Overview
- President Trump posted photos on July 27 showing scaffolding coming down from the Arts of War statues at Arlington Memorial Bridge, announcing the first pair had been regilded and revealed to the public.
- The National Park Service awarded a $5.1 million no-bid contract to the Maryland firm Gilders' Studio to restore all four equestrian sculptures and their granite plinths with 23.75-karat gold leaf.
- Documents obtained by The New York Times show the NPS internally estimated the work would cost about $2.4 million, a gap that has prompted questions about expedited contracting and why a no-bid award was used.
- The Arts of Peace pair will not be finished until late September, leaving the project split in two stages and drawing mixed reactions from locals and visitors who called the new finish either beautiful or 'gaudy' and 'tacky.'
- Coverage has focused on different aspects of the story with local outlets reporting visitor reaction, art publications noting the aesthetic and conservation history, and national reporting emphasizing procurement records and oversight implications.