The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry and the Architecture of Washington, DC


The Octagon, in partnership with the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington, DC will be circulating the exhibition The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry and the Architecture of Washington, DC with Paintings by Peter Waddell. The exhibition began its national tour at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, VA and will continue to museums and sites nationwide through 2009.



Through extensive research and in collaboration with an advisory committee, artist Peter Waddell has created 21 extraordinary oil paintings based on the architecture of our nation’s capital and the role that our founding fathers and prominent citizens many of whom were Freemasons, played in establishing the layout, design and construction of the city. Through the paintings, the exhibition portrays an unprecedented view into the world of Freemasonry, and through historical events, activities, ceremonies, and special gatherings carefully explains and demystifies Freemasonry for the public. The paintings often depict objects associated with Freemasonry that were carefully selected from local lodges to provide a context and richness to illustrate the many historical collections related to our nation’s heritage held in trust by the Freemasons.