Graffiti News
Washington DC commissions one mural for each of its eight wards
MuralsDC, the District of Columbia's public mural programme, has commissioned eight artists to paint one mural in each of Washington DC's eight wards, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The local broadcaster WJLA reported the project on 20 August 2026.
What the programme is
MuralsDC is run by the District's Department of Public Works in conjunction with the mayor's office. It has operated for nearly 20 years and has produced roughly 200 murals. Nancee Lyons of the Department of Public Works runs the anniversary project. All eight murals are expected to be complete by the end of September 2026.
The three murals announced so far
"First Footsteps" — Ward 4, 5816 Georgia Ave NW. Painted by Federico Frum, who works as MasPaz. It honours the Piscataway Nation, indigenous to the Mid-Atlantic region. Frum told WJLA: "When you look at the face I have painted, you'll see lots of skin tones. So, it's honoring all shapes, sizes, and colors of people."
"Keeping the Promise" — Ward 6, 1335 H St NW. Painted by Mia Duvall, a sixth-generation Washingtonian. It shows a modern marching band in DC statehood attire and references the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence. Duvall said: "The Declaration of Independence is an unfinished document."
"The American Dream" — Ward 7, 4510 East Capitol St NE. Painted by Luis Del Valle. It features an eagle, a fish, a young girl and a boy fishing, and is about opportunity and perseverance. Del Valle said: "No country is perfect, but here you can actually become something from nothing."
The artists and titles for the remaining five murals had not been announced.
Why one per ward matters
The distribution is part of the design. Eight murals clustered downtown would be a tourist attraction. Eight murals spread one to a ward is a route through the whole city, and it puts one within walking distance of residents in every part of it.
The content is not uniform either. A work honouring indigenous history, a work calling the Declaration of Independence unfinished, and a work about an immigrant's chance at something sit inside the same commemoration. One anniversary, several different answers to it.
Commissioned walls and uncommissioned ones
A city-commissioned mural and an unpermitted painting have different legal standing. For anyone reading a city, though, they do the same job: they tell you what the walls are saying.
The difference is lifespan. Commissioned work gets maintained. Everything else can be gone next month. That is why Wallscape records location alongside the image — a mural you pass in DC stays on the map for whoever comes next.
What is confirmed and what is not
Confirmed: who runs the programme, the number of murals, the artists, titles and street addresses of three of them, and the end-of-September target. Not confirmed: details of the remaining five, the budget, and the individual unveiling dates.