Golden Triangle

DC Says Farewell to No Spectators: Beyond the Renwick Outdoor Art Exhibition

November 26, 2018

Washington, DC (November 20, 2018) — There is still time for Washingtonians to say farewell to the six spectacular, large-scale artworks – including a bear made of 170,000 pennies and a 6,000 pound Maya Angelou sculpture – that have activated streets in the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District. After being on exhibition for the past nine months, the artworks will be taken down on weekends throughout December.

No Spectators: Beyond the Renwick is an outdoor extension of the wildly popular exhibition No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man featured at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery since March 2018. The outdoor art installations are part of a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the Renwick and the Golden Triangle BID.

The artworks and locations are noted below.

  • Mischell Riley’s 6,000 pound cement bust, Maya’s Mind, pays homage to Maya Angelou and can be seen on 17th Street between H and I Streets, NW.
  • Jack Champion’s bronze sculptures of two giant crows are on display at Murrow Park, at Pennsylvania Avenue and 18th Street, NW.
  • and Mrs. Ferguson’s Ursa Major, a 14-foot-tall bear crafted from 170,000 shining pennies, towers in front of the International Square building, along 19th Street between K and I Street, NW.
  • Kate Raudenbush’s luminous 23-foot tall laser cut steel sculpture, Future’s Past, captivates passersby near Monroe Park, at Pennsylvania Avenue and 21st Street, NW.
  • Laura Kimpton’s 20-foot long steel XO installation, which was made together with Jeff Schomberg, is located at the Farragut West Metro station entrance at 18th and I Streets, NW.
  • HYBYCOZO’s (the artistic team of Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu) perforated steel sculpture entitled Golden Spike, lights up Connecticut Avenue at K Street, NW.

The Golden Triangle BID and the Renwick Gallery have collaborated throughout the year to present related programming, including a series of guided walking tours, interactive programming at the BID’s Farragut Fridays events, and a social media photo contest.

“No Spectators: Beyond the Renwick has brought so much joy to the thousands of people who visit our bustling central business district each day. We want everyone to see these incredible works of art before they are gone,” said Leona Agouridis, Executive Director of the Golden Triangle BID. “We are so proud to have been able to collaborate with the Renwick Gallery to extend this exhibition from the museum to city sidewalks.”

In October, the Golden Triangle BID was honored by the International Downtown Association (IDA) with a Pinnacle Award for its leadership and vision in bringing this major public art exhibition to fruition.

The outdoor exhibition in the Golden Triangle neighborhood was made possible with support from Lyft.

The related exhibition No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man featuring works by David Best, FoldHaus Art Collective, Aaron Taylor Kuffner, HYBYCOZO, Christopher Schardt and Leo Villareal, will remain on view through Jan. 21, 2019 at the Renwick.

More information about the No Spectators: Beyond the Renwick outdoor exhibition is available online at goldentriangledc.com/renwick.

About the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District

The Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) works to enhance Washington, DC’s central business district, the 43-square-block neighborhood stretching from The White House to Dupont Circle. Home to more than 6,000 businesses, the BID’s primary focus is to provide a clean, safe, and vibrant environment for hundreds of thousands of area workers and residents, and millions of visitors, and to encourage economic development through capital improvement projects, and innovative public art, sustainability and events programs. Follow the BID on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. More information: (202) 463-3400. goldentriangledc.com.

About the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery

The Smithsonian American Art Museum celebrates the vision and creativity of Americans with artworks in all media spanning more than four centuries. The Renwick Gallery is the museum’s branch for contemporary craft and decorative arts. The Renwick is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street N.W. and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Smithsonian information: (202) 633-1000. Museum information (recorded): (202) 633-7970. americanart.si.edu.