You Are Here : Home / Government/ Arts / Arts Events / 40th Dark Star Park Day

40th Dark Star Park Day

Don't miss the Arlington tradition that only comes around once a year! Every August 1 (the day that William Henry Ross acquired the land that became Rosslyn in 1860) at precisely 9:32 a.m., shadows created by the poles at Dark Star Park align with shadow patterns on the ground. There will be a special reading by Arlington Poet Laureate Courtney LeBlanc, a commemorative poster giveaway, refreshments, and more!

Arlington's First Public Art Piece

Arlington’s history of commissioning public art grounded in County planning objectives began in 1984 with the dedication of Nancy Holt’s Dark Star Park in Rosslyn. Dark Star Park is emblematic of Nancy Holt’s commitment to temporal and site-responsive sculpture. Located within a busy traffic intersection on a once-overlooked pocket of land, it features large, gunite spheres resembling fallen, extinguished stars alongside tunnels and vertical poles. Learn more about Nancy Holt and Dark Star Park with this article from Angela Anderson Adams for the Holt/Smithson Foundation.

When

Thursday, August 01, 2024 | 09:32 AM

Location

Dark Star Park, 1655 Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA, 22209, View Map

Skip to below map

Skip to above map

Event Snapshot

Cost

Free

About Arlington Public Art

Today, Arlington is home to more than 70 permanent public art projects. These works are commissioned by the County to be integrated into various capital improvement projects, sponsored by developers as part of the site plan process, and initiated by communities. Arlington’s history of developer-initiated public art goes back to 1979 with the commission of Nancy Holt’s Dark Star Park in Rosslyn. Arlington Public Art has also hosted more than 40 temporary public art installations since 1987 and continues to partner with local arts organizations, artists, and community organizations to present interpretative projects, exhibitions, and more.

Arlington Public Art is a program of Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development, which delivers public activities and programs as Arlington Arts.