A mural depicting blossoms in quince trees, a map of Gaithersburg and the phrase “We are a community” has been unveiled at a shopping center off Interstate 270 during Women’s History Month.
The artwork was commissioned by Rockville-based Federal Realty, a regional real estate investment group, as part of its public art initiative.
Gaithersburg native Katie Giganti of Artists Circle Fine Art in North Potomac completed the 20- foot tall, 80-foot wide project at Quince Orchard Plaza in five days using seven gallons of paint and 25 cans of spray paint.
“I grew up in the area, just seeing how much it changed over the past two decades or so, I really think it’s at this point now where it’s … right on the edge of where all this energy and growth is happening,” Giganti said.
The center, at 608 Quince Orchard Road, includes an Aldi supermarket, HomeGoods discount home furnishing store, Staples office supply store and L.A. Fitness workout center.
Federal Realty’s “Arts & Culture” program has supported other murals at its Bethesda Row, Wildwood Shopping Center, Rockville Town Square and Pike & Rose properties.
Federal Realty supplied the concept of community and Giganti said she took it from there.
“The public murals at Federal Realty’s properties enhance each property with creativity and color while inviting visitors across the metro region to celebrate public art,” Federal Realty Director of Asset Management Kari Glinski said in a statement. “We recognized the talents of Ms. Giganti and are pleased to introduce our newest mural on International Women’s Day, a day where we celebrate women’s achievements.”
Giganti, who lives in Mt. Airy, bought art supplies from the shopping center in her youth, and said the mural represents the present and future growth of the community “in an abstract way.”
International Women’s Day was March 8. Congress authorized a Women’s History Week that started in March 1982 and the commemoration expanded to the month of March five years later, according to the Library of Congress.
