Queen City by Nekisha Durrett

Standing tall and vigilant, Queen City confronts the 1941 seizure of Black-owned land by the federal government for the construction of the Pentagon. With this work, 903 displaced residents of the Queen City neighborhood are represented by handmade ceramic vessels made in the shape and color of a drop of water.

In the spirit of collaboration, Durrett commissioned 17 Black ceramists from Washington D.C., California, Virginia, Maryland, New York, Georgia, Connecticut, Missouri, Florida, Minnesota, and Michigan to make 903 ceramic teardrop vessels that signify the displaced individuals of Queen City. In building this community, Durrett encourages the legacy of Queen City to live on in spite of its erasure. Community partners of this project include Arlington Arts, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, Arlington Historical Society, and Center for Local History at Arlington Public Library.

Arlington Public Art welcomes three new public art projects associated with Amazon's HQ2 Met Park development: Queen City by Nekisha Durrett; Shhh by Aurora Robson and Untitled Perched Objects by Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle. As part of the Metropolitan Park Redevelopment Project, public art in Metropolitan Park is intended to inspire interaction and dialogue, and bring a sense of community, human connection, and intimacy to the park.

The Metropolitan Park Public Space project is a joint effort between JBG Smith and Arlington County as part of the Arlington County Board approved Met Park Redevelopment Project.

Learn more about Nekisha Durrett.Learn more about Metropolitan Park Public Space Project.