Explore 'The DMV’, Gareth Fuller's Map Art of Washington, D.C.

the dmv

(

2025

)

120 x 120 cm

Pen and ink on cotton board

Created over twelve months, including three months of on-the-ground exploration in 2023 and creation in 2024, this artwork becomes the fourth capital city within the ongoing series, Purposeful Wanderings. The third time capturing an entire region on canvas. And the very first artwork depicting the United States of America.
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From its very beginning, Washington, D.C. has sat at the centre of American national identity, politics, conflict, compromise, and power. But it doesn’t work alone: it’s the wider region that sustains the Capital. The DMV—D.C., Maryland, and Virginia—isn’t just a geographic label; it’s a cultural badge, a collective effort shaped by the reach of the Metro, the sprawl of the Beltway, and the unique, fluid neighbourhoods that define its borders. These observations have guided my exploration; the drawings seek to uncover what binds The DMV together and creates its unshakable sense of place.

I've spent my entire life watching America with awe. This work is a contribution to the capital's story—an occasionally naive, yet honest and personal portrait of one of the world's most influential and vital places.
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CONTOURS OF CHANGE

As an outsider, The DMV appears to buzz with a restless energy for change – a place where democracy bounces between spectacle, reality and back again. This tension is ingrained in the region's identity. The artwork portrays this through a metaphorical circle that reflects the capital's ongoing cycle of transformation – laws that create ripples (and shocks) across the nation and beyond, transient diplomats, locals facing relentless gentrification and the swell of commuters coming and going each day.

Wherever I went, change seemed the one constant. Defined differently by almost everyone I met. Ask the lobbyist on a friend’s front lawn, the local I strolled with through Brightwood, or the former Trump campaigner at a bar in Virginia – and the answer would never be the same. The dog walker focused on modernising the military, the man I met outside a liquor store in Congress Heights, and the tech engineer dreaming of community gardens all shared their own visions for change. It was there while I watched congress in session, among the Anacostia organisers, and in the humble, heartfelt signs of allegiance that bloom across neighbourhoods.

A place forever in flux, as it should be.

Purposeful Wandering

The deep human history moved me in unexpected ways. The DMV is a region charged with brilliance and brutality, breakthroughs and buried pain.

What I found was an extraordinary celebration of lived space – allowing for a collaboration with the city itself.

For thousands of years, Native Americans thrived across the region – drawings in the artwork honour their people; the original placemakers. The military base, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, sits on territory with deep Indigenous significance. It was first inhabited by the Anacostan people before European colonisation in the 17th century displaced them through disease, conflict, and settler hunger for tobacco farmland.

Lincolnia, Virginia, a neighbourhood near Alexandria, was established as a community for freed enslaved people after the Civil War. Initially called Lebanon, the community was renamed Lincolnia to honour the president, Abraham Lincoln.

By 1865, the young capital city was surrounded by a ring of 68 forts and armed with over 800 cannons to protect it from Confederate attack. Today, many of these forts are recreational spaces, managed by the National Park Service. Cannons are peppered across the artwork to serve as symbols of the region’s hard-fought liberty – seen here, are two cannons firing music and peace from one of the many events held at Fort Dupont Park.

I first encountered a street shrine in Trinidad, D.C. Soon after, I began to notice more and more. Curious, I went online and soon discovered Lloyd Wolf, who has been photographing such sites for decades. These shrines, created by friends and family, commemorate the victims of violent crime – often conveying something the headlines overlook: this corner mattered, this life was loved. I had the opportunity to accompany Lloyd briefly while he worked. This heartfelt experience, along with the shrines I witnessed, is reflected in my art.

Living Archives

Streets and their buildings; rivers and their bridges; parks and their statues – the region is brimming with tributes to both local and national heroes. Some of the homes where the notable once lived still stand, carefully preserved as historic sites that offer glimpses into their personal lives and stories.

This American tradition – honouring legacy through public spaces – transforms the landscape into a form of living archive, connecting us with the nation’s past.

Frederick Douglass was a leading figure of African American civil rights in the 19th Century. Born enslaved, he became a prominent social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer and statesman – playing a key role in the creation of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments, granting African Americans citizenship and the right to vote. The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site preserves his last residence on Cedar Hill, where he lived his last 17 years.

Key Bridge has crossed the Potomac River since 1923. Its full name, The Francis Scott Key Bridge, honours the local lawyer, author and poet who wrote the poem that later became the nation’s anthem. Historians believe "The Star-Spangled Banner" was written within 100 yards of where the bridge was later built.

At 761 ft, the Hughes Memorial Tower is the tallest structure in the DMV, surpassing the Washington Monument by more than 200 ft. Transmitting signals for the police and fire departments, the three-legged, free-standing tower – featuring the ichthys, or ‘Jesus fish’ – is named after John S. Hughes, an Assistant D.C. Police Chief who pioneered the adoption of such technology.

Beyond the Mall

As an artist, simply pitching up on America’s front lawn was never an option. I walked hundreds of miles – exploring neighbourhoods and following trails – with each block passed, new stories unfolded.

I wandered from Bethesda to Alexandria, following the Potomac River. I took in the evening rush-hour at Seven Corners. I grabbed a beer in the thronging bars around the Capitol; the air thick with what did or didn’t, or should or shouldn’t, have happened that day.

What I found – amongst the rich history, thrilling architecture and lashings of mumbo sauce – was one of the most politically aware, community spirited and truly alive places I’ve ever visited.

I walked D.C.’s historic, diamond-shaped border, marked by 40 boundary stones, each set one mile apart. Some remain proudly on display – fenced and protected – others are found in graveyards and overgrown parking lots: the very rarest left me clinging to the underside of the Anacostia freeway. Following these little stumps of history brought me to neighbourhoods, people and places I may otherwise have missed.

