BTN.com LiveBIG Staff, June 24, 2016

[btn-post-package]In the Foggy Bottom neighborhood in Washington, D.C., politics literally and figuratively dominate the landscape. The headquarters of the U.S. Department of State, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Federal Reserve Board are all located here, as is the infamous Watergate Hotel.

But Foggy Bottom is also, somewhat surprisingly, an artistic hub. It?s home to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the historic Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall. And this year, it?s getting a creative infusion from the University of Maryland.

The Arts in Foggy Bottom Outdoor Sculpture Biennial exhibit, titled ?Turf and Terrain,? is a walkable public art show that goes through the neighborhood. The event, which lasts from May 14 to Oct. 22, was curated by Danielle O?Steen, a Maryland doctoral student of art history, and four of the individual pieces were contributed by artists affiliated with the university.

Besides displaying interesting artwork, one of the goals of this exhibition is to strengthen bonds within the community. Homeowners in the neighborhood volunteer part of their yards for housing the individual pieces, and local residents and visitors regularly gather to discuss them as they?re touring the collection.

Below are the sculptures contributed by the Maryland artists. (Note: All photos via Arts in Foggy Bottom and Kate Warren.)

 

Maryland_BirdingFuture
?Birding the Future,? by Krista Caballero (with Frank Ekeberg), associate director, Design Cultures & Creativity program at the University of Maryland

 

Maryland_StepRightUp
?Step Right Up,? by Rob Hackett, MFA, University of Maryland

 

?Agnus Dei (After Zurbarán),? by Jonathan Monaghan, MFA, University of Maryland
?Agnus Dei (After Zurbarán),? by Jonathan Monaghan, MFA, University of Maryland

 

?Round Top Dig,? by Dane Winkler, MFA candidate, University of Maryland
?Round Top Dig,? by Dane Winkler, MFA candidate, University of Maryland