Who says art has to be contained to museums and galleries? NoVA has plenty of those, but it’s also easy to find great works of public art in parks and shopping centers all over the region. If you’re in the mood to get inspired, wander through these areas in Northern Virginia and keep an eye out for the masterpieces.
Alexandria Waterfront
Alexandria makes it easy to locate public works of art with its Public Art Locator. Head to Old Town Alexandria to check out some of the sites. Right now, Interstellar Influencer (Make an Impact) is an eye-catching spectacle of an asteroid in Waterfront Park. A short stroll from there, you can check out Potomac Harvest, a larger-than-life sculpture of a fisherman at the Indigo Hotel, or snap a photo at the Old Town Mural.
Eisenhower Avenue
Another site ripe with statues and murals is Del Ray. Make your way down Mount Vernon Avenue to see pieces like Greetings from Del Ray, Historic Del Ray, and Del Ray Blocks. It’s a great place to snag some photos for your Instagram. You can also pop into the Del Ray Artisans art gallery while you’re in the area to keep the creative vibes flowing.
Reston Town Center
There’s more to Reston Town Center than shopping. While you peruse the shops and grab a bite to eat in the lively plaza, keep an eye out for public works of art. There’s the vibrant yellow, postmodern Reston Rondo, the vertical twisted glass form Nokomis, and, the centerpiece of the area, Mercury Fountain — it stands at 28 feet tall and depicts the Roman god Mercury.
Amazon HQ2
In the area surrounding Amazon’s Met Park in National Landing, enjoy several works of public art. Don’t miss Queen City, a monument to “the 1941 seizure of Black-owned land by the federal government for the construction of the Pentagon.” This tall brick tower has 903 ceramic vessels, representing 903 displaced residents. Another work to see is Shhh, a large-scale garden full of 3D-printed mushrooms that glow with soft light.
The City of Fairfax
Visit Van Dyck Park for a stroll, and stop to look at Peace Bird, a metal sculpture of a bird in memory of the late Armistice Turtora. Nearby in Fairfax is the mural City of Fairfax Greetings and two painted book statues at the steps of the Fairfax Library.
MoCA Arlington
Don’t miss your chance to see Reclining Liberty, a replication of the Statue of Liberty that lounges across the lawn of the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington. The statue made a splash when it arrived in August and it remains on view until July 28. Once you’ve snapped your photos, step inside to check out the other exhibits at the gallery.
Feature image of Interstellar Influencer (Make an Impact) by Carol Jean Stalun Photography
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