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The Invasion of PandaMania

© Eugenia E. Gratto

First it was donkeys and elephants, and now pandas are taking to the streets of D.C. The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) has let loose PandaMania, a citywide exhibition of 150 panda sculptures decorated by local, national and international artists.

"PandaMania will bring a smile to the faces of everyone who sees them, just as the Party Animals did two years ago," said Anthony Gittens, Executive Director of the DCCAH. "This exhibit is sure to draw visitors into the city to share the fun and whimsy."

I have to admit, as someone who regularly walks around the city, that the pandas do bring a smile to my face. They're decorated with bright colors and fun designs, such as the sunflowers that nearly pop off the surface of Marni Maree's "Basking in the Sunflowers," at 325 Seventh Street NW. But, perhaps because this was done just two years ago with the Party Animals, traditional Republican and Democtratic Party symbols done up in a similar manner, they aren't as new and surprising as they could be.

Still, earlier this week, two professionally dressed women stared at Claudia McElvaney's "Circus Panda," located at 1800 L Street NW, circling it slowly with silly grins on their faces. Near by, at 1915 I Street NW, a man had stopped to examine Zora Janosova's "The Greatest Generation." Yesterday, crowds of workers at lunchtime rushed by Penghau Zau's "Home" at 2 Massachussets Avenue NE, but each one checked out the panda on the way by. People are taking notice.

Once again, as with the Party Animals, the event is both public art and fundraiser. The PandaMania exhibition will be on display through the spring and summer and will conclude with a public "Panda Palooza Auction" this fall. All proceeds will go directly to the DC Arts Commission grants programs and Arts Education programs.

In the meantime, fans of the PandaMania project can buy memorabilia at http://www.touristart.com/Pandamania.htm, and can visit the PandaMania official website at http://pandamaniadc.org. The site features news about the event, links to maps of the various sculptures, and a small gallery of some of the pandas themselves. When the auction time approaches, the site will also include information about how to get involved in purchasing a panda of your very own.

The pandas will only be in place until September 2004, so this summer is the time to spot them. No matter what your taste in art may be, there's bound to be more than one that will delight you.

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