THE MARION BARRY JR. STATUE

On Saturday, March 3, 2018, Mayor Bowser unveiled and dedicated an historic statue of Mayor Marion S. Barry, Jr. The eight-foot bronze statue honors Mayor Barry’s life of public service to District residents. The dedication was attended by the Council of the District of Columbia, dignitaries, family, friends, a host of government workers, the community and those who served in the Barry Administration.“Sometime after Martin had a dream and before President Obama gave us hope, Marion Barry provided opportunity,” said Mayor Bowser. “Mr. Barry was a larger than life figure a man who could both lead the protest as an activist and engage the protest as Mayor. He gave hope to those who had lost it and created access to the middle class for Washingtonians who, for years, had been locked out of power and prosperity. With this statue, we are preserving a tremendous part of Washington, DC’s history, and honoring our Mayor for Life, Marion Barry.”The eight-foot tall bronze statue of Washington, DC’s Mayor for Life was designed by artist Steven Weitzman, who was commissioned for the project through a competitive application process by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Weitzman’s sculpture was based on hours of studying photographs and video recordings and conversations with Mayor Barry’s family and colleagues. The statue is located at the northeast corner of the John A. Wilson Building, near the intersection of 13½ Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.