Public Art at the Sarbanes Transit Center

When the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center opens, will it feature new works of art like other similar transit hubs in the metropolitan area?

WMATA’s MetroArts provided for art installations at the Georgia Avenue-Petworth Station and U Street-Cardozo, but the Sarbanes Center is a Montgomery County-initiated project and is not eligible for MetroArts funding.

However, Montgomery County Code has specific language regarding public art in Chapter 8, Article VI, "Works of Art in Public Architecture,” Section 8-45, which recommends appropriating a portion of budgets to the Public Arts Trust. However, the code is non-binding, and does not specifically require funding for public art.

Local artist Sally Callmer, who created Penguin Rush Hour for a contest conducted by WMATA in 1989, is a strong advocate of art in public spaces.

“The best examples of public art express something significant about that location; an important person/event, or a community's identity,” she said. “It humanizes the urban landscape - an area that is starkly utilitarian, whether exterior or interior, can be transformed by a colorful wall, or a small sculpture.”

When asked about apparent lack of public art in the plans for the Sarbanes Center, Department of General Services’ Don Scheuerman said “It is a fair statement that there is no formal art in this project.”

Scheuerman described the decision making process to Patch “There was a point where Montgomery County had an arts program directly related to total capital expenditures, but the program was reduced during the difficult financial times of early to mid 1990s,” he said continued. “On this project we didn’t have a specific line item set aside for public art.”

According to Scheuerman, a greenspace—which will be located the junction of Wayne Avenue and Colesville Road—will not only help with stormwater management, but it will incorporate artistic elements in the form of two quotes carved into stone seating areas:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Anthropologist Margaret Mead

And a second from former Montgomery County Planning Board Commissioner Gene Lynch:

“Always put your children first and teach them to reach higher, every day, with compassion and strength; for they are your best contribution to the world.”

The opening of the center will also see the return of what is arguably Silver Spring’s most iconic artwork – Penguin Rush Hour, which has spawned a , , sculpture and countless appearances on t-shirts, posters and stickers.

As the original piece was only supposed to be on display for one year, Callmer created it on 25, 4-foot by 8-foot sections of plywood. Fifteen years later, exposure to the elements led to the county launching the “Pennies for Penguins” campaign to raise funds to “completely re-create the four most damaged panels and to refurbish the remaining panels.”

During the lengthy restoration, Callmer used a composite of cement, sand and cellulose fiber as the base so that the vibrantly colored penguins will enjoy a longer lifespan.

I enjoyed re-visiting the images I had created; like a reunion with old friends, Callmer said. “Just knowing that the Silver Spring community still enjoyed the mural enough to have me restore it, meant a great deal to me,” she continued.

The panels remian in storage at the Silver Spring Civic Building, until the Sarbances Center is complete.

Michele Cohen, the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County’s Public Art Consultant has some concerns over the durability of the refurbished mural.

“Based on my experience, these materials are not durable enough for the long-term,” she said “It will extend the life of the piece, but it is not permanent.”

When asked how long she believes this iteration of Penguin Rush Hour will last, Cohen responded “I think we’re talking another 15 years.” The same amount of time the original plywood-based piece lasted.

Had she been involved in the process in 2004, Cohen would have advocated for a different plan, re-creating Penguin Rush Hour on something similar to Discovery Communications’ mural that lines Georgia Avenue. Cohen describes a process similar to silk screening, “printing in a glaze that gets fired on a metal substrate which results in shiny surface impervious to damage.”

Already delayed seven times, the opening date of the Sarbanes Center is unclear at best. must be resolved before commuters will once again be able to enjoy the vibrant colors and frenetic activity depicted in Penguin Rush Hour, or try de-stressing on the benches in the planned greenspace.