WASHINGTON, DC.- The Nicholson Project, a nonprofit artist residency, neighborhood garden, and cultural hub in Southeast DC, announces Song of Sons, a dynamic public art installation by artist Nate Langston Palmer. Song of Sons is an ongoing multi-year photography project that began in 2019 with Palmer documenting a Washington, DC dance group of young Black men specializing in Beat Ya Feet—a dance style that originated in, and remains unique to, Washington, DC. Blending artistic expression with cultural preservation, the project engages local communities through large-scale public art and digital storytelling, aiming to enrich public space and spark dialogue on heritage and urban transformation.

“Having this work shown on such a large scale in D.C., the city where I was born and raised, is so meaningful to me,” says artist Nate Langston Palmer. “When I started working on this project, it was really important to me that the dancers were represented in a way that felt authentic to them and that they would feel honored by. I hope this work gives every Washingtonian a sense of pride in their city whenever they pass by it.”


Adonis, 2020, archival pigment print, 35 × 27 ¾ in., installed as a building wrap at 800 9th Street SW

Song of Sons is on view from May 12 to September 28, 2025, across multiple public sites in Washington, DC. At 800 9th Street SW (at the corner of 9th and Maine Street SW), the installation features two large-scale photographic banners and a nightly video projection beginning at 7 PM. A second photo installation is on view at The Nicholson Project in Southeast DC, visible from the alleyway accessible via Prout Street SE. In addition, five smaller photographic works have been installed in transit shelters connecting the two main locations, further extending the project’s presence into the city’s everyday landscape.

Using dance and creative expression as its lens, Song of Sons centers on the lives of young Black men in Washington, DC, and their unique journeys into adulthood. Rooted in the Beat Ya Feet dance tradition—born and sustained in the District—the project celebrates Black joy, brotherhood, and cultural resilience. As a native Washingtonian, artist Nate Langston Palmer has witnessed the city’s drastic transformation over the past few decades, including the displacement of many long-term Black residents and the erosion of cultural networks deeply rooted in music, dance, and play.

Palmer’s work, deeply embedded in the fabric of DC, seeks to preserve and honor this cultural legacy. Song of Sons not only documents a vibrant local tradition but also speaks to broader themes of community, identity, and urban change. Its inclusion in the District’s public art collection marks a meaningful contribution to efforts that foreground cultural heritage in public space.

The project’s artworks are strategically sited at two anchor locations—The Wharf and The Nicholson Project—with additional photographic installations in five transit shelters that physically and symbolically link the sites. This citywide approach ensures the work reaches a broad audience, integrating into the rhythms of everyday life while amplifying narratives rooted in local identity.


Untitled (Adonis' Hands), 2020, archival pigment print, 35 × 27 ¾ in., installed as a building wrap at 800 9th Street SW

Song of Sons is funded by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities through its Public Art Building Communities Grant Program. Song of Sons was also made possible with support by Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners, a development, investment and advisory firm and owner of 800 9th Street SW.

To further extend its reach and accessibility, Song of Sons is also available on the Bloomberg Connects app, featuring a guided audio and video tour along with an interactive map of the exhibition sites. A spotlight video on the project is available online, with additional audio and video content released on a rolling basis throughout the exhibition’s run.

FIND THE ARTWORK

Song of Sons is being presented across two main sites and a series of transit shelters throughout Washington, DC:

• 800 9th Street SW (corner of 9th Street & Maine Avenue SW)
Two building-sized photographs and a nightly video projection beginning at 7 PM.

• The Nicholson Project (2310 Nicholson Street SE)
A photographic installation visible from the back alley, accessible via Prout Street SE.

• Transit Shelters
Five photographs will also appear in select bus shelters connecting the above sites:

• 7 St SW & I St SW (Bus Stop IDs: 1003903, 1000566)
• Pennsylvania Av SE & Potomac Av SE (ID: 1002965)
• Pennsylvania Av SE & L'Enfant Sq SE (IDs: 1000482, 1000485)