As the murals were being painted, we drafted engaging social copy for the SWBID’s channels, created a “snackable” video for socials, and began pitching the story to local outlets, securing coverage with NBC4. As the ribbon-cutting event drew closer, we supported the needs of the SWBID by drafting remarks and organizing invitations for important community stakeholders to attend. On the day of the ribbon cutting ceremony, we managed multiple media interviews and created an additional snackable to recap the success of the event on social media.

We began our work on this project by reading through grant documents and speaking to SWBID team members to understand how the murals fit into the mission of the SWBID and its goals for the community. We also spoke to some of the artists about the inspiration behind their murals, each designed to celebrate the history and community in Southwest.

The 4th Street Underpass, a standing reminder of the urban renewal that created permanent divides in SW in the 1950s, was transformed by our client, the Southwest Business Improvement District, into a bright and colorful mural gallery by 11 artists. We were tasked with telling the story of the past, present, and future of the neighborhood through the lens of this public art project.

Our outreach helped the SWBID secure coverage in over ten TV, radio, and print/digital publications including the Washington Post, WTOP, ABC7, and more. Several outlets also expressed interest in the other projects of the SWBID - this will lead to additional coverage in the future and further establish the SWBID as a thought leader presenting a model for what BIDs can be and what they can accomplish in their communities.