Interest Grows in Harrisonburg Public Art

Public Art Forward Grant Funds HARRISONBURG Mural

A 2024 mural on the MODdisplays Building (273 E Market St, Harrisonburg) by Artist Laura Thompson’s mural represents the first Public Art Forward grant awarded by Arts Council of the Valley.  

Signage near the mural features information about the artist and artwork, and a QR code links the items portrayed (ranging from a lion and ducks to a sunflower and diver) to stories of their local connections.

Thompson is a local painter, mixed media artist, and former public school art teacher who is active in local arts. She has painted several interior murals, working with students in schools where she taught. For her first exterior mural project, Thompson turned to Andre Shank, an experienced mural artist living in Richmond, VA, who served as a mentor and consultant to help ensure a successful design and installation process.

Made possible through the generosity of the Forward Family, the Public Art Forward grant supports creation and installation of a new work of public art in downtown Harrisonburg each year for 2023, 2024, and 2025. The maximum award is $15,000 per year. 

The 2024 Public Art Forward funding cycle has been reopened to accept proposals for works of sculpture. The new application deadline is 5 pm June 2, 2024. Learn more here.

Language of Love 
WELCOMES EVERYONE

Dedicated in May 2022, the Language of Love art installation was designed to embody our community’s diversity. Arts Council of the Valley and Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance collaborated on the public art project.

Artist Jeff Guinn explained how the work was created, and thanked City of Harrisonburg officials, volunteers, and sponsors who provided their support.

Located by the Turner Pavilion behind the Arts Council's Smith House Galleries and designed for community members to play and interact with, Language of Love celebrates what local students and their families shared with the artist about what they value about living in the Friendly City – from the area’s natural beauty to the welcoming spirit and inclusivity.

Begun in Fall 2018 with a nationwide call for artists to commission a permanent sculpture to be placed alongside Harrisonburg’s existing LOVEworks sculpture, the project experienced some pandemic delays before culminating in a community painting day last fall to add stencils in various languages to the structure.“

The Language of Love sculpture is meant to visually represent the inclusive and multicultural  nature of Harrisonburg and the surrounding area,” Guinn explained. “By virtue of the wide variety of cultural  heritages, ethnicities, and countries of origin present, our city has a unique culture that should be celebrated and cultivated,” he said.  

Guinn said the flowing shapes of the sculpture represent the physical geography of our area, as well as the movement of shared language and experiences between people. “It is my hope,” he added, “that by viewing the sculpture and engaging with it, that people will be reminded of the rich heritage of our local culture, and also be inspired to continue to welcome and draw in new people, experiences, and ideas.”

“The Language of Love project was designed to build on the ‘Virginia is for Lovers’ campaign,” explained ACV Executive Director Jenny Burden. “We wanted the artist to take inspiration from our multilingual community, and consider how ideas of inclusivity and multiculturalism translate into a visual experience,” she added. 

HDR Executive Director Andrea Dono recalled feedback her organization received through public engagement activities in early 2018, which helped provide a focus for the sculpture theme. “Community members expressed deep pride in our city’s extraordinary diversity,” Dono said, adding that HDR’s research also indicated that residents want more public art downtown. “The goal of this project was to blend the core community values of diversity and arts and culture into a single project,’” she recalled.

Both ACV and HDR provided funds toward the project, which was also supported through a Community Needs grant from The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Additional funding was provided by sponsors F&M Bank, Riner Rentals, Mint Construction, The Frame Factory, and Excel Steel Works. A number of in-kind donors also supported the project, including Herr & Co., Fine Earth, Shenandoah Paint, R.S. Monger & Sons, Rocktown Urban Wood, Willow Run Custom Lumber, Knoched VA, and Black Forest Sawmill.

“Public art engages people,” Burden said, “and this work, in particular, highlights how our community views diversity as an asset, and reflects our desire to ensure that all immigrants, refugees, residents, and visitors of diverse backgrounds feel welcome in the Friendly City.”

Visit the Language of Love Facebook page for more on Harrisonburg’s newest work of public art.

project BACKGROUNd

The Language of Love is representative of the people and communities that make us Harrisonburg. Largely due to immigrant relocation projects in conjunction with Church World Services and other area nonprofits, Harrisonburg has emerged as a true melting pot. Currently, more than 50 languages are spoken in Harrisonburg High School, and several HHS students are involved in planning stencil designs that are incorporated as part of the sculpture.

The Blue Rider Revs Up Downtown Harrisonburg

Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) now provides a parking space for a 16-foot tall sculpture, The Blue Rider, in front of its Smith House Galleries, 311 South Main Street, Harrisonburg. Created by William Snyder III, The Blue Rider is one of two Snyder sculptures installed locally this spring. The other, #BigVespa, is located at The Oliver Art House, 131 S Main Street, Broadway.

Inspired by his interest in Vespa scooters and their iconic shape, Snyder created #BigVespa, the first of his six-inch-thick, hollow aluminum sculptures, in 2014. He added the companion piece in 2016.

Snyder, who exhibits nationally, recently opened The Oliver Art House with his wife Moon. He holds an undergraduate degree in Integrative Arts and Master of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania State University.  

A collaboration among Riner Rentals (underwriting the lease for both works), ACV’s Advancing the Arts grant program (covering installation costs), and the artist, the two sculpture installations are slated to remain in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County for three years.  

“Public art in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County is growing in both scope and creativity,” noted Paul Riner of Riner Rentals. “Bringing such a fun and unique sculpture to the heart of downtown Harrisonburg, as well as its sister sculpture to the Town of Broadway, is an absolute pleasure,” he said. 

“We hope this artist/business/nonprofit collaboration model can be one that is replicated and grown in the future throughout our community to really shine light on the incredible art and artists we are so lucky to have here,” Riner added.

Check out a video to learn more!

LOVEworks SCULPTURE

The current LOVEworks sculpture is a public artwork designed by artists Nicole Martorana, Jeff Guinn, and Mike Herr. Developed as part of the 2013 Virginia is for Lovers social media marketing campaign by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, it received additional support from Harrisonburg Tourism, HDR, and Arts Council of the Valley, as well as contributions from individual and business community partners. Each of the four letters represents one of four focus areas – ethnic and cultural diversity, agricultural heritage, outdoor recreation, and the arts – and is constructed of locally sourced and re-purposed materials. LOVEworks Harrisonburg is the perfect backdrop for photo opportunities, performance art, picnicking, and other forms of community engagement in historic downtown Harrisonburg.

LOVEworks sculpture, located behind Arts Council of the Valley’s Smith House Galleries, near the Turner Pavilion.