New Kent
It was 1969 and the “Summer of Love” was still fresh in people’s memories when we began saying that, “Virginia is for Lovers.” Since then, the Virginia tourism department has encouraged communities across the commonwealth to show their love by creating their own signs, called LOVEworks.
Today, there are 11 LOVEworks installed around the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, each as distinctive as the community that created it. So, get out there and find the LOVE. Once you find them, share your pictures on Facebook at Facebook.com/VirginiaisforLovers or on Twitter and Instagram with #LOVEVA.
Montross
WESTMORELAND COUNTY
Colonial Beach: Entrance to the Municipal Pier.
Designed by resident Jen Donald and installed in 2015, the sculpture features a beach theme, of course. A nesting osprey highlights one of the region’s popular coastal birds, along with flip-flops, and waves coming together on top of a golf cart, which is a popular mode of transportation in this quaint beach town.
This simple, rustic wood LOVEwork stands outside the brewery and is often decorated for different holidays or themes.
Montross: Town of Montross, Route 3
Installed in October 2017, this LOVEwork was painted by Melanie Stimmel Van Latum, the same artist who created the stunning murals beautifying the town of Montross. Town Manager, Patricia Lewis and her husband, Malcolm, came up with the symbols: the waterman’s boot, which represents the legacy of living off the water; the oysters as a tie-in to the Virginia Oyster Trail, which has nearby stops; the shark’s tooth, which you’re sure to find at nearby Fossil Beach in Westmoreland State Park; and the wine bottle highlighting the emerging wine industry and nearby vineyards that are connected to the Chesapeake Wine Trail.
Warsaw
Warsaw: Warsaw Town Park
Installed in April of 2018, this is the newest LOVEwork in the region. Created by local artist Donna Jackson, it highlights the many things that Warsaw and Richmond County are proud of. The “L” symbolizes Richmond County Public Schools, which always ranks in the Top 30 school districts in Virginia. The “O” and the “E” highlight the agriculture and aquaculture of the region with the town’s logo, the silo, and crab pots. The rustic wooden “V” represents the logging industry, which is so important the area.
Heathsville
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
Heathsville: Northern Neck Farm Museum
Northumberland County High School Visual Arts teacher, Eddie Barnes, had a part in the design of both LOVEworks in the county. One of Barnes’ students, Jamel Newton, came up with the design as part of a contest held by the Northern Neck Planning Commission. Artist John Latell sculpted the nine-foot-tall corn cob based on Newton’s design. It was unveiled in front of the Farm Museum in 2013.
Reedville
Reedville: Ma Margaret’s House Bed & Breakfast
Another of Barnes’ Northumberland County High School students, Ally Chism, came up with the winning design for this LOVEwork as part of the same contest with the Northern Neck Planning Commission. This simple, yet colorful work features a charming birdhouse with multiple perches in the “E.” It was installed in front of the B&B in 2013.
Kilmarnock
LANCASTER
Kilmarnock: Downtown Steptoe’s District
Created by Sandra Mathews and first installed in 2015, this LOVEwork is made for two big occasions: Kandy for Kids at Halloween and the town Christmas Parade. Plans are in the works for a larger, permanent fixture in Town Centre Park that highlights what makes this town so special.
Saluda
MIDDLESEX COUNTY
Saluda: Middlesex County Museum
Made by an Eagle Scout, the artist is the young colonial man featured in the “L,” referring to the founding of the county back in 1668. The tractor wheel represents the agriculture of the area, and the boat refers to the area’s prominence as the boat building capital of the Chesapeake as well as a center for recreational boating with 20-plus marinas.
Urbanna: Urbanna Town Marina
When it’s not traveling to events within Middlesex County, you can find this LOVEworks at the Urbanna Town Marina. It’s an appropriate setting since it was created using boat-building techniques with wood, steel and fiberglass. It’s portable and it even floats!
Deltaville
Deltaville: Maritime Museum
This large, striking red LOVEworks is surrounded by the natural beauty of the Maritime Museum and Holly Point Park.
NEW KENT
New Kent: East Coast Gateway Welcome Center, Interstate 64 East, Exit 213
Visitors and families who come to our area are greeted by lots of love with this sign. Unlike the individualized community LOVEworks, these are identical at each of the three Virginia State Welcome Centers, reminding folks that, “Love is at the heart of every Virginia vacation.”