extended deadline: February 10, 2012

The Maywood, Maywood Mews and Cherrydale Citizens Associations, in conjunction with the Christopher Companies, are sponsoring a competition to procure a work of art to be placed on the median of Lee Highway opposite the new building being constructed by the Christopher Companies at the corner of Lee Highway and N Monroe Street, Arlington, Virginia. This art project came into being as part of a site plan that allowed the developer, Christopher Companies, to build a denser, larger than “by-right” condo building in exchange for some community benefits, including a beautification project. $20,000 is earmarked to pay for an art installation for the Lee Highway median.
We recommend you read a bit about Cherrydale, Maywood and Maywood Mews by checking our respective websites. Maywood Mews is the small townhome complex behind the proposed condo.  Cherrydale is south of Lee Hwy and Maywood is north  Citizens of these three neighborhoods will be judges of the art contest.
The larger of the two median islands is where the art project will be displayed. The smaller median is where the Cherrydale Citizens Association sign is, and where a railroad station used to stand.  On the north side of Lee Highway (Maywood side) at Monroe Street is a 5-story condo building under construction by Christopher Companies.(4 stories, brick in front, with a 5th story set back).  Awnings will be forest green.  We will try to provide a copy of the color brick in case that is useful.  On the south side (Cherrydale) is a small section of retail and then historic old homes.
A little history: a railroad line, opened in 1906, ran along a part of Lee Highway from Great Falls to Rosslyn. The stations in Cherrydale were: Thrifton at Lyon Village, Dominion Heights in the Monroe Street Island (hence the name of the future condo building it is also where the Cherrydale sign is), Cherrydale Station at Quincy Street., and Harrison Hollow on what is now Old Dominion Drive. In 1912 the railroad was electrified, but steam rail was also used until the entire line closed in 1935.
Lee Highway was an early forest path, which by the late 1700s led to a ferry at Georgetown.  Widened during the Civil War, it remained dirt until the 1920s, and was concreted in 1958. Now, Lee Highway serves as a low speed highway, and a walkable road for our small intimate neighborhoods.  Speed limit is 25mph.  West up the south side of the hill is a senior citizen apartment building, then a nursing home,  high end condos, then our historic Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Dept.  On the north side is Safeway, a major pedestrian destination point and the next block up is Cherrydale Station, which has many small shops.
The restrictions for size of the art are quite strict and unchangeable.  The art cannot be taller than 36 inches as decreed by engineers.  Art proposals must comply with all the restrictions mentioned in the RFP.

Enjoy, we look forward to your submissions!

-Maureen Ross, President, Cherrydale Citizens Association

The artist shall be awarded $17,500 for the fully installed artwork.  The sponsors of the competition will provide no more than that amount in three equal increments.  The first increment will be paid on contract award.  The second will be paid after a review of the winning artist’s satisfactory progress in mid-June 2012, and the third upon final installment of work on the median, due the end August 2012.
for more information: www.cherrydale.net/?page_id=316