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DC Hidden Murals #23: Barracks Row Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

caisulli: As the mural is no longer visible, I am archiving this cache. I am also marking 2 bugs as dropped here, as I no longer have them. I apologize.

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Hidden : 5/10/2013
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

The twenty-third in a series of caches I hope will bring attention to DC's wealth of "hidden" mural art.

This 2013 mural in Barracks Row was a collaboration between artists Gaia and Nanook, and features a school of fish being pursued by a fishing fleet flowing into a Japanese pop-star's hair.

mural photo

About the neighborhood's history, from Wikipedia:
Barracks Row is the oldest commercial district in the District of Columbia due to its proximity to the Washington Navy Yard, established in 1799, and the Marine Barracks, established in 1801.

Following World War II, the neighborhood entered a decades-long decline, which was hastened by the building of the Southeast Freeway in 1962, which bi-sected the corridor, and the 1968 race riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Now a vibrant neighborhood serviced by the Eastern Market Metro Station, Barracks Row is filled with shops and restaurants, and the Marine guards in full dress uniform only add to its unique ambiance.

Muralists Gaia and Nanook completed the mural, which adorns the sides of Persian Tash and Asian Nooshi restaurants and looks over the Shakespeare Theatre Company's parking lot, in April 2013. Neighborhood Nomads interviewed Gaia after the completion of the work and gives some insight to this 24-year-old artists' approach.

As tempting as it may be to get a closer look at the mural, you do not need to enter the lot in order to make the find. As usual with these city hides, coords are approximate; once you see the mural you may need to rely on your geosense more than your GPS. Please remember to use stealth, replace just as found, and don't forget your writing utensil and log-extraction tool -- enjoy!

-- Congrats to PatientRock for the FTF! --

BONUS: Just north of the hide is an alley that takes you to artspace: The Fridge, the walls of which feature several mural artists and is constantly changing.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Grzcbenel Pbagnvare Uvag: Qba'g tb snpr svefg vagb guvf bar! Byq uvag: N Tnhffvna zrnfher ubyqf vgf cynpr

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)