Letter
Dear Ms. Mendelson-Ielmini:
In its meeting of 15 November, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a proposal for the temporary public art installation of a two-part sculpture, The Chicken and The Egg, on the two parcels of Reservation 183, located at the intersections of New York Avenue with North Capitol and N Streets, NE. The Commission approved the submission with the following comments and delegated review of the final design to the staff.
The Commission members expressed support for the NoMa Business Improvement District’s overall program to accent six key intersections in and around the NoMa neighborhood with public art, of which The Chicken and The Egg will be the first. They questioned the durability of the painted architectural foam proposed for the chicken sculpture; they requested that a sample of the foam, along with a list of examples of other public artworks made of this material, be provided to the staff for inspection. They also expressed appreciation for the inclusion of new plantings in both parcels, commenting that the ornamental grasses will create a nest-like setting that will help to ground these two whimsical artworks.
The Commission looks forward to seeing the sculpture installed. Please coordinate the delegated review of the final design and the inspection of the material sample with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Lisa Mendelson-Ielmini, Acting Regional Director
National Park Service-National Capital Region
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242
cc: Robin-Eve Jasper, NoMa BID/NoMa Parks Foundation