A new art installation is now up at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, not far from the Route 1 corridor.

Called “Passage: Reflections of Time & Space,” the installation by D.C. artist and architect Omar Hakeem uses mirrors and logs from the area to make displays that incorporate the natural surroundings.

The exhibit is designed to help visitors heal from the trauma of the last year and a half, according to a press release issued by the Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, which noted that green spaces have seen more use during the coronavirus pandemic.

“For those seeking an easy respite close to home, the neighborhood national park we support, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, is the perfect place,” said the nonprofit’s executive director, Tina O’Connell, in a statement. “Fall is always a gorgeous time to visit and this year, for a limited time, visitors can engage with a new, experiential outdoor art installation that can help us heal and cope from past and current stresses.”

The installation was commissioned by Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, a nonprofit which supports the conservation of the aquatic gardens, with funds from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and individual donors.

Located at 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE, the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens will display “Passage” through Tuesday, Oct. 12.

The Anacostia Watershed Society’s fifth annual Anacostia River Bioblitz is also happening this weekend at the aquatic gardens, with volunteers searching the area for aquatic life and plant species and showcase their findings using the iNaturalist app.

Kendra Bierman, environmental educator for the Anacostia Watershed Society, told the Hyattsville Wire that the bioblitz goes through Sept. 19, and reports of the findings will be released in one to two weeks.

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