Artist
Craig Kraft
Title
Vivace
Date2010
MediumRolled aluminum and neon
Dimensions21 × 9 1/2 × 13 1/2 ft. (640 × 289.5 × 411.5 cm)
Credit LineDC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Commissioned Project
Object numberDCCAH2010.075
ClassificationsSculpture
Locations
Watha T. Daniel Shaw Library Mural (1630 7th Street NW)
DescriptionKraft had lived in the Shaw neighborhood for the past 13 years. During that time, he witnessed the neighborhood transition from one categorized by urban blight to one of revitalization and growing prosperity. Once defined by despair and danger, Shaw has begun to evolve through a renaissance of development and hope. As the neighborhood’s history illustrates, Shaw was once home to numerous Jazz artists beyond Duke Ellington and saw the genesis of the musical genre of Jazz emerge from its houses and storefronts. Although Shaw is known for its tough edge, artists of all types have long called Shaw their home, long before the recent redevelopment efforts.
The Watha T. Daniel Library is an exceptional and appropriate landmark for Shaw. The incorporation of Jazz as the central theme and identifying characteristic of the building and the public sculpture is an ideal expression of Shaw’s rich cultural heritage and spirit of creativity and rebirth. This sculpture embodies the spirit of creativity, vibrancy and color that once filled the Shaw neighborhood, offering optimism for our neighborhood’s future.
