Washington, D.C

National World War I monument made in Englewood is unveiled in Washington D.C.

Published

3 months ago

September 14, 2024

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National World War I monument made in Englewood is unveiled in Washington D.C.

‘A Soldier’s Journey,’ the centerpiece of the nation’s World War I monument, was five years in the making in New Jersey by artist Sabin Howard

With candles glowing and trumpets blowing, in a ceremony that combined stirring music and somber reflection, America’s World War I memorial was officially dedicated Friday night in Washington, D.C.

“The greats of the Italian Renaissance and their lineage played forward to create excellence in this memorial, and I know they are watching tonight,” said Sabin Howard, who assembled the mammoth bronze frieze over a four-year period in a 5,000-square-foot studio in Englewood.

He was speaking to the crowd of about 1,000 military veterans, politicians and the lay public, gathered at the recently created National World War I Memorial Urban Park — formerly Pershing Park — abutting the Federal Triangle in downtown Washington.

“This memorial is like a wedding ring,” said Joseph Weishaar, the architect of the project. “It is a symbol honor and fidelity and commitment that has remained vibrant for nearly a century between the nation and the men who served in the first world war.”

“A Soldier’s Journey,” the centerpiece of the nation’s World War I monument is a sculpture that tells a story.

So it was fitting that sculptor himself should be on hand, to narrate.

“This is a story of what happens to one family and one soldier when he enters into service for his country.” Howard said in a recorded narration during the presentation. “The soldier is an allegory for the United States. It explains the hero’s journey through World War I.”

In the presentation, called “First Light,” the crowd was taken, panel by panel, left to right, through the 58-foot long, 10-foot high bronze frieze.

As first one section and then another lit up, Howard — his recorded voice — told the story. The father, being handed a helmet by his little daughter, going off to war. The soldier, now one among many, in an agonizing tableau of bayonets and bombs, with fellow doughboys screaming and nurses caring for the wounded. And finally — in the last panel — the returning civilian handing the helmet back to his little daughter.

Then, after the crowd had a good look, sequentially, at the 38 figures, all the lights went up. And there it was, all complete: “A Soldier’s Journey,” dedicated on General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing’s 164th birthday, and the new main attraction in what used to be called Pershing Park on 11th Street.

It is now the National World War I Memorial Urban Park — the $40 million project of the World War I Centennial Commission (the war ended Nov. 11, 1918) and paid for largely through donations.

An appropriate setting

The sculpture itself, the largest freestanding bronze relief in the western hemisphere according to Howard, is just part of the project.

The whole square has been re-landscaped, with fountains, a reflecting pool, and berms on three sides to dampen the traffic noise and create a quiet atmosphere for contemplation. An existing statue of General Pershing by Robert White (grandson of architect Stanford White), on site since 1983, has been worked into the new scheme.

“It’s a very serene place,” said Joseph Weishaar, the architect of the park. “Especially with the fountains going. You have the roar of the water, evocative of the sounds of war.”

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It was Weishaar, winner of a design contest by the Centennial Commission for his submission “The Weight of Sacrifice,” who brought Howard on board as his sculptor of choice.

“His accomplishment is one of amazing craft,” Weishaar said. “I don’t think it’s rivalled anywhere. My role is like a jeweler making a ring. I made the ring. But Sabin is the diamond. The sculpture is the diamond. That’s the piece that everybody is going to be wowed about.”

On the reverse side of the tableau is inscribed part of a poem by Archibald MacLeish:

“Whether our lives and our deaths were for peace and a new hope

or for nothing we cannot say; it is you who must say this.

They say: We leave you our deaths. Give them their meaning.

We were young, they say. We died. Remember us.”

Howard’s sculpture, like this verse, is not jingoistic. But neither is it cynical. It invites viewers to ponder the first modern war, the “war to end all wars” that killed 116,516 Americans (40 million worldwide) in a global cataclysm that was viewed by many afterwards as a tragic, senseless waste.

“As an artist, I’m very anti-war,” Howard said. “I didn’t make a sculpture about the glorification of war. I made a sculpture about human beings that are there in a very noble and heroic act of being in service to one’s country. This is their story. It’s to honor them. And I’ve had hundreds of letters from military families saying thank you, finally, for acknowledging us. The cool part is, they’re saying thank you for your service.”

