The original Petworth mural on the side of 843 Upshur Street, painted in 2015

Just over a year ago, the Petworth mural on the 800 block of Upshur Street was tagged and defaced. The damage was temporarily repaired, the community jumped into action and funds were raised to help cover the cost of a new mural.

The original Petworth mural was conceived by Tom Pipkin and Rob Mandel seven years ago, and painted by celebrated local artist Juan Pineda. It’s become the backdrop for many a Facebook cover image and Instagram photo, and has shown up in news articles describing the neighborhood.

Pipkin went out that night in February last year and put white paint over the tags, and then local artist Andrew Funk added the stylized “Petworth” over that to keep the mural looking good until Pipkin could organize the new design.

Pipkin has been leading this effort to paint a new mural on the side of the building owned by Marc Dosik (Fed City Team at Redwood Realty) and where the Willow Fashion and Loyalty Books stores are located. Dosik has been an avid supporter of the mural, from the original in 2015 to the new one being painted.

The cover-up artwork over the damaged Petworth mural — looks pretty cool in its own right.

A call was put out to artists to submit designs for the new mural. Pipkin hoped to have a contest and have the community choose the winning design and artists. A number of submissions were received, but they really weren’t that inspiring — except for two separate submissions from Pineda and Funk. Pipkin connected the two artists and suggested they collaborate and submit a new design together. Pineda and Funk came up with new artwork that is reminiscent of the original, but leverages the talents of both local DC artists.

“No other submission came close to achieving the impact of the original mural. I am very happy that the original artist (Juan) and a second artist (Andrew) agreed to collaborate to create the next version of this iconic neighborhood mural,” Pipkin said. “Both of these artists have deep roots in the area and are extremely accomplished in their own right, with dozens of murals and art works all over the city, from public walls, to galleries and private interior commissions.”

The new design uses Pineda’s abstract art style mixed with Funk’s… well, his funky letter art. “The way the font of the letters flow is meant to invoke movement and action, along with the energy of the neighborhood,” said Andrew Funk. “And DC is a very colorful and diverse place, and our use of color will be representative of that.”

”I have a tremendous sense of gratitude by the community and all who have embraced the original mural,” Pineda said. “I am looking forward to recreating with the same energy and distinction as the original, while this design will encompass a much more vibrant look and a dual collaboration that will enhance its uniqueness.”

After delays due to weather, COVID-19 and scheduling, Pipkin said the plan is to start painting the new mural — even bigger than the current one — in the next couple of weeks.

“The design was and will continue to be anchored by a font-driven treatment of ‘Petworth,’” Pipkin said. “The clear statement of the neighborhood name with a very original and colorful background represents the energy and vitality of the community. It's pretty straight forward really — fun, bright, cool and easily interpreted. The mural has been highlighted in more than a dozen media pieces from the New York Times to a DC Lotto commercial. Most of the time, simple and well-executed are the keys to wide appeal.”

”I want the community to look at the mural and sense a feeling of joy and pure energy,” Pineda said. “This is what color and murals do for me, and I think the design can be a personal interpretation of what neighbors truly see or feel when visiting the alley.”

Pipkin said that the work on the mural is slated to begin by early April, and take about three to four days to complete, weather permitting. “We are planning a ribbon cutting celebration to have the neighborhood come out to celebrate,” he said.

More details to come!