Visitors encouraged to take pictures and share on social media with #LOVEVA
Members of the Craig County Tourism Commission recently unveiled a life-sized LOVE artwork, now on display at the New Castle Town Park on Rt. 311 near downtown New Castle.
Created as part of a state and local partnership to promote travel and tourism, the artwork is an extension of the 48-year-old “Virginia is for Lovers” brand, and one of more than 90 giant LOVE letters, called LOVEworks, in towns and cities across the Commonwealth.
“Virginia is for Lovers is about doing the things you love to do on vacation with the people you love most,” said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “The new LOVEwork at New Castle captures that idea perfectly, and gives you an authentic sense of place as it showcases the forests, farmland, waterfalls and scenery of the county. We are excited that Craig County will help us share the LOVE with travelers, helping them to discover for themselves why Virginia is for Lovers.”
Each LOVE installation is a reflection of the community in which it stands, and the Craig County LOVEwork is no exception. The Craig County LOVEwork shows a panoramic landscape scene featuring the forests, mountains, fields and waterfalls of the county. The scene was created from layers of aluminum paneling, connected by support framing to achieve a three-dimensional effect. The LOVE letters are cut into the elements of the landscape. The sculpture measures approximately 12′ long by 6′ high. Jennifer Lovejoy and Martha Dillard are the Craig County artists who designed and painted the LOVEwork.
Gerald Duncan, a County Administrator at the time of the unveiling ceremony, issued this statement, “I would like to thank everyone here today for coming out to celebrate our new symbol of love and unity. This is certainly a big asset to Craig County Tourism as we are ever vigilant to find ways to lure people to our beautiful County. Those of you from outside our county, please make plans to return and spread the word to others about all of our green spaces and just how relaxing the pace of life is in Craig County.”
The New Castle LOVEwork will be a welcome addition to the New Castle Town Park, which is located on Rt. 311, a Virginia Scenic Byway and a main artery of travel through the county. The Town Park is very near the geographic center of the county, only blocks from the historic and business district of New Castle. In walking distance are several destinations already promoted by the County or which support travel in the area, including restaurants, the Old Brick Hotel, Craig County Courthouse, several locally-owned businesses and the vintage shops of Main Street. This sculpture will catch the attention of travelers, giving them another reason to stop, enjoy this small municipal park, and discover Craig County.
Visitors to the Craig County LOVEwork are encouraged to take pictures with it and share them on Facebook at Facebook.com/VirginiaisforLovers and Facebook.com/VisitCraigCountyVirginia and on Instagram and Twitter, using the hashtag #LOVEVA. A full list of LOVEworks can be found at Virginia.org/LOVE.
Tourism is an instant revenue generator for Virginia. In 2016, tourism generated $24 billion in revenue, supported 230,000 jobs and provided $1.7 billion in state and local taxes for the Commonwealth.
-Submitted by Ann G. Harrell, Chairman Craig County Tourism Commission
