For Immediate Release: 3/17/21
Contact: Jamie Goodin
Email: goodinjr@gmail.com
Phone: 4349445446
New Mural Unveiling in Downtown Buena Vista, Virginia
Scheduled for: Thursday, April 15th, 4pm
Location: 2117 Magnolia Avenue, Buena Vista VA, 24416
BUENA VISTA, VA — A brand new mural will be unveiled in Buena Vista, VA on Thursday, April 15th at 4pm.
The mural will be installed on the east-facing side of the building located at 133w 21st St. This mural project has been a partnership between ActionBV, GoBV, the City of Buena Vista, local citizens and local businesses.
Artist Benjamin Frey, dual resident of Buena Vista and Philadelphia, was selected to create the mural after an RFP process. He has worked with ActionBV to solicit community input to create a mural to inspire passers-by to stop and engage, perhaps by posing for photographs with the artwork.
From Frey: “ The mountains and people are what define this town, both for ourselves and for visitors. In essence, BV is a quiet town nestled between the mountains, the river, and the sky. I’ve created quite a few sketches to capture the mountains, and I keep returning to the theme of the view from the floodwall, which offers a perspective on the town, the mountains and forest, and the river that it follows. After considering various ways of integrating and representing the community itself, I have come up with an idea that I feel expresses the togetherness and forward looking spirit envisioned for the project while integrating beautifully with my vision for the mural.”
Over the past few months, local children were invited to make a series of palm prints on paper that were then used as a collage element in the mural. This method for involving local kids has brought the community into the process, leaving a visible testament to the community itself
The application for the grant was written and submitted by GoBV, ActionBV and the City of Buena Vista. On August 11th, 2020, Governor Northam announced the City of Buena Vista was awarded a 2021 Commercial District Affiliate (CDA) Grant totaling $7,000 to support a new mural installation in downtown Buena Vista. It is a match grant through the Department of Housing and Community Development. Additional support from BV Family Dentistry, Cornerstone Bank, Southern Virginia University, Vinyl Cuts and Lewis Graybill made this project possible.
Founded in late 2019, ActionBV is a citizen-led group dedicated to contributing to Buena Vista’s revitalization through the development of outdoor recreation experiences. ActionBV is currently partnering with the City of Buena Vista to plan, coordinate and promote upcoming outdoor adventure-related events, beautifying public parks and working to find grant money to fund the efforts.
This project was initiated by GoBV, a private economic development initiative with the goal of revitalizing historic, downtown Buena Vista, launched in late 2017. GoBV has hoped to acquire and energize dormant properties (also known as “land-banking”) in downtown BV. To date, GoBV has invested over $1.7 million to the revitalization effort and has successfully moved eight blighted properties into the hands of energized entrepreneurs and operators.
–END–