Bower Center for the Arts unveils new LOVE sign

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Thanks to a grant from Virginia Tourism, students at Liberty High School got the chance to paint a LOVE sign for the Bower Center for the Arts.

The Bower Center coordinated with Liberty High School art students and their instructor, Melissa Friedewald, to create the LOVE sign panels displayed on the side of the building.

“It was exciting to have it be only Liberty High School because I was like … [AHH] … that’s exciting.” said art student Kinzee Branham.

Students Olivia Wolfe and Kinzee Branham are contributing artists who say there were many challenges throughout the process.

“It was kind of a thing where one person wants this color, and another person wants that color, and we have to agree on what color and what placement,”said Wolfe. “So, all the little details coming together with us having to agree where to put it ... it was a lengthy process.”

“There were literal blood, sweat, and tears in the making of this,” added Friedewald.

The center chose different designs for the letters L-O-V-E, which students say helped them merge ideas.

“We added a lot of stuff to try to make it fit together, like the music notes that was like a last-minute decision,” explained Branham. “That was like last week that we were working on it.”

Executive Director Susan Martin says they want to ensure the youth that the arts are accessible to the community.

“We wanted it to be an experience that the youth can be proud of and that they can share with others in the community and that it would be a great collaborative effort between us and the schools,” said Martin.

Bower Center for the Arts’ LOVE sign will become one of more than 60 signs recognized by the Virginia Tourism Corporation in the Central Virginia area.

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