The best art in D.C. might not be inside a building, but rather on the outside of it. Tucked along the sides of restaurants, plastered along alleyways, and placed prominently above you are many of D.C.’s finest works of art. Created over the years by talented street artists, D.C.’s murals show the vibrancy of the District. The murals of D.C. are odes to beloved musicians,  important politicians, and iconic Hollywood stars.

Music

Photo courtesy of Ted Eytan

Many musicians are featured in the murals around Shaw, a neighborhood known for its liveliness, creativity, and a deeply rooted African-American community.

“Bohemian Cavern” by Alonso Tamayo is an incredible work that showcases the beauty of jazz against a black backdrop, peppered with stars and the profile of Miles Davis. It’s half of what it used to be, quite literally. The image used to span at least twice the distance and featured the image of Shirley Horn, Heyday DC noted. What’s left of the work can be found along the side of the Bohemian Caverns jazz club.

Featured among many notable figures in American history is the late Prince. He sits along with Taraji P. Henson, Harriet Tubman, Wale, Muhammad Ali, and so many more on the exterior wall of Ben’s Chili Bowl. The mural is called “The Torch” and was completed in 2017 when the original mural — which featured Bill Cosby — was repainted. Aniekan Udofia was the artist for both versions of the mural, which now stands significantly taller than the original.

Duke Ellington is featured along the side of the True Reformer Building in an image based on the cover of his autobiography, Music is My Mistress. The work was painted by G. Byron Peck and local students in 1997 and then moved from its original location at 12th and U Streets NW in 2012. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, the work was painted on panels, and the recreation added 384 square feet.

Politics 

Photo courtesy of Daniel Lobo

It’s no surprise that George Washington would be among the politicians featured on D.C.’s walls. A piece by Aniekan Udofia and Liz Brown can be found in Shaw above the Shangri-La Day Spa. The image is all white, save for a black scarf across Washington’s mouth. A strikingly vibrant image of Washington can be found in NoMa. The image was painted as part of the POW! WOW! Festival, according to WTOP. 

A moving work of art in Bloomingdale along the Metropolitan Branch Trail features Abraham Lincoln’s monument. The work is done in shades of gray and highlights the workers who built the statue found at the end of D.C.’s famous reflecting pool. Titled “28 Blocks,” Garin Bake created the piece as a tribute to the African-American men who built the statue rather than a tribute to the man himself, the Washington Post noted.

Of course, the First Family that most recently departed the White House can surely be found in D.C.’s murals. Both Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are featured in the massive mural outside of Ben’s Chili Bowl. While President Obama was a feature on the original work, the First Lady was added in when the mural was repainted. 

Hollywood

Photo courtesy of Ted Eytan

A few striking images from Hollywood grace the walls of D.C., one of the most impressive being a painting of Elizabeth Taylor you can find in Shaw. Another work of G. Byron Peck, this time with Ivo Koytchev, the image is three stories tall. At the mural dedication at Dacha Beer Garden, Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham made note of Taylor’s friendship to D.C. and work fighting the AIDS epidemic, BadWolf DC reported.

Another famous woman from the silver screen watches over from a high perch in Woodley Park. The image of Marilyn Monroe sits outside Salon Roi and was painted in 1982 by John Bailey. It was restored by Bailey himself in 2001, after — quite poetically — time took its toll on the work, Popville wrote.