That was, in its way, heroic too.

A long term project

For five years, Howard, his assistant Charlie Mostow, and a handful of others put in long days in the Englewood studio. For hours on end, models posed, Howard sculpted, and his wife, filmmaker Traci Slatton Howard, documented.

One by one, Styrofoam “maquettes” were covered with clay to create the figures, which were then transferred through a silicon mold to wax, which in turn became the ceramic shell. These were sent over to England to be cast in bronze. For the last month, on and off, Howard has been on-site in Washington D.C., supervising as the pieces were put in place with cranes, in the setting that Weishaar created for them.

“The reassembly was incredible,” he said. “Four panels, 38 figures, and everything has to fit. If it doesn’t, what are you going to do — chop away the stone or something?”

“A Soldier’s Journey” is a monument, in more than one sense.

To all the soldiers and civilians who served and died in World War I, certainly. More, to all soldiers, in all wars (veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars served as models).

But additionally, it’s a monument to an idea: Sabin Howard’s fervent belief that modern America needs a public, neo-classical art. An art that unifies rather than divides. An art that can ennoble our squares and promenades, the way Michelangelo’s and Donatello’s sculptures adorned the piazzas of Florence.

“In the Renaissance, they used to make sculptures like the David, and they would put it in the square,” said Howard, who trained in Italy and at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts).

Such art, he said, uplifted. “It was a symbol of rising to the occasion, as a nation, and on a citizen level,” he said. “This is the exact same damn thing. I made a sculpture with 38 figures that shows a tapestry of the United States and its variety, with women, children, Democrats, Republicans, all under one flag as Americans. We are one unified country. That’s what the sculpture is.”

African Americans, Asians and Native Americans are included among the figures (though Howard takes the liberty of showing Black soldiers fighting alongside whites; the U.S. army was then segregated).

“This is something that brings us together,” Howard said. “Most modern art brings us apart.”

Aftermath of war

Ironically, it was World War I itself, and the ensuing cynicism about war and sacrifice, that gave rise to the iconoclastic modern art movements that dominated Western culture for the last 100 years. With “A Soldier’s Journey,” Howard wants to use that same war as a jumping off place, to bring the heroic back to art. “This is an American cultural renaissance,” he said.

His next project is also in that vein: an “American Exceptionalism Arch” project in Dallas, which will probably be completed 10 years from now. It too, will uplift and ennoble. “It’s another epic sculpture, which this many figures and this amount of story,” he said.

One thing he says he learned from working with veterans during the World War I project: the notion of being “in service of.”

“I feel that my work is in service to something greater than myself,” he said. “That’s what I’m so excited about.”

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Washington, D.C

LIST: Free, engaging options in DC for your kids, families during Winter break

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

LIST: Free, engaging options in DC for your kids, families during Winter break

WASHINGTON, D.C. (7News) — Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), is offering dozens of activities for kids and families during the 2024-2025 Winter break.

“These initiatives provide young people with safe and engaging activities from Dec. 21 through Dec. 31. While many events are designed for all age groups, DPR is also hosting specialized programming for teenagers, creating dedicated spaces for them to connect, socialize, and have fun,” the Mayor said in a press release.

READ MORE | Man killed in Walker Mill shooting, marks 100th murder in Prince George’s County this year

Here are a list of the activities:

Community Toy Giveaway: Toy distribution and cocoa for children in the community

When: Saturday, Dec. 21, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where: Fort Stevens Recreation Center, 1327 Van Buren Street, NW

Movie Field Trip: Sonic 3: Young people can enjoy a field trip to see Sonic 3, with multiple pickup locations

When: Saturday, Dec. 21, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Register HERE

Grinchmas at Kenilworth: Join us for a community holiday Grinch-themed party

When: Saturday, Dec. 21, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Kenilworth Recreation Center, 4321 Ord Street, NE

Community Christmas Extravaganza: An event for the distribution of toys, hygiene products, coats, and used clothing to those in need

When: Saturday, Dec. 21, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Where: Rosedale Community Center, 1701 Gales Street, NE

Holiday Hype: A festive gathering at the MLK Library for all ages

When: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Where: MLK Library, 901 G Street NW
Register HERE

SEE ALSO | Crews, carjackings and youth crime: 7News speaks with US Attorney Matthew Graves

Just Cares Toys for Tots Youth Basketball Tournament: This holiday basketball tournament and charity event will include Santa picture booth, entertainment, toy giveaways, and adult and kids basketball games!

