In the spirit of the Fourth of July, we'd like to introduce you to some of our 200 new friends who are gracing the grounds of famous buildings throughout the nation's capital.

The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities purchased 100 donkeys and 100 elephants and selected local artists to embellish them. The first eight statues were unveiled last April by First Lady Laura Bush and D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, and the statues will be on display through early fall, at which time they will be auctioned off at a "Raucus Caucus" to fund the commission's grants program. Party Animals constitutes the largest local arts program in the District's history.

Each design is distinct. The commission chose the artists from 700 applications from all over the world, and about half of the finalists hail from the District of Columbia area. Among the artists was a group of at-risk children (part of a program developed by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives) who designed both a donkey and an elephant. Each artist received a $1,000 grant and $200 for supplies to create the sculptures.

Gracing New York Avenue between the AIA building and the American Architectural Foundation's historic Octagon House museum is none other than the eye-catching "A-mazing Donkey." This is in no way a sign of political affiliation, we are quick to point out. (The AIA does not have a position supporting any one political party over another; i.e., the AIA did not sponsor this particular ani-mule.) The staff has named him "Dustin the Donkey" (after Dustin Smith, the artist) and seems to have become as fond of him as are the tourists and workers who pass this way. Dustin's photo appears in This Week's table of contents.

Following are some of the Party Animals near the AIA's headquarters. If you would like to learn more about them or the program, visit the Party Animals Web site. Or, better yet, come visit this summer and see them yourself!

Top to bottom at left:

"America the Beautiful"
by Di Stovel in front of the Willard Hotel

"Barnraising"
by Ellen Sinel in front of the Willard Hotel

"Fundraising"
by Matthew Johnston in front of Metro Center Metro

"Salvadore Donkey"
by Rutledge Home School at the Shops on National Place

"Penny"
by Joe Sutliff in front of Old Ebbitt Grill Restaurant (and across 15th Street from the Treasury Building)

"Dream 2: God Bless the World"
by Normon Greene in front of the Barnes & Noble Bookstore

"Cityiphant"
by Anne Marchand
in front of D.C. City Hall

"Awareness Donkey"
by Dorothy Donohey in front of D.C. City Hall

"50 Feathered Friends and Flowers"
by Rufus Toomey at Metro Center Metro

"Dream Time in an Elephant"
by Jeanne O'Donnell in front of the National Theater

"Smarticus Panticus"
by Glennis McClellan in front of Borders Books

"Musical Elephant"
by Konstantin Tikhonov in front of the Warner Theatre.

Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.