Pepco believes in championing equitable access to the arts and ensuring everyone can experience the culture that Washington, D.C. has to offer. In August, we partnered with local artist, Aja Moon, to debut “The Aja Moon Collxn” at our Edison Place Gallery.

A D.C. native and Army veteran, Aja is an abstract realist painter who energizes her works with bold colors. She came to our attention last fall when we were seeking community input to identify an artist and an artistic concept to beautify the exterior of our new Mount Vernon substation. With help from the Mount Vernon Community Improvement District and its president and chief executive, Kenyattah Robinson, Pepco became acquainted with Aja and commissioned her to do the project in December 2023. Community meetings and discussions with Aja followed, ensuring participation and input from those who live near the substation.

The result is a stunning and provocative example of public art titled “Illuminated Legacy.” When installed, it will be a 67-foot-long mural composed of 32 brightly colored digital portraits of notable Washingtonians who contributed to the city’s culture and heritage over the past 100 years. They are diverse in every sense of the word. They all contributed to D.C.’s culture palette as religious figures, political activists, sports stars, writers, musicians and more.

Aja is displaying select portraits from “Illuminated Legacy” alongside pieces from her previous collections during her three-month exhibition at Edison Place Gallery, which concludes October 31, 2024. She will answer audience questions and discuss her art with Khaleelah Harris, an art, culture and public history worker in Washington, D.C. Click here to RSVP.