Virginia Invites Visitors To Share The Love For Summer Vacations

The Virginia Tourism Corporation is working to share the message that "love is at heart of every Virginia vacation" by partnering with tourism destinations statewide to have giant LOVE artworks pop up in many different and unexpected places. The LOVE artworks creatively highlight the flavor of the region, using materials and shapes representative of what makes each destination unique. For example, Luray/Page County has created a two-ton LOVE artwork made of logs to symbolize the regions status as the Cabin Capital of Virginia.

Visitors are encouraged to take photos with the artworks and share with loved ones on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/VirginiaisforLovers or on Twitter with the special hashtag #LOVEVA. Beyond the following sampling, a complete list of the LOVE artwork locations is on www.Virginia.org/LOVE.


Abingdon
Abingdon celebrates being the first community to ever host the original Virginia is for Lovers LOVE artwork by contracting a local artisan from the Holston Mountain Artisan co-op organization to create an exact replica of that installation. As the town is known for its local artisans, crafts, cuisine and music, the LOVE artwork is an important way of incorporating this strong regional artisan network. The artwork, which stands seven feet tall and 15 feet wide, connects residents and visitors to both Abingdon and Virginia, will travel to various locations, giving each of the regions various attractions and festivals the chance to display the LOVE.

Ashland
The Ashland LOVE artwork, which promotes the towns train travel history, is located in front of the historic Ashland Train Station/Visitor Center. As the station is such a highly-trafficked stop for tourists, the art installation reaches a wide viewership of both train travelers passing through and those stopping in to check out the historic center.

Bristol
The Arts and Entertainment District of Believe in Bristol spells out LOVE in musical instruments, with the O as a record album reflecting the legacy of the Bristol sessions, the first commercially successful country music recordings Behind the sculpture is metal outline of the state of Virginia. The artwork pays homage to Bristol as the Birthplace of Country Music and is located on the outside of the building at 629 State Street in downtown Bristol, which is part of The Crooked Road: Virginias Heritage Music Trail.

Galax
Known for its bluegrass and old time music as well as its annual Old Fiddlers Convention, the Galax City Tourism Department worked with local artists to create a LOVE artwork with fiddles, enclosed in a wood and plexiglass case and placed on the side of a building in the center of downtown Galax. . The artwork is permanent and available all year round, encouraging music lovers from all over the country to travel to Galax and The Crooked Road to experience the regions traditional mountain music.

Buena Vista
LOVE will bloom in Buena Vista this summer at the towns KIDS UNIVERSITY summer fine arts camp. Each year, the camp creates flower boxes for the downtown area which are painted by children attending the camp. In honor of the LOVE campaign, this summer the four boxes will be painted with the letters L O V E on them. With over 100 campers each year from all over the United States and the boxes central location downtown, the LOVE will spread far and wide from Virginia this summer.

Luray Caverns
Aptly named Logs of Love, the LOVE artwork at Luray Caverns is constructed from wooden logs to accentuate the fact that Luray-Page County is designated as the Cabin Capital of Virginia. The sculpture will be located adjacent to the Luray Caverns signature sign and will be set against the beautiful backdrop of Shenandoah Valley, encouraging visitors to feel the LOVE at Americas largest and most popular caverns.