ArtistMary Belcher
Ben’s Chili Bowl
Date1998
MediumWatercolor
DimensionsImage Size: 18 × 15 in. (45.7 × 38.1 cm)
Framed Size: 27 1/2 × 23 1/2 in. (69.9 × 59.7 cm)
Credit LineDC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Art Bank Collection
Object numberDCCAH1999.002
ClassificationsPaintings
Locations
- Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (1350 Penn Ave NW, 108)
DescriptionThe artist Mary Belcher nearly fell over when she first saw Ben’s—a squat, red, shining beacon of a building on U Street, before the neighborhood was gentrified. The Ali family, who own Ben’s, embraced Mary’s work early on in her artistic career; she believes it’s the Ali family’s good vibes that give Ben’s its friendly aura. Details such as the steaming chili dishes and plump chili dogs painted on the windows, the still-visible remnants of the old vaudeville-theater façade, and the primary colors make Ben’s a perfect artistic subject.
