Sculpture installed on plaza at Marriott International HQ in Bethesda (Photos)

Marriott International has installed a sculpture on the plaza outside its new headquarters at 7750 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. As I reported last month, the art piece is dedicated to the hospitality giant's former CEO, Arne Sorenson, who passed away last year. The twisty, dual-arch sculpture is gold and blue in color, and features accent lighting at the base for night viewing.

Marriott to honor late CEO Arne Sorenson with sculpture at new Bethesda HQ

Marriott International plans to honor its former CEO, Arne M. Sorenson, with a sculpture at its new downtown Bethesda headquarters at 7750 Wisconsin Avenue. The sculpture will be on the plaza outside the HQ building, and will be lit at night. Sorenson oversaw the effort to relocate the hospitality giant's headquarters, and the ultimate deal with Montgomery County and Maryland government officials to keep the company from joining the many others that have relocated to Northern Virginia. 

Sorenson was not just the first CEO of the company not named Marriott. He also sustained an effort to steer the conservative company's culture and political leanings leftward, a move quietly begun by previous CEO Bill Marriott in the 1990s, and accelerated by former Executive Vice-President Kathleen Matthews. As CEO, Bill Marriott publicly opposed attempts to ban gay marriage in California and Utah; later, Sorenson was one of over 100 corporate CEOs to call for the repeal of North Carolina's controversial 2016 "bathroom bill."

Under Sorenson's leadership, Marriott gave high-profile support to environmental and human rights causes. He also masterminded the firm's acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 2016, a deal that made Marriott the largest hotel brand in the world. After Sorenson's passing in 2021, a Marriott charity arm announced it would fund the creation of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Photo courtesy Marriott International

Interactive sculpture outside Avocet Tower in Bethesda (Photos)

Murmurations is an interactive light sculpture on the plaza in front of Avocet Tower at 7373 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Created by ESi Design, it includes buttons you can press to trigger patterns and animations in the lighting of the installation. These "touchpoints" are intended to "facilitate collaboration and connection."

"Touchpoint" button will trigger new
patterns and animations

Attack of the killer B sculptures in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

Aluminum letter-B-shaped sculptures popped up all over downtown Bethesda yesterday. The apparently permanent additions to the streetscape are designed to brand downtown Bethesda as an arts and entertainment district, according to the Bethesda Urban Partnership. They were designed by Mark Kramer of Mark Kramer Architects.

Montgomery County paid $50,000, and many well-known Bethesda names, businesses and organizations contributed a matching amount:

• Bernard Family Foundation
• The Bernstein Companies
• Chevy Chase Land Company
• The Donohoe Companies
• EagleBank
• Fred & Starr Ezra
• Greenhill Realty
• Jane Fairweather Team/Coldwell Banker
• LA and LK Greenberg Charitable Foundation
• Lerch, Early & Brewer
• Linowes and Blocher
• Mark Kramer Architects
• Montgomery County, MD
• Stage 2 A/V Productions
• TD Bank
• Vamoose
• Zachary & Janna Oxman

What's your impression of the new sculptures? Leave your opinions in the comment section below.

BETHESDA FINE ARTS FESTIVAL 2013 PHOTO GALLERY

Bethesda Urban Partnership organized the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, held over the weekend in the Woodmont Triangle area of town.

Artists from across the country, as well as live music and Bethesda restaurant food, brought a crowd to tent-lined streets.

Even the Man of Steel made an appearance, on behalf of Bethesda party supply store Party City.

More photos to come!