Social Fabric

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Public Art in Silver Spring • Public Art • Public Art Walk

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Fenton Village

8420 Fenton Street
Silver Spring, MD 20910

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Social Fabric

Washington Glass Studio

A series of artist-created backlit glass panels surround the
building, encouraging viewers to appreciate the colorful patterns enlivening
the streetscape, as well as promoting a message of open-mindedness, promote
tolerance and curiosity about other cultures.
Inspired by the rich mixture of ethnic groups in Silver Spring,
the artists of Washington Glass Studio explored imagery and patterns that were
based on the cultural fabric and textiles, as well as indigenous weaving and
embroidery patterns for tapestries, wraps, blankets and garments.
Communities share in common the types of clothes that we wear and
textiles we use. Clothes have often been important cues to tell us the status
and role of the people around us. The fabrics and patterns might help tell people
what group or tribe you belong to or region you came from.
Using identity and culture as the main theme of the building’s
public artwork, WGS sought to inspire self-reflection, human connection, and
conversation.

The brightly colored hand-made glass features patterns
artistically based on Ethiopian textiles, African mudcoths, Central American
weavings, European folkloric fabric prints, intricate and colorful ancestral
weaving designs from Asia, Native American blankets, and Colonial American
quilt patterns.