Southern abutment wall facing Cedar Street.

From Model to Rainbow, 2011
Sam Gilliam
Glass mosaic mounted on Aerolam panels
39' l x 14' h
400 sq ft

"The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is always pleased to work with a hometown treasure such as Sam Gilliam," says Aryis Scales, Interim Executive Director of the Arts Commission. "His mosaic, 'From a Model to a Rainbow,' provides a vibrant and inviting gateway to the diverse Takoma neighborhood. Public art is an important tool for economic revitalization and creates a strong community identity. 'From a Model to a Rainbow' is an outstanding demonstration of how public art can be used to beautify the District's neighborhoods."

This project was made possible in part by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.

Sam Gilliam is a renowned Color Field painter, with a career spanning many decades. He is best known for his innovation of hung and draped canvas outside of the traditional stretcher frame, and has also worked with plastics and sculptural elements in his paintings. Later in his career, Gilliam moved towards more textural and sculptural work, often incorporating wood or aluminum. Gilliam has also had a life-long commitment to teaching, first at Washington public schools and later at the Maryland Institute College of Art, the University of Maryland, and Carnegie Mellon.