Crystal City Takes Flight Statues 1-10

Chicago had its cows, Tucson had its horses, and Washington, D.C. had its donkies and elephants. Those are just the first three cities that come to my mind when I think of cities that have in the past done series of statues that were placed all over the city. It is something many cities have done over the years. In April 2008, Crystal City placed its own set of statues around the "city." For Crystal City the choice was planes.

Crystal City is a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia. It is right across the Potomac River from D.C. and is right before you get to Washington Reagan National Airport. It is the proximity to the airport that is the main reason this set of statues that have just landed in Crystal City are in the shape of planes. All the statues started out with one of two identical plane designs, but 50 different artists or artistic groups transformed the statues into distinct plane statues. The two starting styles are bi-plane and jet.

The statues will remain on display through July 2008. Go here for a downloadable walking map of the statue locations.

The Barnstorming statue is numbered 1 and starts the 4.5 mile route to leads to all the statues in Crystal City. It is located at 18th Street and South Bell Street right in front of the escalator entrance to the Crystal City Metro Station. The artist for this statue is Matt Wuerker. The sponsore is Politico.

This is a fun plane statue with an Uncle Sam looking pilot added to it. It red and white stripes on the body of the plane. The tail has a star and the work Politico (the sponsor for this particular statue).

The Blue Sky Star statue is located at the corner of 18th Street and South Eads Street. The artist is Li Qiang and the sponsor is Arena Stage.

This statue is jet plane style. It is painted sky blue with stars on it. Most of the stars are silver, but near the back it is painted with silver outlining some blue stars.

The Plane Jane statue is located near the corner of 20th Street and South Eads Street. The artist is Matt Rowan and the sponsor is Gensler.

At first I thought this was a very boring all black jet plane. Well, then I saw the title of it and realized it is supposed to be plain. It is not entirely plain, though, as when you get close to it you will notice it does some white outlines.

The City Bound statue is located outside the 1700 South Eads Street entrance to the Marriot Crystal Gateway. The artist is Shauna Lee Lange and the sponsor is BIN 1700 and Crystal Gateway Marriot.

This is bi-plane statue with different city decals. The decals all over it represent different travel destinations and/or airlines.

Safe Landing is located in the median of the intersection of 15th Street and South Eads Street. The artist is Brenda Sylvia and the sponsor is Oakwood Crystal City.

This jet plane has a tree designed painted on it. In the trees there are different birds painted sitting on it. On the base there are some ducks sculptures added

From Earth to Space is located on 15th Street near the Jefferson Davis Highway Offramp. The artist is Sandra Bacon and the sponsor is The Gramercy at Metropolitan Park.

This colorfully painted jet scultpure has an outer space feel to it. The base appears to represent the core and crust of the Earth. The top of the Jet has planets painted on it.

Mini Flies Caribou is located at 1100 South Eads Street. The artist is Latoya Williams and the sponsor is Caribou Coffee.

This jet statue has fruits painted all over it. The wings have grapes. The base has strawberries. The stand has pineapples. The tail has oranges. The body is a banana and the cockpit is a watermelon. There are also apples and cherries on it.

Grasshopper is located in front of the Doubletree Hotel at 300 Army Navy Drive. The artist is Martha Phillips and the sponsor is the Doubletree Hotel - Crystal City.

This colorful and cheerful bi-plane represents a grasshopper. The base has sunflowers painted on it. The front of the plane is a happy face. The body of the paln has grasshopper legs to show that it is a grasshopper.

Breaking the Color Barrier is located on the corner of 12th Street and Army Navy Drive. The artist is Alexander Lange and the sponsor is the Marine Corps Marathon.

This jet plane statue has photos of people of different races (i.e. colors) on it.

Freedom's Flight is located on the corner of 12th Street and South Clark Street. The artist is Shauna Lee Lange and the sponsor is Boeing Company.

This jet plane has red stars and is a swirl of red, yellow, blue, and white. On one wing is also has a lot of small stars the sparkle in the sunlight.