City of Westminster Mural
Location: Locust Lane on the side of a building at 47 E Main St., Westminster, MD 21157
Dedicated in January 2000, artist Lewis Schlitt designed this mural that depicts a map of downtown Westminster in the late 1800s. It took him 40 days to paint the mural along with artists Drury Bynum, James Veenstra, and Thomas Van Damme. On one corner is a picture of the Westminster Railroad Depot. Also depicted are establishments that existed in the late 1800s on West Main Street and elsewhere in Carroll County.
Mary Lou Dewey Sculpture Park
At the Westminster branch of the Carroll County Public Library
Location: 50 East Main Street Westminster, MD 21157
- “Wild Imaginings,” a bronze sculpture by Bart Walter that features a small boy reading while leaning against a lion of his imagination. (2010)
- “Trilogy,” created from one-billion-year-old limestone donated from Lehigh Quarry (2011)
- “Liber,” a sculpture by Union Bridge artist Jo Israelson. Carved from Indiana limestone, the piece represents the transformation from bark to pages of a book. (2013)
- “Our Family Farm,” a bronze relief created by Maryland artist Antonio Tobias Mendez. The work features Carroll farmers bringing in the hay for harvest. (2014)
The Carroll County Barn Quilt Trail
The Carroll County Barn Quilt Trail is a collaborative project undertaken by the Carroll County Arts Council, the Carroll County Office of Tourism, the Carroll County Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Carroll County Public Library.
Location: throughout Carroll County
The program pays homage to Carroll’s agrarian history by installing 8-foot square quilt blocks on scenic barns throughout the county. The barn quilt tradition actually dates back many years when farmers used to paint Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs and other folk art designs on their barns.
The first 12 quilt blocks in this project were chosen and painted by volunteers associated with the Carroll County Arts Council. The Carroll County Office of Tourism and the county’s agriculture development specialist worked with local farmers to place the quilts. The next 15 quilt blocks were chosen by the farm families themselves and printed by a local printing company. In many cases, these families created their own design or adapted an existing pattern so that each block is significant to their specific farming operation.
Since the Arts Council’s staff and volunteers hand-painted the first 12 quilt patterns, we were pleased to be able to keep one to hang on our “barn.” You’ll find the Crazy Quilt pattern on the west side of our building near the roof line. This vibrant pattern represents the variety and excitement of all we do here!
For a list of addresses of the other barn quilts, visit CarrollBarnQuilts.com. There’s even an app to help you navigate the Barn Quilt Trail. Please respect the private properties where the barn quilts are displayed. Viewers are also advised to take all necessary safety precautions when viewing the quilts from roadways.
For more information, contact Carroll County Tourism at 410.848.1388 or 800.272.1933
Barn Quilt Cube Sculptures
Locations:
Carroll County Office Building, 225 North Center St. Westminster MD, 21157
Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S Center St, Westminster, MD 21157
Installed in August 2018, this pair of sculptures were created by local artist Charlie Maiorana in honor of the Carroll County Barn Quilt Trail. Situated at the top of a tall pedestal, the cube-shaped aluminum sculptures depict barn quilts on each face.
Sprouts
Location: corner of Bond and Main Streets, Westminster, Maryland, 21157
“Sprouts” sculpture by Westminster artist Thomas Sterner. Two welded steel sculptures rise from the ground in graceful arches, each with an oversized open leaf, emphasizing their veins and structure (2019).
Urban Transformations
Location: Downtown Sykesville, MD
The nonprofit Downtown Sykesville Connection has turned urban fixtures into public art pieces with the Urban Transformation project. Vivian Davis and Robin Culkin painted the crosswalk at the intersection of Oklahoma Avenue and Baldwin Drive in Sykesville. The crosswalk art spells out “Sykesville” using different images that depicts different aspects of the town. For example, the “E” is composed of books, representing the nearby A Likely Story Bookstore.
The two other projects are a farm scene by Dominic Jones and a portrait of a garden by Benjamin McCord.
Virginia Sperry Sculpture Garden
Location: 415 Heath Dr., Eldersburg, MD 21784
Virginia Sperry Studio is located in a 100-year-old barn in the southern part of Carroll County, MD. Individual guided studio and sculpture garden tours are available upon request throughout the year. Several of Virginia’s animal and abstract sculptures are placed carefully around the six-acre property for maximum visual enjoyment. During the year, the well-tended gardens add a delightful dimension to the landscape. Families, picnics, painters, photographers and, mostly, art and nature lovers are welcome! FYI, the studio is handicapped accessible. If you are unwilling or unable to walk to the sculptures, they can drive you around the property, weather dependent.
The sculpture gardens are also available as a venue for professional photography shoots, art and camera clubs, schools and other organizations.
Contact Virginia if you are interested in scheduling a visit.
Great Blue Heron
Location: Piney Run Park, 30 Martz Road in Sykesville, MD
“Great Blue Heron” a welded steel sculpture by Sykesville artist Virginia Sperry. The magnificent bird is located just off shore in Piney Run Reservoir near the boathouse. It is hoped that this stunning piece of public art will inspire visitors to respect and protect the environment and its inhabitants. (2018)
$ – Park entrance fees vary. Visit PineyRunPark.org
The Snallygaster Mural Project
Location: Downtown Sykesville, Maryland
The 10 murals are a collaboration by 10 local artists on private and town wall and floors about the mythical Snallygaster, a dragon-like creature in American folklore that allegedly inhabits the Central Maryland and Washington, D.C., area. (2018)
The Snallygaster Mural Project
Location: Downtown Sykesville, Maryland
The 10 murals are a collaboration by 10 local artists on private and town wall and floors about the mythical Snallygaster, a dragon-like creature in American folklore that allegedly inhabits the Central Maryland and Washington, D.C., area. (2018)
Zile’s Ice Cream Advertising Mural
Location: On the wall of the Taneytown City Hall and Police Station, near 15 East Baltimore Street, Taneytown MD 21787
Originally completed in the 1920’s by Roy Strine, this mural was restored in 2001 by Lewis Shlitt. The sign was obscured for most of the century by a neighboring building that was added to City Hall.
Arthur M. Zile made his ice cream in Westminster beginning in the late 19th century. The old Central Hotel in Taneytown served the ice cream, and hotel owners John Leister and W. Rein Motter commissioned the sign to attract travelers with a sweet tooth. The sign features the Zile’s name, a fudge sundae and four ice cream cones – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and mint.