Happy Halloween!

The spooky season has arrived, and as we prepare for a night of tricks and treats we’re excited to share some of the impressive Halloween decorations we’ve spotted this October. Our festive adventures took us from New York City to Miami, East Hampton, and Washington D.C., where we discovered everything from haunted stoops and glowing ghosts to intricately carved pumpkins that truly capture the Halloween spirit.

Across every neighborhood, with porches adorned with pumpkins, cobwebs, spectacular skeletal animatronics, and plenty of spooky surprises. It’s been a delight to see how communities have embraced the holiday with such enthusiasm and imagination.

Wishing everyone a safe and spectacular Halloween night filled with candy, costumes, and a few fun scares. We will see you in November when we return to our regularly scheduled program of public art!

“Speaking Willow” by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

Being kept out of most attractions in DC due to the ongoing government shutdown, we were welcomed  at Planet Word Museum by Mexican-Canadian electronic artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s interactive sculpture “Speaking Willow” which celebrates the world’s vast linguistic diversity. Lozano-Hemmer captures the grace and resiliency of the willow tree, qualities that beautifully mirror the way languages evolve and intertwine through this auditory marvel. As visitors stroll beneath the tree’s sweeping branches, they trigger the 365 small, bell-shaped speakers that hang from above into conversations. Each speaker plays a recording in a different language, together representing the voices of more than 99% of the world’s population. Strolling around “Speaking Willow”  is like listening to beautiful symphony, reminding us that while language roots us in our own communities, it also connects us to countless others through the shared rhythm of human expression.

If you visit, you may also want to stop for a bite at the Museum’s restaurant Immigrant Food, which celebrates all the global flavors that truly make America great!

The US Capitol in Washington DC

The United States Capitol building is one of the most recognizable structures in the country. Its broad wings extend to the north and south, and its tall white dome is one of its most notable features. The building, originally designed in the 1790s, was created as a symbol of democracy and freedom. Surrounded by vast green lawns and a series of monuments, memorials, and museums, the building is impressive even today. The city of Washington DC was built with the Capitol at its center. George Washington’s trusted city planner, the Frenchman Pierre Charles L’Enfant, designed the city with wide diagonal boulevards connecting important sites, many of them radiating out from Capitol Hill. This design allows the building’s distinct dome to be seen from great distances, including from the White House, the baseball stadium, several city parks, and Union Station, where many people arrive in the city.