Recently, the US celebrated the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which provided a legal framework for everyday accommodations benefitting citizens with disabilities. To observe and celebrate this milestone, the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. worked with various federal agencies and partners to create educational exhibits for the public. On one weekend in July, the Smithsonian and ADA25 team hosted an adjoining "street fair" on the National Mall and museum steps. I worked with contacts at the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and others to gather photos and information, which I assembled into artwork for a 32-piece hanging poster installation, to be strung from the interior of the ADA exhibit tent on the steps of the Museum of American History.
Scale layout map for the 32-poster installation, covering 40' along the back side of the Smithsonian's open air tent on the National Mall.
I assembled four fact-based explanations of the ADA provisions for the event.
Some of the timeline graphics, telling the story of the ADA's creation and effects.
A selection of the "daily life" photo gallery images.
Below are a few photos from the actual art installation. The exhibit was a great success, with hundreds of visitors over the course of the weekend. After the initial event concluded, the ADA took the art on a roadshow/traveling exhibit--and and the end of the roadshow, the Federal Transit Administration planned to find a place for some of them in their main offices in D.C.
