Liliane Blom Art Studio
Art as a Catalyst for Community and Belonging
Public Art
Liliane Blom, Mid-County Artist-in-Residence, is creating a mural based on the stories, ideas and conversations Wheaton community members have shared with her this year.
Now she's inviting you to come paint the mural!
Liliane Blom, Artista en Residencia de Mid-County, está creando un mural inspirado en las historias, ideas y conversaciones que la comunidad de Wheaton ha compartido con ella este año.
¡Y ahora te invita a venir y pintar el mural junto a ella!
Focus area Wheaton
This residency, backed by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, is all about sparking conversations and bringing our community closer together. As Susan Jenkins, CEO of AHCMC, said so well, “Creativity is a vehicle for building healthier communities.” I’m excited to roll out a series of creative activities that will enable me to collaborate with the Mid-County community to address local issues, including economic development, housing, resilience, and identity.
Art will be our tool for these chats, creating a welcoming space for everyone to share their thoughts. I'm focusing on Wheaton, especially the underserved areas. I’ve spotted the Wheaton Mall South Building as a great space to connect, as it’s home to some essential service organizations like MidCounty United Ministries, Proyecto Salud, MontgomeryWorks, the Latino Economic Development Corporation, the Division of Rehabilitation Services, and the Gilchrist Center.
And guess what? The wall outside the South Building is just perfect for a community mural With input from everyone and a fun voting process to pick the favorite design, we’ll be painting "Seeds of Hope" in October 2025, and the community will be right in the mix!
Sofa Stories at Wheaton Mall South Building
I transformed the Wheaton South lobby into a welcoming, cozy living room space! From February to May, I listened as 350 people sat down, drank coffe, did crafts and shared their thoughts and stories. Such a diverse gathering, I had at least 45 different countries represented! I gathered their dreams for a mural to be painted right outside the door.
I met so many extraordinary people, and so many thoughtful ideas were shared in the cozy space created in an elevator lobby.
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If you would like to see some of the interesting stats and word clouds of the many ideas that were shared with Click Here
Community engagement is at the heart of this residency. I invited community members to dialogue sessions where they could voice their concerns and ideas. These sessions also included hands-on creative activities to inspire participation and ensure inclusivity.
As an artist, I specialize in creating installations and murals that are vibrant, interactive, and reflective of the community’s spirit. Whether it’s through painting, digital art, or immersive experiences, I aim to make art accessible and meaningful to all.
This project has several objectives:
To amplify diverse voices and develop a shared community identity.
To address pressing issues such as housing, economic development, and resilience through artistic dialogue.
And, most importantly, to foster cross-cultural connections and strengthen relationships between the community and the regional service centers.
By working together, I believe we can create not just art but a legacy of unity and shared purpose.
