The Silver Pass Dedicated
The underpass on Georgia Avenue and Blair Mill Road has taken on a new look with the addition of a colorful paint and mosaic mural created by students from Arts on the Block and unveiled today during ceremonies attended by the young artists and members of the Silver Spring community.
Arts on the Block (AOB) employed the talents of 24 Montgomery County high school artists to create the artwork located along the pedestrian lanes of the underpass. Muralist/mosaic artist G. Byron Peck led the project along with Arts on the Block artist Carien Quiroga. Eleven of the young artists attend Montgomery Blair High School, and the others are enrolled at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Springbrook, Wheaton and John F. Kennedy high schools.
“Seeing this busy approach to Silver Spring come alive with a colorful burst of artwork that depicts different modes of transportation demonstrates how effective partnerships can help create a vibrant new neighborhood,” said County Executive Douglas M. Duncan.
“South Silver Spring continues to be revitalized as developers and merchants invest in the area. This public artwork contributes much to the new character of this neighborhood,” Duncan said. “The fact that students from our public high schools created this mosaic mural is all the more reason for us to be especially proud of this project and the talented artists who created it.”
Lead artist Peck chose “transportation” as the overall theme for the artwork due to the critical role it played in the development of the community, and “art deco” as a style, in honor of the period during which the underpass was designed and constructed.
The 12 students selected for the first phase of the project (the wings of the pedestrian passageways) began work during the first week in January. Artist Quiroga and 12 additional apprentices joined the project in March.
Natalie Ramirez, a senior at Montgomery Blair High School, said of her experience on the project: “I greatly enjoyed how I could take my interest in art and apply it to a working environment. Not only did I learn how to make mosaics, but I learned important career building lessons, as well as art theory.
“The art we made will last through generations,” Ramirez said. “We will pass through the Silver Pass and proudly say that we helped make it. That is what I’m looking forward to.”
Arts on the Block provides an opportunity for high school-aged youth in Montgomery County to learn about and connect through the arts. It's an on-the-job training experience that uses the arts to teach young people about the world of work. The program provides meaningful employment and on-the-job training through the visual, performing, literary and media arts.
First-time Arts on the Block apprentice Keith Hill, a rising senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, said, “As an AOB apprentice working on the Silver Pass, I learned many necessary skills and attributes needed for entering the business world.”
“Above all,” Hill said, “I enjoyed working with my fellow apprentices and our instructors…. Through rain, snow and shine, we laughed, we worked and we played, but most of all, we became a family.”
In addition, Arts on the Block provides professional mentoring, increases public awareness of the importance of the arts and arts education, enriches the quality of life for the community and contributes to its economic vitality. The program also supplements and builds upon the learning objectives of Montgomery County Public Schools by strengthening social skills, building self confidence, and developing problem solving, reasoning and decision-making skills.
“The youth who participated in this public art project came from a wide array of circumstances, and every one gave their all,” said Arts on the Block Director Jan Goldstein. “In addition to gaining inside knowledge about the world of art by working with two seasoned professionals, the apprentices benefited from this opportunity to ‘give back’ to their community. All in all, this was an extremely positive experience for the apprentices, and Arts on the Block is grateful to all those who helped make it possible.”
Funding for the project came from a $25,000 Community Empowerment grant from the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs; $25,000 from the Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families; $15,000 from the Silver Spring Regional Services Center; $15,000 from The JBG Companies and Equity Residential; $5,000 from Donors InVesting in Arts (DIVAs) and the Carl M. Freeman Foundation; and $500 from the Takoma Foundation.
For more information about Arts on the Block, visit the MontgomeryYouth Works website at www.montgomeryyouthworks.com.