When: Sunday, Dec. 22, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Deanwood Community Center, 1350 49th Street, NE

Water Cycle and Aqua Fitness: Water-based activities and fitness sessions

Where: Ferebee-Hope Aquatic Center, 700 Yuma Street SE
Water Cycle: Dec. 24 and 26, 3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Aqua Fitness: Dec. 24 and 26, 6 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.

eSports and Gaming Tournaments

eSports Throwback & Brawlhalla Tournament: Columbia Heights Community Center, Dec. 23, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
eSports 2K24 Tournament: Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, Dec. 26, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Winter E-Gaming Tournament: Hillcrest Recreation Center, Dec. 27, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
eSports Madden Tournament: Deanwood Community Center, Dec. 27, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Holiday Drip: Celebrate the season with music and water-based fun

When: Dec. 27, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Barry Farm Aquatic Center, 1230 Sumner Road SE

Holiday Sing-Along: Come out to sing your favorite holiday carols

When: Monday, Dec. 30, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 7th Street, NW

Holiday Movie Night: Come out to the Joseph Cole Recreation Center for a holiday movie

Where: Joseph Cole Recreation Center, 1299 Neal Street, NE
When: Monday, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Teen Time: Teens will have the chance to play minute-to-win-it games, board games, art activities, and basketball!

When: Friday, Dec. 27, 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Where: Ridge Road Community Center, 830 Ridge Road, SE,

Teen Time: Teens will have the chance to play minute-to-win games, board games, art activities, and basketball!

When: Monday, Dec. 23, Tuesday, Dec. 24, Monday, Dec. 30, and Tuesday, Dec. 31, 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Where: Rosedale Community Center, 1701 Gales Street, NE

High School Lifeguard Training: Comprehensive lifeguard training for high school students at multiple locations

Ballou HS Aquatic Center, 3401 4th Street SE: Dec. 22 – 24, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Dunbar HS Aquatic Center, 101 N Street NW: Dec. 26 – 28, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Roosevelt HS Aquatic Center, 4301 13th Street NW: Dec. 29 – 31, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Rumsey Aquatic Center, 635 North Carolina Avenue SE: Dec. 29 – 31, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Junior Lifeguard Academy: A training program for youth ages 9 to 15 interested in lifeguarding, with sessions offered at various aquatic centers

When: Dec. 23 through 31
Locations:
Barry Farm Aquatic Center, 1230 Sumner Road SE: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Turkey Thicket Aquatic Center, 1100 Michigan Avenue NE: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Ferebee-Hope Aquatic Center, 700 Yuma Street SE: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Deanwood Aquatic Center, 1350 49th Street NE: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren Street NW: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Reservoir Park Aquatic Center, 10 Lower Service Court NW: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

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Washington, D.C

An 'Ode to the Women in D.C': 'THROUGHLINE VOL. II' Honors Local Changemakers With Multidisciplinary Art Exhibit

Published

11 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

An 'Ode to the Women in D.C': 'THROUGHLINE VOL. II' Honors Local Changemakers With Multidisciplinary Art Exhibit

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much would it amount to when fused with original poetry, vibrant artwork, and themed cuisine?

California natives Xavier Renard Cunningham and Taylor Smalls offer insight to this question in Northwest D.C., with “THROUGHLINE: VOLUME II (VOL. II),” an exclusive multisensory art exhibition that leverages photography, painting, performance art, and culinary craft to champion 16 of the District’s Black unsung heroines.

“[‘THROUGHLINE’] was always about, how do we celebrate something, and how do you do that through art,” said Cunningham, creative producer of “THROUGHLINE.” “The cheeky answer is, why not Black women, who are – for us – the foundation, not only of what runs our [cities], but we think the world.”

Through Dec. 22, art connoisseurs can indulge in an immersive experience of culture and ambiguity, as Autoshop at Union Market hosts “THROUGHLINE’S” second iteration and first-ever in D.C.

