Thurmont Celebrates New Mura

Alisha Yocum

The Frederick Arts Council, The Ausherman Foundation, and the Town of Thurmont recently collaborated to bring Thurmont’s newest art installation to town. This 10 feet by 20 feet digital mural is attached to a building along S. Carroll Street. The group thanked the building owner, Shawn Dewees, for his collaboration on the project.

Many representatives from local and county organizations were on hand to help celebrate the ribbon cutting.

The artist, Robert Bohen, who was commissioned to create the mural, has been painting for 65 years, with over 30 of those teaching art at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. While he was trained as a designer at the Pratt Institute, a world class and internationally ranked college with programs in art and design, he later went on to get his masters and doctorate in education.

Artists go through a competitive process, which includes a review of their proposal by curatorial experts and community stakeholders. “Nothing succeeds like success,” said Bohen.

 The artist recently started doing more digital designing rather than hand-painted murals and has received several commissioned digital pieces and public art pieces. Bohen explained the long and tedious process of working with the printer to print the large-sized mural. The digital print is an abstraction of the colors and texture inspired by the landscape.

The mural is part of the Frederick Public Art Master Plan and was supported through a grant awarded to the Frederick Arts Council by the Ausherman Foundation.

Caylee Winpigler, community impact manager for the Ausherman Foundation and also a Thurmont resident said, “[The mural] not only celebrates our scenic surroundings but also marks the beginning of what promises to be a flourishing artistic alliance that will further enhance the charm of the town.”

Community members celebrate the new mural in Thurmont.