History Blooms Here

This mural was commissioned by the DC Department of Transportation to celebrate Pride Month all year long. After discussing what pride means to the art students of McKinley Tech, we applied their desire to acknowledge queer history to the curb extension mural designs. We layered a triangle motif, including a few pink triangles, with flower symbology integral to LGBTQIA+ history. The pink triangle was popularized in the 1970s as a symbol for the Act Up movement, which was reclaimed from Nazi era labeling of queer people sentenced to prisons and murder. By splattering paint on top as the final layer, we channeled active energy of resistance and ongoing fights for justice.