Columbia Pike: Through the Lens of Community
On display August 21, 2021–January 8, 2022, Columbia Pike: Through the Lens of Community celebrated the extraordinary cultural diversity found within a single community in Northern Virginia through a unique exhibition of photographs. Columbia Pike originated in the 19th century as a toll road connecting rural Virginia with the nation’s capital. In the 21st century, the Columbia Pike corridor is one of the most culturally diverse communities in the nation, and possibly in the world. More than 130 languages are spoken in Arlington County, with the densest concentration along the Pike. Unlike in many parts of the world, or even in our own country, however, the stunningly diverse group of people — representing every continent — who live and work there do so in relative harmony.
The photographs that were displayed in our gallery and the Library's exterior windows are part of a large photo collection transferred to the Library of Virginia in 2021 by the Columbia Pike Documentary Project. The photographers who are part of the project have close personal connections within the community, allowing them to capture the strength, pride, resilience, elegance, and beauty of so many overlapping cultures. The exhibition also included information about the neighborhood, the residents, and the photographers themselves. As the nation seems more divided than ever, this collection shows how one community makes diversity work.
Panel Discussion with the Columbia Pike Documentary Project
Project writer Sushmita Mazumdar moderated a conversation with photographers Lloyd Wolf, Xang Mimi Ho, Dewey Tron, and Lara Ajami about how their personal connections to the Columbia Pike community allowed them to capture the strength, pride, resilience, elegance, and beauty of so many overlapping cultures.
In the Gallery
Watch our In the Gallery videos with Columbia Pike Documentary Project photographers Lloyd Wolf and Sushmita Mazumdar as they share their insights on Columbia Pike’s history, culture and on becoming photographers of its legacy.
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The UncommonWealth Blog
Learn more about the history of Columbia Pike in this post from The UncommonWealth.
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