Visual Artistry at The HAMILTON
Music isn’t just a human language, but one we share with the world’s avian creatures. But birds not
only create vocal sounds, they add percussion instrument to songs and compose melodies in order
to communicate. The Hamilton’s dining rooms and bars are both a celebration of nature and homage
to winged vocalists. Our collection includes original works and limited edition prints by some of the
world’s most renowned artists. Descend down our lighted staircase and enter the venue where another
menagerie of famous songbirds, icons and musicians awaits.
MURAL & PAINTINGS
Arboretum
Hunt Slonem
Hunt Slonem’s expressionist bird imagery is based on a personal aviary in which he keeps about 100 live birds of various species. A
native of Hawaii, his fascination with exotica has yielded over 150 solo exhibitions and inclusion in over 75 international museums.
He considers birds companions, colorist inspiration, sources of wonder and fellow travelers into the spirit world. Many pieces were
commissioned for The Hamilton, with the breath-taking mural a combination of several of Hunt’s toucan portraits.
Loft
Kevin Paulson
At first glance, Kevin Paulson’s paintings and drawings look like they were made 100 years ago. Look a little closer and the juxtaposition
of contemporary ideas within a historic context is reflected in his modern technique and subject matter. Beyond the large original mural
he created for the entirety of our Loft private dining room, Kevin’s murals and paintings are featured in Clyde’s Restaurant Group’s
Willow Creek Farm location.
PRINTS
Oak Bar, Dining Room & Main Hallway
Audubon’s Fifty Best Birds of America, The Oppenheimer Field Museum Edition, Robert Havell
Between 1826 and 1838, John James Audubon generated one of the most important art and natural history works ever created. The socalled ‘first edition’ of Birds of America, includes over 435 hand-colored engravings that have come to be known as the “Havell Edition”
or just the “Havells”. London engraver Robert Havell (and his son) created the actual engravings and over 12 years, Audubon and Havell
reworked the plates as they updated their knowledge of the species. The Hamilton’s collection is the first facsimile edition to accurately
replicate the quality of the original edition. Each print is on Hahnemuhle cotton rag watercolor paper and is embossed by hand with the
Oppenheimer Editions stamp and the official Field Museum stamp.
Venue
Anita Kunz
Even the restrooms of The Hamilton are a source of entertainment. An appointed Officer of the Order of Canada and a decorated
artist, Anita Kunz is a recognized illustrator for Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Time and many other notable publications. Her comical
portraits of exceptional rock and roll musicians can be found in our downstairs venue and offer thoughtful yet whimsical caricatures
of renowned artists.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Venue
The Govinda Gallery in Georgetown
Beneath the bars and dining rooms upstairs, our venue offers a true experience of musical history. A number of the portraits purchased
from Chris Murray’s Govinda Gallery in Georgetown adorn our venue to create an extraordinary visual archive of musical icons. The
images span multiple musical eras and were created by notable photographers featured in Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, NY Magazine,
Spin and Vibe magazines. Our collection includes: John Lennon Central Park, NY, 1980 by Allan Tannenbaum; Janis Joplin by Baron
Wolman; Tupac Shakur by Danny Clinch; Bob Marley by David Burnett; Marvin Gaye by Claude Gassian; Bob Dylan by Daniel Kramer;
Jimi Hendrix by Gared Mankowitz; Kurt Cobain by Mark Seliger; Keith Richards by Ross Halfin; Jerry Garcia by William Coupon; The
Ramones by Roberta Bayley; Patti Smith by Frank Stefanko; Frank Zappa by Barron Wolman; John and Paul at the Piano by Henry
Grossman; George Harrison by Barry Feinstein; and Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons by Frank Stefanko.
Going Home, 1956, Alfred Wertheimer, The American Portrait Gallery
Alfred Wertheimer’s Going Home was part of a special exhibition at the American Portrait Gallery and depicts Elvis Presley on the
Southern Railroad between Chattanooga and Memphis in 1956. At the time of the impromptu shoot, Wertheimer was a struggling
twenty-six-year-old freelance photojournalist in New York City and had no idea who Presley was. Now, his photos are considered a
national treasure.
Main Bar
Fred Maroon
Photographs from one of the best-known and most highly regarded collections of Washington, DC welcome guests who enter The
Hamilton from the corner of 14th & F Streets. Fred Maroon’s poetic treatment of the city’s landmarks reflects his unique view of the city
in which he lived – and the city that he loved.
SCULPTURE
Arboretum
Lion, Merlin the Owl & Ram, John Dreyfuss
This Washington, DC-based sculptor creates pieces with an architect’s keen sense of line and form, with his animal sculptures reflecting
primitive Far Eastern influences. A passionate enthusiast of public sculpture and urban visual experiences, Dreyfuss is currently at
work on a duo of bird sculptures for The Hamilton’s Arboretum Dining Room. One of which will be a replica of a dove sculpture that
was commissioned by President Barack Obama as a gift to foreign dignitaries.
Oak Bar & Dining Room
Bird sculptures, William and David Turner
The Turners are a father and son team that share a talent for capturing the beauty and motion of wildlife in bronze. Hailing from
the Eastern Shore of Virginia, the area is a continuous source of inspiration for their work. To date they have created more than 400
different limited edition bronzes and more than 50 large public commissions found throughout the United States. The Hamilton has
four of their beautiful works.
LIGHTING
Venue Entrance Staircase
In many of the world’s preeminent theaters and performance halls, step, aisle and stage lighting are memorable components of an
exciting entertainment experience. Inspired from the lit staircases of New York City’s finest venues, we spared no expense creating our
wood-paneled stairway which features hundreds of bauble shaped lamps to light the way down to the venue.
Venue & Stage
Pulse Lighting was responsible for dazzling lighting for the Grateful Dead, Furthur at Madison Square Garden, the Tony Awards at
Radio City Music Hall and Superbowl XLI in Miami’s Dolphin Stadium. The Hamilton features a custom, state-of-the-art system utilizing
Unique2 Haze Generator, Acclaim X-BAND and GLP Impression Moving LED Units and GrandMA Micro Control Console. The entire
system delivers beautiful lighting for our artists and an atmosphere custom-built to showcase the energy of our talent, installations and
our guests.
MILLWORK
Weather Hill Company
Weather Hill Company provided custom millwork for our entire property. All bars, dining rooms and venue paneling reinforce the
appealing natural environment created by the art featured on every wall. In addition to a number of historic homes and properties,
Weather Hill has helped design and build many of Clyde’s Restaurant Group’s other properties including Tower Oaks Lodge, Willow
Creek Farm, Old Ebbitt Grill, 1789 Restaurant and Gallery Place.