The Montgomery County area holds many art gems which often go unnoticed. However, public art is more accessible than most people realize and these hidden works involve more community effort than seen at first glance.
Public art pieces exist to tell a story. This is the intention of Penguin Rush Hour by Sallie Calmer Thompson, which was first installed in January 1989 under Colesville Road’s the rail system bridge outside the Silver Spring Metro Station. As part of a MetroArt competition, Thompson, who originally painted it on 25 plywood panels in her spare bedroom over a seven-month period, portrays a busy horde of penguins boarding the train as a symbol to represent the lively atmosphere of the station. The 100 foot long mural became dearly loved by the community and daily commuters. Today, the suited penguins are Silver Spring’s unofficial downtown mascot.
Since the piece was not created to be a permanent artwork, weather damage over time led to peeling of layers of latex paint. With funding by a community “Pennies for Penguins” campaign and county restoration, Thompson restored the original piece herself, creating a sturdy, weather-resistant aluminum replica that was permanently installed at the transit station in March of 2017.
Kasey Ott, Ricky Sears, and Meaghan McNamara’s Musical mural, located in Kensington’s Antique Village on 3762 Howard Avenue.
Another loved piece which required even further community involvement is the Musical mural, created by artists Kasey Ott, Ricky Sears, and Meaghan McNamara. Located in Kensington’s Antique Village, on 3762 Howard Avenue, the wall mural was commissioned and installed in 2022 as part of the town’s public Kensington Art Walk initiative. Sean Gaiser, owner of the local music store,designed it with his family, bringing it to life alongside the help and support of neighbors.
“Sean was really interested in the idea of using music as a way of introducing the element of sound,” Ricky Seras, who was among the collaboration artists, said. “The reputation in Montgomery County was that if you wanted antiques, you go to Kensington.”
The gramophone patroller shape attains the iconic vintage antique look and connection to music the artists wanted to portray. The bands of color coming out of the gramophone represent a variety of musical genres and sounds that could be heard by passers in the area.
Sears described the mural as “a punch of color on an otherwise blank wall.” While other murals in Kensington are more closely concentrated, this piece is can be seen in a slightly distant location, attracting locals to explore the antique road and spread popularity toward the less-explored part of town.
With Kensington’s strong support of public art, Nicole Bourgea, a mural artist with countless works around the area, took on the task of bringing life to the outlooked parts of town. The BabyCat Brewery mural is a colorful, vibrant exterior brick facade located at 10241 Kensington Parkway. It features Alice, otherwise known as “Baby Cat,” belonging to co-founder Sam Mussomeli who inspired the brewery’s name and logo. Bourgea’s vision was to draw people toward the location using the unexpected motion-originated style and delightful pop of vibrant colors.
“One of the things I really love about mural making is working with different types of clients,” Bourgea said. “I try to figure out what their desires are for the public artwork and then try to see visually what I can do to tell that story.”
Similarly to Musical’s location, surrounding shops hide the brewery from the main road.
“Imagine walking around the corner, wondering whether you’re heading the right way and all of a sudden you come across this wild jungle of color,” Bourgea said. “Emerging from it is a very large cat.”
The unexpected location for such a piece and the humor found in it is an additional quality which attracts the crowd.
These pieces are only a few of the many displayed public artworks featured in the Montgomery county area. Their presence creates a more pleasant and welcoming atmosphere in the community and the research and comprehension of the process enriches the understanding of the pieces and their ultimate goal.
Written by Ofer Papier
Photos by Janalie Buitron