Pinback Button, "Whose Art Is It, Anyway"

1990

The Anacostia Museum created this pinback button for visitors to wear. It “artfully” announces an exhibition focusing on “the arts in public places.” The button’s design includes diamonds in blue, red, and yellow, connecting to the building blocks of color and to diamond patterns on the Museum’s facade. The Museum’s name and the exhibition year, 1990, encircle the bottom. The exhibition encouraged visitors to explore the role of art in their communities and to participate in deciding how funds for public arts projects should be spent. Drawing from all four quadrants of Washington, D.C., it featured a variety of public art forms, including murals and sculptures; musical and theatrical performances; and, wearable art, such as hairstyles, clothes, jewelry, and…buttons.