After two years that brought on much uncertainty and trying times, the Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission is working to bring some joy and love to Waterfront Park with a fun new art installment, entitled “I Love You.”
The installation is set to feature a 15-foot sign with metal letters spelling out the words “I Love You,” as well as an open area of painted asphalt made to look like a carpeted area. The letters will be outlined in neon pink.
Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt, the husband-and-wife duo behind Miami’s R&R Studio, are responsible for the design and describe it as “an instant landmark that brings people together with a simultaneously universal and personal message, eliciting positive civic action and an avalanche of personal memories, desires, and recollections.”
“‘I Love You’ is a luminous declaration of affection that seeks to capture the public’s imagination and provide a fantastic dreamscape where friendship and camaraderie are celebrated in the heart of Alexandria,” Diane Ruggiero, deputy director of recreation, parks and cultural activities adds.
In addition to the large sign, the exhibition is also set to include some additional public programming throughout the summer, including music, dance, and art-making.
The “I Love You” installment came together much like all the Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission’s public art projects, Ruggiero says.
After issuing a call for idea proposals, a project task force reviews applications and interviews potential artists.
“In this case, the task force appreciated the happiness and joy of R&R Studios’ work and thought it was exactly what Alexandria needed, especially after enduring the COVID-19 pandemic for the past couple of years,” Ruggiero says.
Though not affiliated, the “I Love You” installation will open at the start of the Cherry Blossom Festival in late March and remain up through early November 2022.
“It’s a great way to celebrate Spring and provide an additional attraction for all of the people that come to the festival,” Ruggiero says. “We hope that everyone enjoys this new installation and comes to Waterfront Park to experience it.”
Megan Herr is an editor and writer residing in the Shenandoah Valley. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Penn State University.
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