The DMV’s network of walking and cycling trails provides a much-needed respite from the frenetic, pressured pace of life in and around the capital, facilitating both swift commuting and lush recreation.

Located in Deanwood, Suburban Gardens was the first amusement park in D.C. – welcoming African Americans who were excluded from Glen Echo Amusement Park in Maryland. Marvin Gaye was born and raised in the neighbourhood. His legendary TV appearances on Soul Train are still fondly remembered – depicted here by his music running the tracks.

Lincoln Park, located on Capitol Hill, was the first site to bear the President’s name. Originally intended to be the reference point for measuring all distances in North America, serving as a zero milepost, today, it’s a cherished green space for dogs and their owners to stretch their legs. It bears the statues of both its presidential namesake and the activist and educator, Mary McLeod Bethune.

Pockets of Identity

Bound together, yet gloriously unique – each small pocket of The DMV struck me as its own village: a region distinctly more than the sum of its parts. Each city, town, and neighbourhood's distinct rhythm, rituals and identity feeding into the next.

SILVER SPRING, MD

Named after the natural spring that sparkled with silvery flakes of mica, Silver Spring is a vibrant community with a rich history. The artwork celebrates everything from its iconic Art Deco landmarks, the AFI Silver Theatre and the Canada Dry Bottling Plant, to Lucy’s Ethiopian Restaurant and iconic dive bar, the Quarry House Tavern – a survivor of Prohibition, two World Wars, and a devastating fire and flood. The Hand of NOAA sculpture marks the location of the federal science agency involved in shaping international ocean, fisheries, climate, space, and weather policies, with links stretching back to Thomas Jefferson.

AlexandrIA, VA

Just south of the capital along the Potomac River, Alexandria preserves centuries of history in its walkable streets. King Street forms the heart of Old Town, lined with restaurants and independent boutiques. This detail features local landmarks, such as the spooky Wilkes Street Tunnel and Old Town Books, with its distinctive three stars. Nearby, the Freedom House Museum occupies what was once the headquarters of the largest slave trading operation in America. A short distance away, the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum showcases American ingenuity.

Bethesda, MD

The affluent city of Bethesda, Maryland, blends medical innovation with pop culture history. The stylized 'BS' road sign nods to Bethesda Softworks, the video game studio behind franchises like Doom and The Elder Scrolls. Nearby, the National Institutes of Health is symbolized by its modernist campus and a toothbrush—a reference to its fluoride breakthrough. Just east, the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has treated presidents from Lyndon B. Johnson to Donald Trump, with its most infamous case being JFK’s autopsy. Together, these landmarks capture Bethesda’s unique mix of science, power, and unexpected quirks.

Anacostia, D.C.

Once known as Uniontown in the mid-1800s, this deeply historic neighbourhood is well known for the Anacostia Community Museum, its Martin Luther King Jr. Day Peace Walk and Parade, and the former home and estate of Frederick Douglass on Cedar Hill. This section of the artwork is anchored by the Big Chair, an iconic public artwork installed by the Bassett Furniture Garden and once considered the world’s largest chair.

TAKOMA PARK, MD

Informally known as Azalea City due to the many flowering bushes each spring, Takoma Park was one of the first cities in the US to declare itself a ‘Nuclear-Free Zone’ – marked here by a radiation symbol and dove (the nuclear-free movement symbol). Below is Roscoe the Rooster – a free spirit who wandered the streets of Takoma in the ‘90s. Drivers stopped for him, the authorities could never catch him and in 2000, locals commissioned a bronze sculpture in his honour.

LANGLEY, MCLEAN, VA

Home to the HQ of the CIA, Langley’s mysterious history is celebrated here via nods to some of the federal agency’s most famous (and unusually-named) projects – from Acoustic Kitty and Operation Paperclip to Project Artichoke and Operation White Giant. Not far away, is Hickory Hill, a large brick house owned for many years by members of the Kennedy family. It’s where JFK penned his Pulitzer-prize winning book before gaining a reputation for wild, celebrity-packed parties in Bobby's day.

Arlington

Located directly across the Potomac River from the capital, Arlington’s incredible blend of sprawling green spaces, communities and rich American history rivals anything in the country. The small section of the artwork depicted here is home to several national landmarks, including the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery’s rolling hills and pristine white tombstones, as well as the Marine Corps War Memorial. The bustling Columbia Pike Corridor, known locally as “The Pike”, is claimed to contain the whole world in a single zip code. Over 150 nationalities are represented within its unique blend of restaurants, shops, and international markets. The strength and diversity of the Pike’s community is honoured here with a heart, formed by two shaking hands.

I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who supported me during my time exploring the DMV area. Thank you to each person I met during my walks, and all those who shared stories, advice, and kindness. I’m especially grateful to the staff at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library for their endless patience, remarkable knowledge, and this incredibly comfortable chair.
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Thank you to the Historical Marker Database for aiding my research and to local historian Armand Lione for his valuable insights. Thank you to the workers at the cement plant who helped me locate that final boundary stone and to the staff at The Library of Congress, who rescued me from a maze of underground corridors while organising my membership ID. Finally, a shout-out to Austin Graff for his comprehensive neighborhood guides.

Many people contributed to making this project possible, and I am forever grateful to you all.

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Wandering to the next page

the dmv

CONTOURS OF CHANGE

Purposeful Wandering

Living Archives

Beyond the Mall

Pockets of Identity

SILVER SPRING, MD

AlexandrIA, VA

Bethesda, MD

Anacostia, D.C.

TAKOMA PARK, MD

LANGLEY, MCLEAN, VA

Arlington