Wheaton's newest mural, called "Wheaton Lives," will be dedicated in ceremonies at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11. The mural is on the building that houses Elbe's Beer and Wine store.
Elbe’s Beer and Wine is located at 2522 University Blvd. West in Wheaton. The store will close at 4 p.m. on Aug. 11 for the celebration that will be held in the parking lot. There will be a tented area for shade and refreshments will be served.
A plaque will be unveiled and there will remarks from Bridget Cimino, the project’s artist, the property owners and representatives of the Wheaton Arts Parade. Elected officials and sponsors are also expected to attend. The Maryland State Arts Council, the Wheaton Arts Walls Foundation and members of the community whose contributions made this project possible also will be represented.
Elbe's Beer and Wine has been family owned since 1951 when it was started as a neighborhood market by William and Miriam Bobrow. Mr. Bobrow served in the U.S. Army in World War II and was stationed near the Elbe River, hence the store’s name. The store is now run by their sons, Andy and Jeff.
The mural is another addition to Wheaton's Arts and Entertainment District.
The mural can be viewed at https://www.wheatonartsparade.org/elbesmural.
Ms. Cimino is a mural artist from Baltimore. Her design moves through time from the past to the future, from right to left. On the right side of the mural, above the customer entrance, is an image of a Native American village as it might have looked hundreds of years ago, with children at play. Below this scene, is an image of the same terrain being farmed by a European settler in the 18th Century. The next images are of local commerce in the mid-20th Century, the distinctive Wheaton Plaza sign and the founders of Elbe’s when it was the neighborhood grocery store. Moving further toward the present day is a woman cooking pupusas. She represents the current diverse population in Wheaton, who have brought aspects of their culture to further enrich Wheaton. The youth at play create a 21st Century bookend to the Native American children at play 400 years ago.
The project's major sources of funding were planning and project grants from the Maryland State Arts Council's Public Art Across Marland program and from Leonard Greenberg's Wheaton Arts Walls Foundation.
The project was managed pro bono by the Wheaton Arts Parade.
