Waterfront Tower Supports the Arts in SWDC

Just inside the Waterfront Tower lobby, residents and guests are greeted by a beautiful mural created by young artists from Arts on the Block, one of Washington’s premiere children’s arts organizations. Commissioned by Waterfront Tower especially for the building, this work represents the essential qualities of water, as well as Waterfront Tower’s commitment to the community and our hope for brighter tomorrows for the youth of our city.

Arts on the Block is committed to teaching our youth about the world of art and about themselves. For the students, there is opportunity to learn, to grow, and to benefit from their work. For the community, art collectors, and for those who support the arts, the organization is a source of beautiful and unique handcrafted artwork.

"What an exciting opportunity it was for Arts on the Block to be chosen to create a mural for Waterfront Tower - and what a challenge! We have done numerous large-scale public art projects and murals for the atria or reception areas of other facilities, but never for a private residential condominium. We were so pleased that Linowes Interior Design felt strongly enough about our work to recommend us to the developer The Bernstein Companies, and so thrilled that they were so receptive to featuring our work for this project.

The young apprentice artists who worked on the mural had a phenomenal experience working with the design team. They learned so much about the design process - something that every professional artist experiences in creating a commissioned work. What a rare opportunity for high school students! That they were able to rise to the occasion is a credit to the talent of the design team in translating the needs of the client to the young artists, and to the skilled leadership of our lead teaching artist, Carien Quiroga."—Jan Goldstein, Executive Director, Arts of the Block

"The Waterfront Tower mural was not only fun and interesting, it was also challenging. It allowed me to push my boundaries and think outside the box. As you have seen, the murals color pallet was all white. I and a few other apprentices had to think of ways to make each element of the design stick out through the use of texture and the way we packed the tile. Though this was not what we are used to designing, I believe that all the AOB apprentices that helped with the mural did an amazing job." "—Ala Alsulaihat, Apprentice, Arts of the Block

Arts on the Block is also committed to helping the community achieve economic vitality. The organization provides year-round training in which the quality of life for the community and for the artist are kept in constant focus. We encourage you to support Arts on the Block and their mission of educating, training, and creating opportunities for our city’s future artists. For more information, please visit www.artsontheblock.org.