Revealed on June 12th, the mural by itself is worth going to see. Painted by local artist, Yemi, it was "A labor of love" for his friend and the owner of the Boutique, Virgina LaRouche. It depicts the image of a woman using beautiful colors and an impressive technique. According to the artist, it took over 150 hours of painting to complete. It’s a "celebration of the beautiful town of Thurmont," according to the artist, and is an amazing addition to the classic building. The revealing itself was wildly successful, as the Timeless Trends Boutique opened its doors to the community to celebrate its newest addition in style. Many members of the community came out to browse the stores selection, greet Yemi himself, and listen to the refreshing music played by guitarist Jennie Williams before the mural was unveiled to excited applause.

If you’re ever driving down the Thurmont Main Street, you can see the Mural for yourself. Such a bright and vibrant painting, located on the side of the store, is hard to miss. The Timeless Trends Boutique has continued the tradition of keeping the oldest continuous storefront in Thurmont running for 5 years and has catered to the community by providing amazing restorations of old pieces, fun knick knacks, and beautiful antiques. "This store is one of the best stores in the area," Yemi raved when asked about his dedication and mural to the store. "And it’s all because of the buyer. Virgina is one of the best buyers. She has an eye, it makes the store great." Of course, the décor of this cute timeless boutique helps its success. If the mural, the shops history, and the beautifully stocked store with treasure around every corner aren’t enough to sway you, there is also a large "Vintage Warehouse" tucked away behind the store. This warehouse previously was used as a carriage house, housing up to three horses and two carriages with a loft for hay and feed, back at the creation of the original store front. Now it’s filled with everything from antique furniture and mirrors to old military boots and cameras. There’s a pleasant surprise around every corner, and even if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it in either the boutique or the warehouse. Tastefully arranged and organized, and now with a beautiful mural decorating the side of it, if you find yourself in the Thurmont area Timeless Trends should be at the top of your list to visit.

Yemi is an artist whose works should also be at the top of your "to visit" list. He’s done various local pieces and has works available for purchase in Annapolis, Boonsboro, Frederick, Hagerstown, Middletown, Walkersville, Williamsport, and Thurmont. Yemi was born in Ibadan, Nigeria and moved to New York where he attended Pratt Institute. He received both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Science in Art and Communications Design. Since becoming an artist, he’s done drawings for major companies including AT&T, Haagen Daz, UPS, New York Times, and many more. In fact, Yemi's 'Girl Group' stamps are a part of the permanent collection of the Rock~N~Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio. If you’re interested in seeing Yemi’s Murals and large installations, they can be found in several locations including; the Courtyard by Marriot lobby in Frederick and The Common Market in Frederick as well as in Creekside building glass walkway, the mural features all exterior glass, and the Pillars of Frederick, which is one of the biggest murals in Maryland at 1280 square feet. It is definitely something worth checking out.

Yemi moved to this area from Manhattan where, he informed me with a smile, there were "more rats than people." A very different area than our own, but Yemi confessed his love for this community. He spoke about working "One brick at a time. It doesn’t look like much when you’ve only laid down for bricks. But after years you have something beautiful." Each mural and artist work for the community Yemi produces is a brick in the foundation he is trying to build. And soon, he will be able to place a few more into his foundation. Teaming up with the Lions Club, Yemi will be creating a new mural based on the beauty he finds from living in the Thurmont area. "We live in the most beautiful place" Yemi confessed to me, "But people don’t know it. I want to show them. There’s such a rich vein of history here, I want to make the community aware of what we have. From waterfalls to forest and beaches this mural will cover entire walls and help the community find what’s here. "

For those of you who don’t know, the Thurmont lion’s club is "a group of community-minded men and women who have come together to enjoy each other's company, hear interesting programs, and raise funds for important local or vision-related causes." They’ve put on various Sociable and Charitable events, including multiple food drives, the Community Easter egg hunt, and many more as well as being actively involved in the Youth Culture of the area. From high school Scholarships to supporting Boy Scout troops the Lion’s Club strives to make positive impacts and additions to the Thurmont Community. And next month the Lions club, along with Yemi, will be unveiling their latest addition to the community. Yemi’s "Crowning Jewel" Mural will be unveiled on Saturday, August 23 at 1 PM at the Trolley Substation along East Main Street at the entrance of the carnival grounds in Thurmont, Maryland. Yemi will be depicting several scenic and historic murals of the Thurmont area, and I was even given the tip that the mural will come with directions to go and see the areas depicted.

One of the amazing things about Thurmont, and the surrounding communities that I have come to notice in my time here, is that it really is as Yemi said, "One of the most beautiful areas around." No matter where I end up, I stumble upon amazing landscapes, well preserved pieces of history, and many stories. However, I find myself unaware of what is in the area until I actually come across it. Yemi’s taken this issue into his own hands. "I want to make people aware of what we have." He said to me, when I asked him what the message of his mural was. "Some people life here all their life and don’t know the beauty or all the history." And so he’s creating a mural with a dual purpose. It will be a beautiful addition to Thurmont, but it will also serve as a larger than life map highlighting many of the places of interest around the area. A map, I at least, will need to take full advantage of.

Yemi asked me, while I was speaking to him about our community, where I was originally from. When I informed him I was from Baltimore, he laughed comparing that to his time in Manhattan. "So how did you like Baltimore?" He pressed me with a grin, after informing me how much he disliked Manhattan. Well, I’m not sure how many of you know people from Baltimore, but if you’ve ever met a Ravens fan at a sports bar, or just during a good season, you know we’re…fiercely dedicated to our own. "I liked it." I said mildly- thinking of crab feasts, Orioles games, the harbor, and mind meltingly humid summers before I continued, "But up here I wake up every day surprised at how beautiful it is."

We live in an amazing community, full of life beauty and history. Yemi, Virgina LaRouche, The Timeless Trends boutique, and the Thurmont Lion’s club are all individual bricks that make up the strong and united foundation of our community. With this new addition of Yemi’s upcoming mural, our community continues to grow, brick by brick. If you can make the unveiling, I’d urge you to do so. Again Yemi’s "Crowning Jewel" Mural will be unveiled on Saturday, August 23 at 1 PM at the Trolley Substation along East Main Street at the entrance of the carnival grounds in Thurmont, Maryland. We’d love to see you there!

If you would like more information about any of the following you can check out their websites at:

Virgina LaRouche/Timeless Trends: timelesstrendsboutique.com

Yemi: yemi777.wix.com/yemi-artist/ (or on his facebook page facebook.com/pages/yemi/92593424872)

Lions Club: thurmontlionsclub.com

Read other articles on the local arts scene by Caroline King