Public Art Tour: District Denizens

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The curb extension art at the intersection of 15th Street & Swann Street NW features wildlife native to DC. All animals featured here are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction. These illustrations aim to bring the plight of DC's extraordinary wildlife into the hearts and minds of the city's residents.

On the northeast side of the intersection, the paintings include a peregrine falcon, the world's fastest animal; a barking tree frog at high risk of extirpation locally; and a shortnose sturgeon, an ancient fish classified as endangered. The southeast side showcases a rainbow snake, also endangered; a calico pennant dragonfly, an important ecological indicator; and North American river otters, recently spotted in the Potomac. The two animals on the west side of the intersection are a little brown bat, designated as DC's official mammal, and DC's state bird, the wood thrush. Learn more about all of these animals and others that make their home in DC's watersheds here.

ARTIST: Melissa Carter
DATE CREATED: 2021
MEDIUM: Concrete paint and sealant
DIMENSIONS: 1200 sq. ft. (1200 cm)