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This mural design by Byron Peck will soon adorn the train underpass at Georgia Avenue. |
Youth to beautify Montgomery County's gateway
The current underpass or "viaduct" at Georgia Avenue and Blair Mill Road was built in 1928 in response to the explosion of cars, trains and pedestrians passing through the intersection during a period of rapid expansion for Silver Spring and other DC suburbs. A wise move, in hindsight, as over 60,000 vehicles now pass through the site each day.
Though not the first to recognize the importance of this neglected gateway to Silver Spring, Montgomery County and Maryland, nor the first to have "designs" on this space as a potential public art site, Arts on the Block--a local nonprofit for youth--began applying for funding in 2004 to paint a mural.
With a promise of a partial match from the Silver Spring UrbanDistrict, a $25,000 Community Empowerment grant from Montgomery County DHCA in 2005 began to breathe life into the project. Over the ensuing months, an additional $50,000 has been raised through the generosity of many.
Lead artist Byron Peck selected "transportation" as the overarching theme for the artwork, and "art deco" as a motif, in honor of the period of design and construction of the underpass itself.
The 12 youth selected as artists for the first phase of the project (the wings of the pedestrian passageways) began work on the project during the first week in January, 2006. Artist Carien Quiroga and twelve additional apprentices will join the project in March, for a total of twenty four apprentices from five Montgomery County high schools.
Materials for the Phase One artwork will be a combination of paint and mosaic. Installation is planned for May/June 2006.
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