Silver Spring: Creative Outpost?

I grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland, and as a kid, Silver Spring meant the place where mom worked. When I moved back to DC after college, in 1998, Silver Spring was the (bland, slightly rundown, unappealing) place where mom still worked. In other words, it wasn't for me.

When places like the AFI and Round House Theatre opened up, along with Whole Foods and Baja Fresh, it didn't increase Silver Spring's appeal to this city girl; instead, it felt like a suburb getting cleaned up to try to provide a quasi-urban experience for people like my parents, or in-laws -- an attractive alternative, for them, to the over the top yuppiedom, and ridiculous parking situation, of downtown Bethesda.

But lately, I've started to find myself wondering if Silver Spring may not have something for me, after all. First, I've never been Mayorga Coffee Factory, but have heard such wonderful things about it - it sounds like somewhere I'd love. I know Mayorga isn't new, but what is new are the arts and cultural offerings that are developing right around it. I'm intrigued by projects such as the Artist's Market at Arts Alley and the Heliport Gallery, whose email list I'm on. There seems to be a fresh creative energy to a growing number of places and events, and I find it appealing.

As an example, the Heliport Gallery's current exhibit is called FREEDOM, and features work by four refugees who came to the U.S. seeking political asylum. What I find so fascinating is that rather than featuring artwork that is explicitly about oppression, the exhibit apparently emphasizes how being in the U.S. has affected the nature of these individuals' art. Here's how the Heliport Web site explains it:

The exhibit is not overtly political, nor does it shout oppression. On the other hand, it shows four artists at different stages in their careers that have each utilized art and their new found ‘freedom’ as a means for emotional release and chance to redefine themselves. An example is Dr. Kyi May Kaung. While growing up in Burma, Dr. Kaung was only allowed to paint realistic images because the government could understand them. Abstract art was more or less forbidden. Conversely, now living here in the US, Dr. Kaung is exploring the boundaries of abstract art through her vivid and emotional watercolors and mixed media pieces.

The Web site doesn't attribute the image it features (which I, too, feature, above), but I assume it's a piece by Dr. Kaung.

Of course, the title of this post is a bit facetious, because I believe (say it with me, folks) that creativity is everywhere. But it's exciting to see it flourish somewhere, as it seems to be flourishing in Silver Spring right now.

What do you think? Am I right that there's increased creative activity in Silver Spring these days, or is that activity just being more effectively marketed? (or am I just finally learning about it?) Are there other examples of creative projects in Silver Spring that I should link to? Share your thoughts.