Ten large-scale sculptures by the late American artist Beverly Pepper will be installed along New York Avenue this summer as part of a year-long outdoor exhibition. The installation, titled Beverly Pepper Ten Monumental Sculptures, will open on June 18, 2026, and remain on view until June 1, 2027.
The works will be displayed on the medians of New York Avenue NW between 9th and 13th streets.
This event marks the next phase of the New York Avenue Sculpture Corridor, a public art initiative that has recently expanded its physical footprint with the addition of new sculpture pads.
The project is a partnership between the Washington, D.C. New York Avenue Sculpture Committee, the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID), the Beverly Pepper Studio, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
“The expansion of the New York Avenue Sculpture Corridor reflects the culmination of a dream over 20 years in the making,” said Susan Fisher Sterling, Director of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She noted that the project extends the museum’s reach into the surrounding district.
A Dual Exhibition Experience
In conjunction with the public installation, the National Museum of Women in the Arts will present a complementary exhibition inside the museum.
Beverly Pepper: Earthworks will be on view from October 24, 2026, to April 25, 2027. This showcase will feature a film about Pepper’s global land and architectural-scale works, along with several smaller sculptures and models.
The dual exhibitions will offer a comprehensive view of the artist’s practice, connecting her large-scale public art with her work in a museum context.
The Artist and Her Material
Beverly Pepper (1922–2020) was a prominent figure in contemporary art, known for her work with industrial materials at a time when few women artists worked in the medium.
The ten sculptures selected for the corridor are made from weathering steel, also known as Corten. Pepper was one of the first artists to use this material for sculpture in the early 1970s. The steel alloy forms a stable, rust-like appearance after exposure to the weather, which acts as a protective layer and creates varied surface colors.
According to Dale Lanzone, the exhibition’s curator from the Beverly Pepper Studio, Pepper was “inexhaustible—physically, mentally and creatively — always, always, seeking and finding a new way forward.”
A Legacy of Public Art
The New York Avenue Sculpture Corridor continues a public art initiative that began in 2010.
Since its inception, the project has exclusively featured monumental works by women artists. Previous exhibitions have included sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle, Chakaia Booker, Magdalena Abakanowicz, and Betsabeé Romero.
The project is supported by funding from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Council of the District of Columbia.
“For over a decade, the New York Avenue Sculpture Project has showcased the monumental work of women artists — and Beverly Pepper’s… sculptures carry that legacy forward,” stated Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert.
