We’ve got our eye on Norfolk, Virginia this week and we are eager to share the reason! The city of Norfolk offers art with a twist: mermaids. That’s right, the city has mermaid sculptures permanently dispersed throughout, all with different themes.
Former Norfolk attorney Peter Decker, aka “Uncle Pete,” came up with the unique idea to benefit the arts back in 1999. He proposed the concept of “Mermaids on Parade” after his wife Bess had taken notice to the famous “Cows on Parade” during a visit to Chicago.
The concept was presented to more than 300 businesses and local leaders with most positive feedback. Quickly the event was created, and over 130 sculptures were built with a blank pallet, allowing artists to open their minds as wide as the ocean. “Mermaids on Parade” held auctions giving local businesses the opportunity to purchase and adopt sculptures for a price of $2,000 each. Net proceeds went to the Commission on the Arts and Humanities in addition to other art organizations.
Now over ten years later, the mermaid sculptures still exist throughout Norfolk. Many new additions have been added, while originals still exist. Several have been revised due to weathering, but each remains unique in its own way.
Sculptures remain relative to their businesses. For instance, a bank has a mermaid sculptured adorned with coins, a grocery store’s mermaid is painted with images of food, and even the local FedEx has a mermaid sculpture out front that is decorated with the FedEx colors.
If you are interested in seeing the sculptures in person, take a splash at it by printing a blank map, readily available to send visitors on a mermaid treasure hunt throughout the city. For those that are more of the sight-seeing type, detailed maps with exact sculpture locations are available to print.
The love for mermaids in the city of Norfolk has developed so much so that a variety of mermaid related art is for sale. Anything from jewelry to prints to metal sculptures are offered through Home Spun Art.
Have a theme of your own in mind? Mermaid pictures are available online for printing and coloring to create your own mermaid masterpiece. And if by chance you are able to purchase an actual mermaid sculpture, Navis Pack & Ship Norfolk has the perfect shipping containers and the ability to carefully package your handcrafted art for proper shipment without damage.
Visit Norfolk has a Mermaid Pinterest page with images of different types of sculptures around town.
Photos courtesy of panoramio.com and travelphotobase.com
