Westbard Square adds new mural, padel pop-up court in Bethesda (Photos)

There are two new additions to Westbard Square in Bethesda this weekend, as the new development at 5400 Westbard Avenue holds an official Grand Opening event from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM today and Sunday. One is a mural painted onto the side of the Giant building above the loading docks. It features what appears to be a streetcar. Is this predictive programming for the not-so-secretly-planned extension of the Purple Line to Westbard? Or is it just a random image? Well, let's consider a third theory, that could make property owner Regency Centers look pretty smart, making another effort - as with the quarry stone facades at the development - to draw on local history and aesthetics.

The mural could be referring to the original 1891 streetcar that ran from Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights, down roughly along the route of present-day Willard Avenue, through Green Acres, across what is now Little Falls Parkway and the parallel Willett Branch stream, up what is today Massachusetts Avenue extended - passing what is now Westbard Avenue and Little Falls Library, onto Walhonding Road (you can see remnants of the sharp angles established by the streetcar to the left of the Parkway crossing, and on the divergence of Walhonding from Massachusetts behind the Glen Echo Volunteer Fire Department firehouse), and down to MacArthur Boulevard. 

Once down the steep Walhonding drop to what is now MacArthur, passengers would disembark from the streetcar, and be taken to the Glen Echo Chautauqua by horse-drawn carriage. The Chautauqua was the forerunner of the Glen Echo Park amusement park that would be built later. This earlier streetcar is not to be confused with the more-famous Washington, D.C. to Glen Echo Park trolley line that operated during the mid-20th-century through Georgetown, the Palisades, and Brookmont. The original 1891 streetcar line was developed by the Baltzley brothers, who lived in the landmark Baltzley Castle they constructed at 5415 Mohican Road in Mohican Hills.

If that's not enough educational material for a Saturday morning, get ready to learn the Mexican sport of padel. It conquered Spain in reverse, and is now one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Padel Social has just erected a pop-up padel court at Westbard Square. The company will operate three courts there through this fall. It is also in the process of constructing a permanent padel facility "nearby." You can learn the basics here, and starting next month, you can book a time at the pop-up courts. There will be private lessons, clinics, and equipment rentals.

Babycat Brewery adding mural at Bethesda location (Photos)

Here is a brief update on the continuing construction of Babycat Brewery at 4829 Rugby Avenue in Bethesda. My report last week noted that the exterior of the brewery's space in the ground floor of the Gallery Bethesda II apartments was being painted in a greyish silver color. It turns out there is also a wraparound mural being painted onto the exterior. That explains the seemingly-random leaf that had been painted onto the building last week.

Bethesda Boards mural expands as new music venue nears debut (Photos)

The new mural at Bethesda Boards at 7900 Woodmont Avenue is getting bigger. An artist has been working on the expanded public art piece on the Woodmont side of the building in recent days. Bethesda Boards is also close to opening its new music venue inside the business. If all goes well, live music could begin as soon as this week. Stay tuned!

Smoke Island installs storefront mural in Bethesda (Photos)

The newest piece of public art in downtown Bethesda is the front window of Smoke Island at 7913 Norfolk Avenue. A new mural depicting a fantasical scene over the familiar 7900 block of Norfolk shows Smoke Island amidst its neighboring storefronts. Looming in the background on the left is Triangle Towers, but in the crushing grip of a fire-breathing dragon. Equally-mythical characters fly, arm-wrestle, lounge and otherwise populate the Norfolk Avenue Streatery. In addition to not being an abstract work, the mural should also gain points for actually depicting Bethesda, as public art here often has little-to-no local connection in its themes or imagery.

New mural by local artist at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Westfield Montgomery Mall is adding public art to its indoor space. "Carpe Diem," a mural by local artist Nicole Bourgea, was in the process of being painted last night. It features two local symbols, the cherry blossom tree and the red-tailed hawk. The short bloom cycle of the cherry blossom and the lightning-fast, snatching attack of the predator hawk reflect the title of the work. Find out more about the artist on her website, and find the mural on Level 2, next to Minte.

