Artists sought for Farmville-Prince Edward LOVEWorks

A new marketing initiative teaming the Town of Farmville, the County of Prince Edward, the Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Farmville Downtown Partnership is looking for artists to help bring LOVE to the Heart of Virginia.

Known as The Heart of Your Adventure, the public-private partnership is seeking area artisans to submit their ideas for Farmville-Prince Edward County’s very own LOVEWorks sculpture. The competition runs from March 15-April 30, 2014 with installation expected later this year. The invitation to submit is open to artists and full-time students residing within Prince Edward County and the greater Farmville region including the counties of Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, and Nottoway.

The goal is to create an opportunity to showcase local talent and celebrate what makes this area unique as presented through a nationally-recognized marketing program designed to draw visitors to our state and locale.

“LOVEWorks sculptures can be as simple as block letters spelling L-O-V-E or as elaborate as a sculpture of local icons with the LOVE letters incorporated,” explained Magi Van Eps, Prince Edward County’s Tourism Coordinator. “Each of the sculptures is designed to encourage locals and visitors to take their photos with their favorite LOVEWorks and share them with their friends.”

On its LOVEWorks website (https://www.virginia.org/love/), the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) describes the project as, “all about love – pure and simple.” Images of existing LOVEWorks sculptures from around the Commonwealth exhibit the history, heritage, talents, industry, and culture of the areas they represent. LOVEWorks sculptures are developed to be physical icons representative of the heritage and culture of its area.

LOVEWorks sculptures are often commissioned to selected artists by the sponsoring organizations. The Heart of Your Adventure partners decided to take a different approach to the development of the sculpture they anticipate will become one of their most photographed sites.

“We have some phenomenal budding artists, along with a veteran community of sculptors, painters, potters, and artists of unusual media,” shared Lisa Tharpe, Executive Director of the Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce. A member of the Longwood University Board of Visitors, Tharpe is keenly aware of the talent represented among the student and resident artisan population. “We know there is a truly unique LOVEWorks idea right here in our greater Farmville region.”

The idea of opening up the LOVEWorks process for community input is a new one for the LOVEWorks program, according to Van Eps. “We are the first ones to hold an open competition using VTC funding,” she said.

According to Helen Person, Executive Director of the local Main Street program, stirring the art community’s imagination can be a key to the sculpture’s reception by residents.

“The thought process behind the competition is to showcase local talent and encourage their imaginations to portray The Heart of Your Adventure to the world,” Person said. “We really believe our artists will show us the best of the best for us to put on display as the heart and soul of Farmville-Prince Edward County.”

Town Planner Cindy Morris shared that boosting tourism is a priority for the Town of Farmville.

“A lot of people are staying closer to home for long weekends as well as day trips,” Morris said. “With our location right in the middle of the state, our outdoor recreation assets, proximity to major tourist locations, our colleges, and other opportunities, Farmville-Prince Edward is a jewel for travelers looking for a location where everyone in the family can find something fun to do. We want to capture part of that.”

LOVEWorks sculptures become tourist destinations in themselves, according to the partners and representatives from Virginia Tourism Corporation. The Farmville-Prince Edward LOVEWorks will be only the second in the south central Virginia region.

The Farmville-Prince Edward region is known as “The Heart of Virginia.” When the partnership formed, they began looking for a name that would tell the community story in just a few words. With so many people visiting the area to enjoy the outdoors, culture, heritage, shopping, or hospitality, why they visit is often hard to pinpoint. So the partnership became known as “The Heart of Your Adventure.”

For over four decades, Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) has been proving that “Love is at the heart of every Virginia vacation.” To celebrate this successful marketing campaign, towns and cities all over the Commonwealth have installed LOVE letters called “LOVEWorks” in prominent locations throughout their communities. These LOVEWorks sculptures can be so simple as white block letters or stretch the imagination covered in wine corks, fashioned from local products, or visually celebrating the local culture.

In June, 2013, then-Governor Bob McDonnell announced that the Town of Farmville was the recipient of a $5,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Marketing Leverage Grant Fund. The program was a part of his administration’s efforts to partner tourism with economic development. One of these projects is the LOVEWorks art project that draws attention to the unique culture of a specific area with the intent of creating an opportunity for growth in tourism.

For more information or for competition rules and entry forms, contact Magi Van Eps at 434-392-1482 (e-mail: mvaneps@co.prince-edward.va.us).