Ashley Etienne, renowned communications strategist and CBS political commentator stands next to her mocha-based portrait with exhibit painter, Taylor Smalls (right) on Sunday, Dec. 15. (Jada Ingleton/The Washington Informer)

The interdisciplinary exhibit combines poetry, music, and visual and culinary art to honor the breadth of women trailblazers across various platforms, from education and activism to entrepreneurship and wellness.

“[This] was created deeply starting with that fundamental purpose of unearthing those change makers, those change agents who are sometimes and more often than not, uncelebrated … even though they are shifting and shaping culture as we know in every city,” Cunningham explained.

District honorees such as Ashley Etienne and Alencia Johnson have fearlessly shaped the local political landscape, while other heavy-hitters like Kelsye Adams, Sister Mary Brown and Chloe Dulce Louvouezo — the latter two present for a “VOL. II” display on Dec. 15 — redefine social narratives and advocate for underserved groups locally and nationally.

Other celebrated recipients include: Ayo Tometi; Dionna Dorsey; Christine Platt; Rhea Combs; and Carla L. Sims, to name a few.

“Too often, we walk through this life doing extraordinary things, but going unseen,” Etienne, who was also in attendance on Sunday, told The Informer. “So to be seen and then to have it … for people like my daughter and others to see it and to admire the beauty, the essence and the work of Black women is just incredible.”

Imitation: The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Dozens of spectators gathered on Dec. 15 to witness the virtuosity and impact of “THROUGHLINE VOL. II,” which features breakout artists: Adedayo Kosoko (photographer); Gabrielle Hights (musician); Smalls (painter); as well as Chef Keem Hughley of Bronze DC, and award-winning poet Michael Wayne Turner III.

The collaborative exhibit is a powerful demonstration of nesting beauty in the eye of the beholder, with two levels of subject-based illustrations and individualized food dishes contingent on artistic ambiguity and perception.

As the lamented poetry explores themes of introspection and endurance, the visuals emulate the honorees’ pride and potency; Meanwhile, Chef Hughley’s paired custom entrees provide flavor to the textures and colors of the distinct images, culminating in a celebration for all the senses.

“Sitting with each of these women, taking time to really respect who they are, what they have come to be and how they stand in this exact moment … this is an ode. It’s a love letter to the women in D.C.,” said Smalls.

Turner brought the stilled images and deep-colored portraits to life as the classically trained thespian led guests on a theatrical tour through Autoshop — his voice commanding the room with a spiritual cadence as he recited each of his poems to the soulful refrain:“Maybe, you’ll join me down by the river, so I may wash away all of my pride.”

Darlene Brown, CEO of Divine Empowerment, appreciated the reflective aspect of the interdisciplinary exhibition, which she described as: “cathartic,” “inspirational,” and “a catapult” to empowerment.

“As I walked through, reading the poetry, examining the photos, the entire experience, I felt seen as a Black woman in America,” Brown told The Informer. “I felt validated, I felt heard, I felt valued … in a way that I can’t say that I’ve ever experienced coming to [an] exhibit [for] art and poetry.”

According to Smalls, who crafted all 18 paintings in the exhibit, the collaborative approach of artistic practices serves as what she calls a throughline to creatively “pass the baton” of culture preservation and diasporic solidarity.

The Oakland-based painter boasted one particular example: “Young Saffron,” a canvas painting of local entrepreneur and honoree Angel Gregorio with a saffron-colored base.

Since Gregorio travels internationally, particularly to Africa, to collect unique spices, Hughley made her personal dish a wagyu hot dog topped with Mambo Sauce — a D.C. speciality — and infused it with saffron spices from her spice boutique, The Spice Suite, located in the city’s Langdon Park community.

“It’s this really beautiful storytelling working together on so many different levels of artistry, but also across the diaspora … to hold what we know culturally, and specifically, in this city,” Smalls told The Informer.

But, the power of artistic exploration shone beyond connections to D.C. culture.

For Felicia Allen, a Florida-based grief counselor who flew to D.C. for the Dec. 15 showcase, the artists proved to encapsulate not only the spirit of the champions on the walls, but the resilience of Black women throughout African American history.

