Forest Hills in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
"Music of the Spheres"
Artist: Martha Jackson Jarvis
Commissioned by Fannie Mae
Dedicated July 10, 2003
Fannie Mae: Van Ness Sculpture Project
Martha Jackson-Jarvis
The design for the Fannie Mae Sculpture Project as a vital sculpture environment that engages visitors as they visually physically experience the mysteries of the dynamic public spaces. My sculpture harnesses the energy and verve of the city through strategic placement of seven orbs entitled Music of the Spheres.
Music of the Spheres consist of seven mosaic spheres that create an imaginative environment and establishes a functional poetic space to be used by a diverse audience.
Historically, Music of the Spheres is a system of ideas and theories about the order of the universe that have traveled through time and cultures, to inform our lives, dating from the Babylonian premise that the cosmos is comprised of seven spheres to Pythagoras, who in 542 B.C. founded the idea that the universe could be explained in musical terms with numbers. Further, Plato describes the celestial music where the paths of the heavenly bodies correspond to a specific musical tone. Later, it evolves into Kepler's harmonies
this page online
Music of the Spheres is a gift to the community. It functions as a poetic place of pause and contemplation between the cycles of busy urban life. In time, Music of the Spheres will continue to resonate in the hearts and minds of humanity.
[Bottom plaque has the contents of the center plaque in Braille.]
Erected by Fannie Mae.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 2003.
Location. 38° 56.678′ N, 77° 3.85′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Forest Hills. Marker is on Connecticut Avenue Northwest north of Veazey Terrace Northwest, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Site of the National Bureau of Standards (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rock Creek Park (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Atomic Clock, 1948 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Science Has Its Traditions As Well As Its Frontiers (approx. 0.2 miles away); Soapstone Valley (approx. ¼ mile away); Connecticut Avenue Streetcars (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cultural Institutions (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Ponce de Leon Apartment Building (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 24, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 311 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 24, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
