Roanoke, Va. (WDJ) – The next time you visit the town of Fincastle, a new piece of art will bring some romance to an old building.
“You really have to give people a reason to be somewhere and I thought this was the perfect way to do that,” said Ranell Simmons.
Simmons opened her boutique, Avenue Black, in the spring and wanted to bring something unique to the outside of her store.
“LOVEworks signs are popular throughout Virginia. So I wanted Avenue Black for people to say, ‘Hey, let’s go take our picture,’ and then get them here. “Then they see the beauty of the city and I think they’ll explore it a little bit more once they’re here,” Simmons said.
Alexia Barreiro, an artist from Denver, is working to bring Simon’s ideas to life.
“Rannell and I collaborated quite a bit, she’s the mastermind behind it,” Barreiro said.
Barreiro had never been to Virginia before this trip, but said she was excited to take on the challenge.
Her designs highlight the city’s skyline, its connection to Lewis and Clark, and its love of community.
“We are seeing a lot of investment in the city. People who open bed and breakfasts, people who want to open businesses. So this is another revitalization of the city,” said City Manager David Tickner.
Tickner thinks projects like this will encourage more people to find and ultimately invest in Fincastle.
“So I hope it gives people a chance to appreciate our city,” he said.
There will be a ribbon cutting for the mural at the Fincastle Fall Festival on Saturday, September 24.
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