+ Powder coated steel, hardware / 2026
+ Installed at Neval Thomas Elementary School, Washington DC
+ Commissioned by the Washington DC Government, Department of General Services, Percent for Art
Engineering: Shahab Torabian and Eric R. Ober, SGH
Fabrication + Installation: Majer Metal Works
+ + Thanks to Sandy Bellamy, Principal Jaimee Trahan and Krystal Willingham and the staff of Neval Thomas Elementary School
+ + For participating in and facilitating our final documentation, thank you to: Principal Jaimee Trahan and Krystal Willingham, Jamice Steele and family (Shaniece, Maya, Karmony, and Chloe), Jenn Low and Alanzo Robles-Gordon, Brian Brush and little Nora, Paul Mueller and staff of Smoot Construction, Paul Keene of DGS
GATHER is a colorful series of circular cylinders at the south entry plaza of the school, inviting students, teachers, and community members to sit, climb and play together. Three large cylindrical benches form the heart of the installation and are surrounded by smaller cylinders, designed to be activated as you choose: as an outdoor classroom, an informal neighborhood hub, or a space for children’s imaginative play.
HONORING THE LEGACY OF NEVAL THOMAS
As a new “front porch” for both the school and the neighborhood, GATHER is an invitation to connect. By creating a place to gather, dialogue and be together – GATHER honors the legacy and activism of Neval Thomas (1874-1930) — lifelong educator, regional NAACP president, and civil rights advocate — and reflects the school’s mission to focus on community. A lifelong educator, regional NAACP president, and civil rights advocate, Thomas was a steadfast community leader during times of segregation. GATHER echoes his spirit through a simple gesture: an assembly of seats that invites people to be present with one another and spark new conversations. It is a space for restoration; through play, through building community.
CONNECTION TO NATURE
As a site-specific sculptural artwork, GATHER also draws inspiration from nature. Its vibrant color palette is referenced from real, native plants of the Washington DC ecoregion, while diagonal striations across the seating surfaces echo the branching structures of leaves – the systems that nourish and sustain life.
The installation aligns with the school’s broader renovation design themes to reconnect to nature: the nearby parkland, the adjacent Kenilworth parks, and the National Arboretum. The artwork also connects to neighborhood histories of Mayfair, Eastland Gardens, River Terrace, and Kenilworth, where gardening once played a vital role in community life. From the early 1900s on, family gardens provided nourishment and urban beautification, and fostered a collective sense of pride. GATHER memorializes this heritage, celebrating how everyday acts of cultivation helped build community resilience.
As a place to simply pause, play and be present together, GATHER aims to be a dynamic new beacon in the neighborhood – one that celebrates and empowers students, teachers and the greater community.
+ Installed at Neval Thomas Elementary School, Washington DC
+ Commissioned by the Washington DC Government, Department of General Services, Percent for Art
Engineering: Shahab Torabian and Eric R. Ober, SGH
Fabrication + Installation: Majer Metal Works
+ + Thanks to Sandy Bellamy, Principal Jaimee Trahan and Krystal Willingham and the staff of Neval Thomas Elementary School
+ + For participating in and facilitating our final documentation, thank you to: Principal Jaimee Trahan and Krystal Willingham, Jamice Steele and family (Shaniece, Maya, Karmony, and Chloe), Jenn Low and Alanzo Robles-Gordon, Brian Brush and little Nora, Paul Mueller and staff of Smoot Construction, Paul Keene of DGS
GATHER is a colorful series of circular cylinders at the south entry plaza of the school, inviting students, teachers, and community members to sit, climb and play together. Three large cylindrical benches form the heart of the installation and are surrounded by smaller cylinders, designed to be activated as you choose: as an outdoor classroom, an informal neighborhood hub, or a space for children’s imaginative play.
HONORING THE LEGACY OF NEVAL THOMAS
As a new “front porch” for both the school and the neighborhood, GATHER is an invitation to connect. By creating a place to gather, dialogue and be together – GATHER honors the legacy and activism of Neval Thomas (1874-1930) — lifelong educator, regional NAACP president, and civil rights advocate — and reflects the school’s mission to focus on community. A lifelong educator, regional NAACP president, and civil rights advocate, Thomas was a steadfast community leader during times of segregation. GATHER echoes his spirit through a simple gesture: an assembly of seats that invites people to be present with one another and spark new conversations. It is a space for restoration; through play, through building community.
CONNECTION TO NATURE
As a site-specific sculptural artwork, GATHER also draws inspiration from nature. Its vibrant color palette is referenced from real, native plants of the Washington DC ecoregion, while diagonal striations across the seating surfaces echo the branching structures of leaves – the systems that nourish and sustain life.
The installation aligns with the school’s broader renovation design themes to reconnect to nature: the nearby parkland, the adjacent Kenilworth parks, and the National Arboretum. The artwork also connects to neighborhood histories of Mayfair, Eastland Gardens, River Terrace, and Kenilworth, where gardening once played a vital role in community life. From the early 1900s on, family gardens provided nourishment and urban beautification, and fostered a collective sense of pride. GATHER memorializes this heritage, celebrating how everyday acts of cultivation helped build community resilience.
As a place to simply pause, play and be present together, GATHER aims to be a dynamic new beacon in the neighborhood – one that celebrates and empowers students, teachers and the greater community.
