November 4, 2020
Washington, D.C. – The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) has introduced a new installation at Indiana Plaza. “Plants of Indiana” is an outdoor exhibit celebrating nature and the namesake of the plaza. The exhibition is located on 7th Street between Pennsylvania and Indiana Avenues Northwest.
“Plants of Indiana” was made possible through a partnership with the landowner, the National Park Service, and one of the oldest state societies in Washington— the Indiana Society of Washington, DC. The installation welcomes new opportunities for activity and engagement at Indiana Plaza. Project landscape architects, Landscape Architecture Bureau, proposed the idea of creating a gallery of plants from the major ecoregions in Indiana to display at the plaza.
The outdoor exhibit features Butterfly Milkweed, False Blue Indigo, and Purple Milkweed. Conveniently, these plants also thrive in the grow zone of Washington, DC.
“This project has been years in the making and it was a pleasure to bring it to life,” said BID Director of Planning and Placemaking Galin Brooks. “We are excited to cultivate the plaza into a space that provides people with an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while learning more about the natural environment.”
The DowntownDC BID worked with landscape architects, Landscape Architecture Bureau; site owner, National Park Service; and authorizing entities, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission to formalize a design for the gallery of plants. The goal was to create an installation that would soften the urban landscape of Indiana Plaza while simultaneously better connecting people to nature.
“The renewal of Indiana Plaza in Washington, DC, has been a years-long priority for the Indiana Society and we are excited to bring the project to fruition alongside the DowntownDC BID,” said Stefan Bailey, president of the Indiana Society of Washington, DC. “The ‘Plants of Indiana’ exhibit reflects the Indiana Society’s commitment to our Hoosier heritage and to the betterment of the Nation’s Capital. We are grateful to the BID for its leadership and vision and appreciate the generosity of our members, all of whom have made possible the renewal of Indiana Plaza.”
The “Plants of Indiana” exhibit comes two years after the BID and the Indiana Society of Washington, DC first activated the plaza in 2018 with a lunchtime pop-up and rollout of the BID’s signature red bistro tables and chairs. Both organizations plan to activate the plaza further with the addition of bright red Magis Spun Chairs that pay homage to the Hoosier red that is frequently associated with the state of Indiana.
To learn more about Indiana Plaza and the Indiana Society of Washington, DC please visit www.indianasociety.org. You can view photos of the Plants of Indiana installation below.
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About the DowntownDC Business Improvement District
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) was founded in 1997 and is a private non-profit organization that provides capital improvements, resources and research that keep the BID area clean, safe, economically and environmentally strong and accessible. The DowntownDC BID is a catalyst, facilitator and thought leader in diversifying the economy, promoting public/private partnerships and enhancing the DowntownDC experience for all. This special district, where property owners have agreed to tax themselves to fund services, encompasses a 138-block area of approximately 520 properties from Massachusetts Avenue on the north to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street on the west. For more information, visit DowntownDC.org or follow us on Twitter @downtowndcbid
Plants of Indiana – Photos:
