Washington, DC.

6′ x 32′

FŌTERA® Concrete Terrazzo

2007

The Cornerstones of History mural depicts important activists, artists, and symbols that were instrumental in transforming the social fabric of Northeast Washington, D.C. Installed as part of a fountain at a key intersection, this FŌTERA® concrete terrazzo artwork reveals four monumental portraits as viewers draw nearer—Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks. Set into a gently curved wall, the figures seem to emerge from the surface, their presence dynamic and immediate. When the fountain is active, water flows on either side of the mural, a visual reminder that these individuals represent both change and renewal.

Authorizations for this project were granted by the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, the Estate of Mercer K. Ellington, The King Center, AP – Wide World Photos, Inc., and CMG Worldwide, Inc.