Charles Hamilton Houston Memorial

Welcome

The City of Alexandria, Virginia seeks to commission public art for the new Charles Houston Recreation Center.  The process will be managed by the Office of the Arts, a division of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, with the Alexandria Commission for the Arts Public Art Committee.  The City will conduct the search for qualified applicants through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ).  The art will be paid for by private donations.  The purpose of the project is to honor and memorialize Charles Houston and to recognize the historical importance of the former Parker-Gray High School, Alexandria’s first African-American high school. 

Charles Hamilton Houston was a nationally-known civil rights leader and NAACP attorney who fought for equality in public education.  He became involved with Alexandria when, in 1941, a group of concerned citizens began to petition for a new school and eventually appealed to the NAACP for assistance.  Houston took on this challenge and used his knowledge and influence to aid the community in their fight.  Their efforts were successful and a new Parker-Gray High School was built in 1950. 

When Charles Houston passed away one month before the school was dedicated, the community requested that the former Parker-Gray School be renamed the Charles Houston Elementary School in recognition of his important contribution.  Years later, the school was demolished and a recreation facility was built that retained the Houston name.  This building was later razed to make room for the new, state-of-the-art Charles Houston Recreation Center which opened in February of 2009.

When plans for the new facility began, the community indicated their interest in seeking an appropriate way to not only memorialize Houston and his contributions to Alexandria but to also find a way to preserve the history of the Parker-Gray schools. The project's overarching theme is Education and Civil Rights.

This public art project seeks to:

• Create a civic space that visually or physically links to the Alexandria Black History Museum and the Watson Reading Room located across the street
• Celebrate the life and accomplishments of civil rights leader Charles Houston who  fought for equality of public education in the City of Alexandria
• Honor and commemorate the history associated with the establishment of  Alexandria’s first African American High School, Parker-Gray High School
• Inspire young people to remember the past and move them to see a legacy that belongs to them and to future generations
  

Selection Panel

Appointed by the Mayor, the Selection Panel’s role is to conduct a public art competition, review proposals and, with input from the Stakeholders Advisory Group and the public, select a final design.
The recommendation will be presented to the Arts Commission and to City Council. Meetings: fourth Wednesday of the month, 7pm, Charles Houston Recreation Center, open to the public.  If you are interested in attending a meeting, please call ahead to confirm meeting time and location, 703-746-5588.

Mary Cook, Torpedo Factory Artist Association
David Hamilton, Design Competition Expert
Matthew Harwood, Public Art Committee, Alexandria Commission for the Arts
Randy Scheessele, Del Ray Artisans
David Smedley, Professional Sculptor
Beth Temple, Alexandria Arts Forum

Stakeholders Advisory Group

Appointed by the City Manager, the Stakeholders Advisory Group’s role is to provide oversight to the competition and input on the design, as well as to sponsor community outreach opportunities.
Meetings: first Thursday of the month, 7pm, Charles Houston Recreation Center, open to the public.

Rebecca Adams, Public Art Committee, Alexandria Commission for the Arts
Lavern Chatman, Northern Virginia Urban League (and Project Chairperson)
William Cromley, Park and Recreation Commission
Ramona Hatten, Citizen At Large
James Henson, Departmental Progressive Club
Charles H. Houston III, Relative of Charles Hamilton Houston
Lovell Lee, Parker-Gray Alumni Association
Roscoe Lewis, TC Williams High School Student
Jennifer Lightfoot, NAACP
S. Kathleen Pepper, Historic Alexandria Resources Commission
Vonda Stanford, Charles Houston Recreation Center Parent Advisory Board
Col. Ethel Underwood, Society for the Preservation of Black Heritage
Eric Gray, Alternate

Fund Raising Committee

Lavern Chatman
Mame Reiley
Beth Temple