Arts on the Block

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Arts on the Block Creative youth and emerging artists make public art, contribute to their communities, join the creative workforce, and design the future. Founded 2003

Donate today! artsontheblock.com/donate

Arts non-profit where creative young people set their sights on bright futures. Source of commissioned, community & public art, and more.

October is National Arts & Humanities Month, and we've been thinking about what our apprentices really take with them wh...
10/07/2026

October is National Arts & Humanities Month, and we've been thinking about what our apprentices really take with them when they leave the studio. 🎨

Yes, they learn to make beautiful art. But they also learn to sketch and revise until a design is right, to stand up and pitch their ideas to real clients, to lead a project when their design gets picked, and to build something together that's too big for any one person.

Some of them walk in too shy to speak up in a room. They walk out presenting to clients and funders. That's the Artpreneurs Apprenticeship, right here in downtown Silver Spring.

Click through the photos to see the process, and learn more about the program at artsontheblock.com.

Thank you to the teaching artists and volunteers who show up. 💛This summer, our teaching artists and volunteers gave our...
10/02/2026

Thank you to the teaching artists and volunteers who show up. 💛

This summer, our teaching artists and volunteers gave our apprentices so much more than technique. They gave them mentorship, encouragement, and a studio that felt like home. Some of our students started the summer barely speaking above a whisper and ended it presenting their work with confidence. That growth happened because of the people who showed up for them every day.

Thank you to our summer 2026 teaching artists and volunteers. We couldn't do this without you.

FROM ACORN TO OAK 🌰🌳Last Monday, we joined Friends of White Oak to dedicate "From Acorn to Oak," a vibrant new mural at ...
09/28/2026

FROM ACORN TO OAK 🌰🌳

Last Monday, we joined Friends of White Oak to dedicate "From Acorn to Oak," a vibrant new mural at the White Oak Community Recreation Center celebrating the neighborhood's roots, creativity, and continued growth.

We're especially proud that the mural was created by local artists Mars Belacheu, our own Workshops & Events Coordinator, and Edwin H. 💜

Commissioned and donated by Friends of White Oak, the project grew out of a placemaking effort that began in 2022, created in partnership with Montgomery County Dept of Rec , Springbrook High School - An IB World School , and Arts on the Block. It's a beautiful example of what happens when a community comes together to tell its own story through art.

Thank you to everyone who helped bring this vision to life, including Councilmember Kristin Mink, Montgomery County Recreation Director Gabe Albornoz, Tenisha Reid of the White Oak Community Recreation Center, Friends of White Oak board members June Henderson and Bill Bentley, former board member Kim Jones, and our Executive Director Chris Barclay.

Swing by 1700 April Lane and see it for yourself!

📸 Photos courtesy of the Montgomery County Council

Made by teenage hands. Built to last. 🧩This summer, our Artpreneurs apprentices took on a real public art commission: mo...
09/24/2026

Made by teenage hands. Built to last. 🧩

This summer, our Artpreneurs apprentices took on a real public art commission: mosaics for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. Thousands of hand-set tiles went into them, and each one was cut, sorted, and placed by young artists in our Silver Spring studio.

These pieces will be part of the community for years to come, and so will the skills our apprentices built making them. Thank you to everyone who helps make this work possible. ❤️

09/18/2026

Growth doesn't always look like a finished mosaic. 💜

It's National Arts in Education Week led by Americans for the Arts, so we asked our apprentices what their time at Arts on the Block has meant to them. Their answers say it better than we ever could. 🎥

Some of these young people came in barely able to speak up in a room. Watch them now: projecting their voices, presenting their work to donors and partners, and calling each other teammates. That's what art does — it builds confidence, connection, and a real sense of belonging.

(The other clip is the mosaic our apprentices have been building all summer — proof that growth is a work in progress, one tile at a time.)

To everyone in Silver Spring and beyond who makes this possible: thank you. If you'd like to help more young artists find their voice, you can support them here 👉 artsontheblock.com

09/15/2026

This summer, 17 teens spent five weeks in our Silver Spring studio turning thousands of tiny tiles into real public art. When we asked what they loved most, the same three answers kept coming back:

🧩 Working with their hands
🎨 Learning from real, working artists
🫶 The people beside them

Skills, mentorship, community ..... that's what arts education builds, and it's exactly what National Arts in Education Week (Sept 13–19) is all about. Watch the mosaic come to life. 👆 Americans for the Arts

Every apprenticeship like this one is powered by people who believe creative kids deserve real opportunities. If that's you, help us keep serving our youth with a donation:
👉 https://artsontheblock.networkforgood.com/projects/198239-aob-donation-page

cc: Maryland State Arts Council , Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County

🎨🌺 Missing our apprentices incredible creativity--truly, one of the most creative and fun groups we've had! We're so gra...
08/28/2026

🎨🌺 Missing our apprentices incredible creativity--truly, one of the most creative and fun groups we've had! We're so grateful for their ability to connect with each other and befriend each other so quickly.

🎨🍒 Another hot day, another day of missing the cool of the studio. We're hoping everyone has a cool rest of the week, wi...
08/25/2026

🎨🍒 Another hot day, another day of missing the cool of the studio. We're hoping everyone has a cool rest of the week, with hopefully no rain!

🎨☀️ Happy national senior citizens day! Hopefully seeing our artwork will give those senior people in your life that bur...
08/21/2026

🎨☀️ Happy national senior citizens day! Hopefully seeing our artwork will give those senior people in your life that burst of color they need!

🎨🌦️ Don't mind us, just thinking about the beginning of the apprentice program... It's really impressive how fast everyo...
08/18/2026

🎨🌦️ Don't mind us, just thinking about the beginning of the apprentice program... It's really impressive how fast everyone learned and adapted so quickly, we're so grateful for their ability to understand everything so quickly!

Address

900 Wayne Avenue #1A
Silver Spring, MD
20910

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+12405133767

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