“This show is a culmination of who [Black women] are as people. Our strength, our intellect, our creativity, our innovation,” Allen told The Informer. “There is truth in these writings, in these pictures. We know who we are and what we’ve done, and this is a space of empowerment.”

Championing Prosperity, Representation Through the Arts

The shared project upholds a deeper purpose of centering what Cunningham considers “the core and foundation” of the Black community: mutual support and collaboration.

“[‘THROUGHLINE’] is about fighting against that notion that everything we do must be in silence, that we must pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps,” said Cunningham. “We truly believe it’s through community that you get ahead, that each person in this room has their own throughlines and connective tissue that can unlock their deepest dream.”

In addition to championing local changemaking, creative spaces like “THROUGHLINE” act to preserve the future of cultural arts–an industry where Black people are disproportionately outnumbered.

Data from a Burns Halperin Report shows that between 2008 and 2020, Black American artists only represented approximately 2% of museum acquisitions and 6% of exhibits, despite Black Americans making up 13.6% of the entire United States population.

With the methodic integration of various modalities, Allen said “THROUGHLINE” underscores the value of diversity in the arts and opens doors that could catapult creativity and innovation.

“We speak through the arts. [It’s] deeply rooted in our culture…[and] opens up that venue for us to be demonstrative, to have exploration and teach at the same time,” she explained. “I think now more than ever, that’s what we need.”

As “THROUGHLINE VOL. III” prepares to host its third installation in Detroit, Michigan, honoree Etienne commends the institute’s commitment to Black women inclusion, emphasizing the gravity of uplifting vulnerable communities–especially given recent political cycles.

“There are a lot of Black women that are feeling dejected, betrayed and undervalued after the election,” said the CBS News political contributor. “An exhibit like this that puts on display the finest of Black women and the humanity of Black women, I think, is not only timely, but it is priceless, and it is invaluable to our spirits right now.”

This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship Lab. The Lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.

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Washington, D.C

Senate passes separate RFK stadium site bill after removal from federal spending bill

Published

19 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Senate passes separate RFK stadium site bill after removal from federal spending bill

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill granting control of the old RFK Stadium site to the District of Columbia, a last-minute passage that helps clear the way for the Washington Commanders to potentially move back to the city.

The passage early Saturday comes after a provision to transfer control of the land from the federal government to D.C. was removed from Congress’ slimmed-down, short-term spending bill as lawmakers raced to pass it before a government shutdown.

Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris praised the passage, saying in a statement: “We are extremely grateful that our elected officials have come together on a bipartisan basis to give Washington D.C. the opportunity to decide on the future of the RFK stadium site. This bill will create an even playing field so that all potential future locations for the home of the Washington Commanders can be fairly considered and give our franchise the opportunity to provide the best experience for all of our fans.”

The Commanders are considering locations in the District, Maryland and Virginia to build a stadium in the coming years. Their lease at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, runs through 2027, and Harris called 2030 a “reasonable target” for a new one.

The team played at RFK Stadium two miles east of the Capitol from 1961 to 1996 before moving to Maryland. Harris and several co-owners, including Mitch Rales and Mark Ein, grew up as Washington football fans during that era, which included the glory days of three Super Bowl championships between 1982 and 1991.

The bill will transfer administrative jurisdiction of the RFK site from the Secretary of the Interior to the D.C. government. While the federal government will still own the land, D.C. will be able to redevelop the land for a stadium, commercial and residential development and other public purposes, according to the office of U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, who introduced the bill.

“The Senate’s passage of the D.C. RFK Stadium Campus Revitalization Act is a historic moment for our nation’s capital,” Comer said in a statement Saturday. “If Congress failed to act today, this decaying land in Washington would continue to cost taxpayers a fortune to maintain. Revitalizing this RFK Memorial Stadium site has been a top economic priority for the city, and I am proud to have partnered with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to get this bill across the finish line and to the President’s desk.”

The U.S. House passed the bill in February. With the bill’s passage in the Senate as well, it now heads to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

“This is a win for DC, for our region, and for America,” Bowser wrote in a social media post Saturday morning. “Everybody loves a good comeback story — and that’s DC’s story.”

News4 is awaiting comment from D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

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