Montgomery Planning and Parks staff have officially unveiled a mural that was selected through the Wheaton Headquarters Mural project to go on the new Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission headquarters in Downtown Wheaton. The mural, called “Tradition is a Part of Us, Humanity is All of Us,” was designed and painted by local Wheaton Artist Nicole Bourgea over the past couple of months. The mural, which is on the building’s north wall, depicts different culturally celebrated dances (both traditional and casual).
Ms. Bourgea said the mural was inspired by her son, who has Down’s syndrome and loves to dance. In her contest submission, she wrote: “This mural is a bold, colorful celebration of the fact that, while we dance to our own beats, we all smile in the same language. We come from diverse multicultural legacies with unique perspectives and various abilities, but we each have an important gift to offer with our life.”
Ms. Bourgea’s design was selected by the community through online voting, where it won support of more than 60 percent of community members.
The mural project was made possible by a generous donation from Stonebridge Development, the private partner who helped to build the 14-story building that is the M-NCPPC headquarters and home to numerous County Government departments. Learn more about the mural and the inspiration from the artist herself.
