“The People,” a light show created by the artist Jenny Holzer, will debut on the National Mall this Sunday. The show will be projected on the facades of the National Museum of American History and the Hirshhorn Museum each night through September 21, from dusk (around 7:15 p.m.) until 11 p.m.
The display will kick off Sunday with a concert by the United States Marine Band and remarks from US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro in front of the American History Museum at 6:30 p.m. The projection will consist of a compilation of quotes on the topic of democracy and is part of the State Department program Art in Embassies’ 60th anniversary celebration, the Democracy Collection.
The celebratory events will continue at the American History Museum on September 19 with “Democracy Day: Art and Democracy in American History.” From 1 to 4 p.m., visitors can sit in on panel discussions, take artist-led exhibition tours, and participate in themed activities and demonstrations. The program marks the opening of Art in Embassies’ traveling exhibition “A More Perfect Union: American Artists and the Currents of Our Time,” which will be on display at the museum through October 1.
Art in Embassies was created by President Kennedy in 1963 to use art to promote diplomacy. Since 2000, it has developed and installed more than 70 permanent collections in almost 200 State Department facilities across the world.
