I had a couple of days off in a row this week and felt like doing a staycation. However, the weather was too hot for several things we first considered. And other things were closed on the days available to us. After searching, we decided to do the Public Art Trail in Frederick, MD. Frederick is a small city (pop. 78,000) founded in 1745. It is steeped in history and has an active arts council.
We set out at 7:30 am to beat the heat. It was pleasant in the shade, but it was getting hot by the time we finished an hour and a half later. Not only did we find everything on the tour, but we also saw several historical houses and other murals and sculptures that were not featured. We definitely want to explore more in the future.
If you want, you can join me for the tour we took. I have posted more pictures than I usually like to, so no problem if, at some point, you want to skip ahead to the end. 😀
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| Community Bridge. This bridge was hand-painted over five years, with symbols of the community spread throughout the stones. Those are not stones and a gate you are seeing. It's all paint on a flat surface. |
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| Iron Bridge. It is hand-forged and represents flora and fauna found along the creek it crosses. |
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Marie Diehl Memorial Drinking Fountain. The fountains honor Deihl, the founder of the Frederick Humane Society. It has drinking fountains for people, horses, and dogs.
And they all work! |
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| Zodiac Sculptures. There is a similar one on the other side. They are intended to connect time, universe, and humanity. |
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| Edge of Gravity Mural. This is one of three of Angels in Architecture. The image depicts a person of indeterminate age, gender, and race attired in clothing from 1745 when Frederick was founded. |
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Charity the Dog. This cast iron statue has been on this property since the 1850s.
(It's an 1820s building.) |
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| John Hanson Statue. Hanson served as the first President of the US in Congress after the Articles of Confederation were ratified. |
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| Becky the Calf sculpture. This bronze statue of a calf pays homage to the cattle that used to graze along this creek. |
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| The Spire. This was made to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Baker Park. It is made from agricultural machine parts to reflect Frederick County's agricultural history. The spire represents the clustered spires in the poem Barbar Fritchie by Whittier. |
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| Victory, WWI monument. This was in Memorial Park, which had several monuments to people who had served in different wars. |
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| Guess, Greyhound Sculpture. Cast iron sculpture replica of original marble one carved in 1839. Supposedly, the young girls who lived at the house would say, "Guess" when asked their dog's name. |
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| Clarke Fountain. That's Cain and Able on top playing. It was originally built in the late 1890s and was rebuilt in 1965. |
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| Dinosaur Mural. This is a large mural (30'x150') on the side of a parking garage in a narrow alley. It was a fun mural that depicted dinosaurs doing winter sports. |
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| Earthbound Mural. This is the second mural of the series of Angels in Architecture. |
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Angels in Architecture Pheasant. This is on the same building
and on the same side as the one above. |
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Egress Mural. The third installment of Angels in Architecture features
a wood duck entering the streetscape. |
Until next time...
