Letter
Dear Mr. McBride:
In its meeting of 16 September, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed the proposed artwork installation titled Wind, Water, Moon at the 7th and F Streets, NW, entrance mezzanine in the Gallery Place–Chinatown Metro station. The Commission approved the concept by artist Martha Jackson Jarvis with several recommendations for further development of the design.
The Commission members supported the proposal to introduce mosaic artwork along the curved mezzanine wall, noting the enduring history of this art form and the animated visual effects that would be achieved through lighting conditions and the manual installation of individual tesserae. However, they expressed concern that the proposal for four separate projecting panels would result in poster-scaled elements and be less powerful than the traditional treatment of mosaics as integral to the wall itself, also creating an excessive number of exposed edges vulnerable to damage. Recognizing the distinct subject matter that Ms. Jarvis has developed for each of the panels, the Commission recommended adding a mosaic frame to encompass the entire composition, providing a border between the four major elements as well as an artistic transition between the artwork and the existing wall.
The Commission looks forward to further development of this design in the next submission. As always, the staff is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
Thomas E. Luebke, AIA
Secretary
Michael McBride
Manager, Art in Transit Program
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
600 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
cc: Martha Jackson-Jarvis, Jackson-Jarvis Studio