ViBe Parking Meters: A Street Art Project
ViBe Creative District commissioned 10 artists to doodle 50 new works of art on 19th St Parking Meters in new street art project.
A new public art project featuring artistic doodles on parking meters took place in July 2021. Artists painted live on existing parking meters along 19th Street between Parks Avenue and Arctic Avenue. Approximately 50 standard grey meters were added in 2020 as part of the 19th St Infrastructure Improvements completed by the City of Virginia Beach. The artists transformed them with new color and imagery.
“This project has been in the works for several years as a creative placemaking tool to further distinguish 19th St as the primary corridor in the arts district,” said Kate Pittman, executive director of the ViBe Creative District nonprofit. “The parking meters line the street connecting four blocks between the Virginia Beach Convention Center to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront in a unique and engaging manner that showcases the talents of local creatives. It’s the perfect pairing of fun and function.”
Each of the 10 artists are responsible for paint 4 or 5 artworks this weekend. 31 artists applied and after careful consideration by the City of Virginia Beach Public Art Committee, the following 10 artists were selected.
FEATURED ARTISTS:
- John Austin, Virginia Beach
- Mackenzie Gang, Virginia Beach
- Daniel Goodman, Richmond
- Kiera Gregg, Virginia Beach
- Chris Jones, Virginia Beach
- Summer Paradiso, Virginia Beach
- Eva Rovillos, Virginia Beach
- Carla Ryan, Virginia Beach
- Corinna Sayward, Virginia Beach
- Kelsey Witt, Norfolk
The new artworks on meters will add interest to the streetscape and maintain the fully functional pay-to-park kiosks. The ViBe District nonprofit plans to rotate the parking meter murals every 1-3 years, depending on how the paint holds up in the environment.
Similar projects across the Unites States (Philadelphia) and internationally (Dubia) added pops of color to the traditionally uninviting urban markers.
This project is hosted in partnership with the City of Virginia Beach Department of Cultural Affairs and is supported by the Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission, Virginia Commission for the Arts / National Endowment for the Arts, Slobproof (paint pens) and Sherwin Williams.
MEDIA:
- ViBe Creative District Facebook Photo Album
- City of Virginia Beach FlickR Photo Album
- The Virginian-Pilot artcile
- 13NewsNow TV story
