Local Artists Give D.C. a Mural Makeover
By • August 9, 2026 0 612
By Emma Ibrahim
Washington, D.C., is undergoing a makeover as local artists bring the city’s culture to life with a new mural project.
“These murals are all about recognizing the many hands, histories and communities that have built this nation, and — as illustrated in one of the murals — a reminder that the work of democracy is ongoing, unfinished and shared,” said Nancee Lyons, coordinator of MuralsDC, a program of the District Department of Public Works.
On July 13, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the DC250 Mural Project, a citywide public art initiative celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary in a way that is unique to D.C.
“Public art is a fantastic way to celebrate our country’s semiquincentennial. Through art, we can share our stories, celebrate our shared values and inspire future generations,” Bowser said in a release.
Eight D.C.-based artists were commissioned to paint one mural each, so that each of the city’s eight wards would have one. They were to collaborate with residents and property owners, creating pieces reflecting the voices of the communities.
“Every ward in the District carries its own identity, traditions and unique landmarks,” said Lyons. “We try to infuse some of that in each of the projects.”
Ben’s Chili Bowl, a D.C. landmark and a legendary gathering place for activists during the civil rights movement, will feature a new mural by the end of the month.
“Ben [Ali] was an immigrant from Trinidad and was able to create this amazingly popular and beloved eatery,” Lyons said. “They sort of embody the American dream, and the people on their wall will be people who have embodied that as well.”
Currently, two murals have been completed: Luis Del Valle’s mural at Shrimp Boat Plaza on East Capitol Street NE in Ward 7, and another by Federico Frum on Georgia Avenue NW in Ward 4.
Mia DuVall, a sixth-generation native Washingtonian, is completing a mural at Henceforth on H Street NE in Ward 6. “I want the local community, the H Street community in particular, to feel and see themselves in this piece,” said DuVall.
She describes her mural as layered, with homages to local culture, including a marching band with a percussionist — a nod to Go-Go music — dressed in uniforms fashioned after the D.C. flag, with medallions branded with “51” (a statement of statehood and the District’s fight for representation). One of the lead figures in the marching band, largely made up of Black and Latino children, holds an illuminated quill.
“That quill is the representation of leading us into a future of understanding that we are responsible for holding America accountable for what America says it is in the Declaration of Independence,” DuVall explained.
In the coming weeks, five other murals will embellish walls across the District, from the Metropolitan Branch Trail to the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center.
DuVall’s daughter is her assistant on the mural. “For me as a parent to inspire my own child into civic action to the point where she wants to study political science, to further her understanding of who we are as a people, as a community, as a government — that’s what I hope my mural does,” DuVall said.
The locations, artists and current status of the eight murals follows.
Ward 1: Ben’s Chili Bowl, 1213 U St. NW. Aniekan Udofia. Work begins this month.
Ward 2: Blagden Alley entrance, 1208 9th St. NW. Julia Kagan. Work begins this month.
Ward 3: Macomb Recreation Center, 3409 Macomb St. NW. Demont Pinder. Work begins this month.
Ward 4: 5816 Georgia Ave. NW. Federico Frum. Completed.
Ward 5: Metropolitan Branch Trail, 2000 5th St. NE. Asad Walker. Work begins this month.
Ward 6: Henceforth, 1335 H St. NE. Mia DuVall. Near completion.
Ward 7: Shrimp Boat Plaza, 4510 E. Capitol St. NE. Luis Del Valle. Completed.
Ward 8: Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, 701 Mississippi Ave. SE. Nabi Bilal and Candice Taylor. Work begins this month.