Woodmont Corner garage mural completed in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

New Day by artist The Jah One

The new mural on the Old Georgetown Road side of the Woodmont Corner Public Parking Garage 11 in Bethesda is now complete. Bethesda Urban Partnership sponsored the work under its Paint the Town initiative. The Washington D.C.-based artist works under the pseudonym The Jah One. "New Day" is the title of the garage mural, which plays on the spaces between the decks of the garage to create a startlingly- realistic image of someone looking out from behind venetian blinds. 

Bethesda parking garage mural update (Photos)

This new mural on the Old Georgetown Road side of the Woodmont Corner Public Parking Garage 11 has turned out to be one of the best public art pieces created in Bethesda in many years. The title and artist have still not been made public by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, which commissioned the mural for its Paint the Town project. It's now obvious, though, that the artist brilliantly played on the idea of the parking deck level separations with an image of a person looking out from behind venetian blinds. 

A good public art installation gets the mind going, and this one certainly does. It's more than a peek from behind the blinds; there's a sense of urgency in the extreme bending of them for a wider view. 

What are they looking out at? Is it a commentary on the isolation of recent times? The environment of fear some wish to foster in our society? Or are they simply looking at the latest apartment tower rising in downtown Bethesda? Great art allows you to decide.

Bethesda Row Elm Street mural update (Photos)

Uh...folks, I'm not sure what to think about this. The new mural over the trash doors on the Elm Street side of Bethesda Lane is maybe a colorful improvement on the ground-level refuse area. But the part that's climbing up the wall, it's giving a bit of an "OMG look what somebody did during the night" vandalism vibe on an otherwise stately brick building - kind of like the bus bay rim at the Bethesda Metro Center. Maybe there's more to be added? By all means, weigh in down below in the comments. 

Woodmont Corner garage mural update (Photos)

Painting continues on the new mural commissioned by Bethesda Urban Partnership at the Woodmont Corner Public Parking Garage 11 at 7730 Woodmont Avenue. This is on the Old Georgetown Road side, of course. There is a venetian blind effect taking shape in the image, but Bethesda UP has not yet announced the artist or the title of this work.

New public art on Elm Street is a bit...trashy

All the cherrypicker-ing, mural-painting action has been over at Public Parking Garage 11 this week, but meanwhile, another public art piece was quietly added on Elm Street at Bethesda Row. An abstract design now covers the alley doors and slatted coverings of the dumpster garage near Bethesda Lane. One man's trash is another artist's treasure.

Woodmont Corner garage mural Day 3 update (Photos)

Slow and steady wins the race at the Woodmont Corner Public Parking Garage 11 in downtown Bethesda this week. Painting of the latest "Paint the Town" mural commissioned by the Bethesda Urban Partnership continues on the Old Georgetown Road-facing side of the garage. Is that a shark fin? The eyes left of center continue to be the only distinguishable element so far.

Mural painting underway at Woodmont Corner garage in Bethesda (Video + Photos)

A few days ago, the Old Georgetown Road entrance of the Woodmont Corner Public Parking Garage 11 in downtown Bethesda had a sign limiting hours of this entry point, and the electronic sign read "FULL" even though the garage was not. Yesterday, marks appeared on the facade of the garage facing Old Georgetown. Today, the artist is out painting the actual mural, the latest "Paint the Town" public art project commissioned by Bethesda Urban Partnership.

Bethesda mural update (Photos)

Here's a photo update on the new mural on the facade of the Montgomery County Woodmont-Rugby Public Parking Garage 35 in downtown Bethesda. The artist is Megan Lewis.

New mural being added to Bethesda garage (Photos)

Remember the Bethesda Urban Partnership announcement seeking local artists to paint a mural on Montgomery County Public Parking Garage 35 I wrote about this past February? Artist Megan Lewis is now painting it on the facade of the Woodmont-Rugby garage facing Woodmont Avenue. On Thursday, outlines had been sketched across the wall, and the colors were being added.