Photo by gringo_loco87

Lots of people have a bucket list—the things they want to do before they, well, kick the bucket. Now you can list an idea or two in a very public way.

The “Before I Die” public installation, which was started by artist Candy Chang in New Orleans, has arrived at the corner of 14th and Q streets NW in D.C. The installation, a large chalkboard that allows anyone to complete the phrase “Before I die I want to ______,” has recently expanded throughout Chicago, along with a number of other locations across the world. Explained Chang about the project:

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget what really matters to you. With help from old and new friends, Candy turned the side of an abandoned house in her neighborhood in New Orleans into a giant chalkboard where residents can write on the wall and remember what is important to them. Before I Die is a public art project that invites people to reflect on their lives and share their personal aspirations in public space. Painted with chalkboard paint and stenciled with the sentence “Before I die I want to _______”, the wall becomes an enlightening way to understand your neighbors and discover what matters most to the people around you. It creates a public space for contemplation and reminds us why we want to be alive in the world today. It’s a question that changed Candy after she lost someone she loved very much, and she believes the design of our public spaces can better reflect what matters to us as a community and as individuals.

Interestingly, the group coordinating all the “Before I die” walls doesn’t mention D.C. as one of the places they’ve located. (That being said, pretty much anyone can take the idea and run with it.) We’re looking into who’s responsible and will update as soon as we find out.

Photo by gringo_loco87