MMD Joins Design Team for New David Driskell Park

MMD is pleased to announce our firm has joined the design team, with our partners at Bradley Site Design, for the new community park in Maryland named for David Driskell, artist, historian, curator and scholar of African American art.

In June 2021, The Hyattsville City Council passed a resolution to rename the former William Pinkney Magruder park as David C. Driskell Community Park. The initiative to rename the park was set in motion after it was discovered that the original 1927 park deed contained racist and restrictive language. The deed was updated to remove the language and a new park name was selected. The Hyattsville community was engaged to provide suggestions; the name was chosen after reviewing more than 800 submissions.

The park’s new name honors former Hyattsville resident David C. Driskell, who was a professor emeritus at the University of Maryland. His work is displayed in museums across the country. He passed away in 2020.

A dedication celebration was held in October, inviting community members to learn about the significance of his life and legacy. The day’s events included a panel discussion, outdoor art gallery, nature walks, community art activities, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

MMD will design the community center, the park’s focal point, joining our partners at Bradley Site Design, the project’s landscape architects.

Photo of the artist courtesy McNay Art Museum.
Photo of park sign courtesy Hyattsville Wire.

Learn more here.