Melted wax statue of Lincoln sparks discussion in Northwest DC neighborhood

A wax sculpture of Abraham Lincoln outside a Northwest D.C. elementary school was melted over the weekend as part of Art All Night.

The sculpture is the work of Richmond-based artist Sandy Williams IV, who works in ephemeral mediums like skywriting and wax.

“For Sandy, this is really about sparking a conversation with the community,” said Kristi Maiselman of CulturalDC.

The work was meant to be burned in a controlled way like a candle. It even has wicks.

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities funded the project at Garrison Elementary School, which is on the site of Camp Barker, once a Union Army camp and later a community for formerly enslaved people, many of whom followed the Union Army out of the South.

“Lincoln actually used to stop quite a bit and visit with the refugees on his way to Lincoln’s Cottage,” Maiselman said.

Those kind of interactions led to Lincoln developing a more abolitionist position on slavery after earlier ambivalence.

Over the weekend, the city sponsored Art All Night events all over the District. While artists long for their work to create a buzz, this one drew sirens.

“The fire department did show up,” Maiselman said.

As did police. The work had all the necessary permits, but some young students at the school were troubled by the headless Lincoln.

The curators made some adjustments. They covered it up and are considering moving it.

They’ve canceled plans for any more lightings, but Williams said the work has prompted the desired conversations about history, permanence and our shared historical narratives.