funding schedule, the tentative deadline for mural proposals is June 13.

After that, artists who are short-listed will be notified between July 14-18. A round of interviews will take place on July 25, and the official notification for the final selected artist is scheduled for Oct. 1. Work on the mural is anticipated to begin Jan. 15, 2009.

Get more information from Barracks Row Main Street.

Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post