It’s time to paint like Piet Mondrian.
This Saturday at 9 a.m., Volunteers will be restoring the murals by scraping peeling paint chips off from the murals painted on the underpass below Highway 395, where Virginia Avenue and Sixth Street SE meet.
Commissioner Brian Ready (6B03) is leading the joint effort with Guerilla Gardeners, which is supported by a grant from the Awesome Foundation.
According to George Mason sociologist and blogger Johanna Bockman, a Capitol Hill resident, the murals were painted between 1988 and 1992, a tribute to the work of Piet Mondrian. The Dutch modernist painter known for his simple square designs. A companion mural painted on the Ellen Wilson building, formerly located to the south of the murals and since demolished.
Volunteers should meet under the 395 Expressway at Virginia Ave and Sixth Street SE. They will be provided with tools, masks, and water.
Dress conformable in outdoor working clothing, but never fear: you will be in the shade of the underpass.
At this event volunteers will continue to prepare the walls for future painting. The peeling and graffiti areas must be scraped and sanded to provide a smooth surface for painting. Volunteers will also sweep up the removed paint peelings from the ground.
All skill levels are welcome. Contact Commissioner Ready with questions or comment via email at 6B03@anc.dc.gov.
