Portsmouth to get L-O-V-E statue in June

By Johanna Somers,  The Virginian Pilot

The city is scheduled to get its very own L-O-V-E statue in June, thanks to the community organization Support Portsmouth Public Art.

The L-O-V-E art, seen in many forms throughout Virginia, is designed to show that “love is at the heart of every Virginia vacation,” according to the state’s tourism website.

“Hopefully, it will create a joyful place for families and visitors to congregate and snap photos of Portsmouth’s waterfront,” said Barbara Vincent, the organization’s secretary.

The 5½-foot-tall, 16-foot-wide statue will be made of aluminum, steel and concrete, among other materials, she said. The statue includes the sun, a wave and a sailboat, a rendering of the statue shows. Local artist Orlen Stauffer designed it; he and local artist Irving Wolff will build it, she said.

The statue will be built next to the Crawford Bay seawall and near the marina on Crawford Bay, Vincent said.

The organization got a city-funded grant of nearly $6,000 and a $1,500 grant from the state . The organization anticipates spending a total of $10,000. The remaining funding will come from private donors.

Support Portsmouth Public Art also had the I’ve Been Kissed statue outside the Children’s Museum of Virginia built, along with some murals in downtown .