WHEATON ARTS PARADE PYRAMIDS 2026
Thanks to a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), Wheaton Arts Parade was able to develop a prototype for its large tetrahedron sculptures that can withstand the seasonal elements in the Wheaton Arts & Entertainment District. The tetrahedra, also called pyramids, become the "canvas" for surface designs by local artists. The tetrahedron pyramid has become an iconic symbol for Wheaton whose town center is known as the Wheaton Triangle because it is shaped by the intersection of 3 state highways. The tetrahedron is the 3 dimensional projection of a triangle.
The surface design on the prototype was painted by Jessica Muñiz Witmer and it illustrates three of the major events that take place every year in the Wheaton Triangle, the Taste of Wheaton, the summer concerts, and the Wheaton Arts Parade & Festival. Wheaton Arts Parade is working with the Wheaton Urban District to determine the location to install the sculpture. In the meantime, you can see images of the artwork below. When the sculpture is installed it will have a QR code so that visitors can listen to an audio recording by the artist describing her design.
Background: When the COVID pandemic prevented the 2020 Wheaton Arts Parade & Festival, Wheaton Arts Parade (WAP) brought art to the streets and sidewalks of Wheaton in the form of tetrahedron pyramid murals where they could be appreciated safely. Each pyramid had signage with a QR code that linked to an audio presentation by the artist describing their design. The pyramids were so well received by the public that WAP commissioned the creation of 5 new pyramids in 2022-23. Seven large pyramids were prominently displayed year-round in Wheaton's core business district. They also were displayed at the Sandy Spring Museum and at Brookside Gardens. Even though the artwork was painted with acrylic paint and coated with sealant and caulk, the plywood materials weathered and the lamination separated due to water intrusion of the edges. Eventually all but one of the pyramids had to be removed from public display. The one that was covered with mosaic tiles is on display in the lobby of the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission headquarters on Reedie Drive. It was designed by Salvadoran families under the guidance of mosaic artist Edwin Salmeron with the assistance of high school senior Alyson Sanchez.
SURFACE DESIGNS THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO THE MSAC
Community members provided feedback and their preferences were considered by the Selection Committee in choosing the three designs described below. The designs were submitted to the MSAC for funding, but funding was not approved.
LAURA-LEIGH PALMER
ARTIST’S CONCEPT: "The World Laughs in Flowers celebrates the rich flora and fauna native to this region of Maryland. Featured animals include the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly, Luna moth, Hummingbird moth, Monarch butterfly, and the Diamondback terrapin. The depicted plant life includes Black-eyed Susans, Butterflyweed, Woodferns, Blue Flags, and Wild Columbine. These images appear across three panels, each set against a different background color to represent the progression of a day—after all, a Luna moth is most at home against a dark night sky. This theme complements the parks and recreation spaces of the Wheaton area, honoring the natural beauty of the region."
Laura-Leigh Palmer is owner of asap graphics plus LLC – interiors360 (a boutique marketing firm for businesses and organizations.) She also is the Arts Volunteer Coordinator for "So What Else" a nonprofit that supports after school programs and food security for people in the Montgomery County, Baltimore and Anacostia areas where she designs murals to be executed with the help of volunteers.
JESSE KIRSCH
ARTIST’S CONCEPT: "This design uses a bold palette and simple geometric forms and pattern to create something modern, engaging, and unexpected within an urban environment. The shapes function like modern-day petroglyphs. They are intentionally open-ended, inviting interpretation rather than delivering a fixed message. The work is meant to spark curiosity, allowing each viewer to project their own meaning onto the symbols and colors they encounter."
Jesse Kirsch is owner and creative director of No Plan in Takoma Park, MD since 2019. His responsibilities include: day-to-day operations, project management, business development, creative direction, graphic design, and production design. He specializes in conceptual development, naming, full-service graphic design and branding, public art, murals, hand-painted signage, and custom letterpress art prints and cards.
PEIJISAN ART
ARTIST’S CONCEPT: "Wheaton Wings highlights 3 whimsically winged creatures who are integral parts of our local ecosystem and share a color palette that seems almost too bright and beautiful to be real. The design highlights the Bumble Bee, the Rosy Maple Moth and the Goldfinch that are native to Maryland and that one may be lucky to encounter in the landscape of Wheaton. If people need a reminder of the natural beauty in the midst of the urban district, they need only walk around my artwork. I chose these colorful unsung heroes because while they are small in size they are essential to pollination and seed dispersal for local plants, showing how important these relationships are in nature."
Paige Friedeman aka Peijisan Art has been a professional visual, community and public artist for more than 20 years. She has created public artwork with grant awards from both MSAC and AHCMC and has created murals for Brookside Gardens (Montgomery Parks), SWBID, the National Cherry Blossom Festival and more.
SEMI-FINALISTS
Although their designs were not selected for the project, these local artists received a commission and their work was well received by the community. You can see one of Lilian Blom's murals at the Westfield Shopping Center near the entrance to Costco parking. Some of Dinah Myers-Shroeder's artwork can be seen on the windows of the MNCPPC Headquarters on Reedie Dr.
DINAH MYERS-SCHROEDER
LILIANE BLOM