D.C. is about to get another big splash of paint.

This week, the city is getting started on six new murals that will go up across five different wards, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced in a press release on Thursday.

One of those murals, which is planned for the U Street corridor, will depict the late saxophonist Buck Hill, a fixture of D.C.’s jazz scene who once recorded with the great Charlie Byrd. The painting is slated to become what may be the city’s tallest portrait, according to the release.

Officials say the new artwork, part of the city’s MuralsDC initiative, should be completed by September 23. “Murals and other street art are a rich part of D.C.’s vibrant cultural life and reflect the diversity and beauty of our unique local neighborhoods,” said Mayor Bowser in the statement. “Promoting public murals is another way we are celebrating and supporting D.C.’s burgeoning art scene.”

Artists commissioned for the project include Aniekan Udofia, whose colorful depictions of famous Washingtonians adorn several walls in the District. One of Udofia’s best-known works, a portrait of several local luminaries that includes Russ Parr, Chuck Brown, and Donnie Simpson, sits at Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street. (He also painted the original mural that went up in 2012 and featured Bill Cosby). Udofia is also one of the authors of the iconic mural of a gagged George Washington on the corner of U and 15th streets NW.

Five of the six locations for the new murals will be in Northwest D.C. this year, along with one in Northeast. The city chose the locations based on which areas had the highest demand for graffiti abatement, according to the Department of Public Works. “Mayor Bowser has been committed to MuralsDC having a broad reach across the District, and we can proudly say there are murals in every ward of the city,” said DPW Director Chris Geldart in an e-mailed statement on Friday. “However, with each installation project, we are limited to wall space that is donated to the program.”

Ward 1: Joe Pagac — 1925 14th Street, NW
Ward 1: Kaliq Crosby — 3400 13th Street, NW
Ward 2: Aniekan Udofia — 1232 9th Street, NW
Ward 4: Cita Sadeli (Chelove) — 104 Kennedy Street, NW
Ward 5: Federico Frum (Mas Paz) — 1827 West Virginia Avenue, NW
Ward 7: Eric B Ricks — 5600 East Capitol Street, NE

The budget for the initiative was $100,000 this fiscal year, administrative costs included, Geldart said. The large size of some of this year’s murals is in part responsible for a slightly lower number of commissions compared to 2018.

Each year, the Commission on the Arts and Humanities puts out a call for artists in early spring. Themes and designs for each mural emerge from a dialogue between the artist and the property owner. Local residents are also encouraged to weigh in at Advisory Neighborhood Commission meetings.

To measure the impact of the program, the city looks for a reduction in tagging and graffiti, positive community feedback, and public interaction with the artwork, like people using it as a backdrop for wedding shoots and music videos, Geldart said.

Last year the program put up eight new murals throughout the city, including one by Federico Frum, an internationally-renowned graffiti artist who was recommissioned this year.

Here are some of the other spots where murals have cropped up over the years: 2017, 2016, 2015.

This post has been updated with a comment from DPW Director Chris Geldart, and with the correct ward for one of the mural locations.