Thurmont mural artwork continues once again

Danielle Ryan

(8/23) Yemi Fagbohun, a nationally known artist and resident of Thurmont, attended the August 2 Town meeting to present to the Council his ideas and sketches for additional artwork to be placed on the trolley building in town. The existing artwork was done in 2013, and was added to in 2014, but could once again be enhanced further with an additional piece of artwork.

Yemi, originally from Nigeria, moved to America and studied at the Pratt Institute in New York, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Science in Art and Communications Design. He is nationally known for his murals, glass work and custom made gifts and resides right here in Thurmont. After moving to Thurmont and living in the area, he knew that he wanted to do something to showcase to everyone both within in the community and those visiting, how beautiful the town really is. He wanted to celebrate everything that makes Thurmont great, and that makes Thurmont appealing to those who live or visit the town.

He presented sketches of his suggestions and asked for any input from both the Council and the public. The idea behind the artwork is to make this building a place where people want to come back and visit time and time again; to create a piece of art so detailed that every time it is viewed, there are new things to see. Yemi wishes for the artwork to showcase everything that makes Thurmont such a wonderful and special place, to help visitors see Thurmont the way Thurmont residents see it.

Yemi was hoping to put some vignettes around the white part of the building, and asks the community to bring all their ideas together about everything that makes Thurmont so special. There would be no cost to the town, as the funds for the project would be raised by Yemi himself. If approved, the project could be started as soon as possible, and the project could be unveiled as soon as next fall.

The Council agreed that they are all in favor of the project, speaking about how attractive the current art is and how it currently attracts positive conversation from the public. They did, however, say that they needed to discuss the idea with the town lawyer to ensure that everything is fair for both parties.

Yemi has done several other works of art in Maryland including more local pieces in the Courtyard by Marriot lobby Frederick, The Common Market Frederick and the Pillars of Frederick, which happens to be one of the biggest murals in Maryland at 1280 square feet!