SUFFOLK, Va. — The city of Suffolk has added a vibrant splash of color to its landscape, and leaders hope the new look will not only beautify the area but also boost economic growth.
Seventeen-year-old Madeline Breedlove said the new art is exactly what her hometown needed.
“It is like an older town, and all of the buildings are like brick buildings — small and landlocked,” she said. “Normally, when people think of Suffolk, they think it's just the peanut town. It’s just got peanuts and a sushi place or two. But I like it because it brings more art to the community, and it's like… hey, we've got all this other cool stuff too!”
Latreva Mitchell, owner of Next to Nothing Variety Shop across from the mural, hopes the artwork will bring more foot traffic.
“A lot of people like the activities that go on over there at the park, so they'll be hearing concerts and everything. So it brings a whole lot of people around,” she said.
That vision is shared by Hillary Breedlove with the Suffolk Art League and Daniel McDonald with the city and Keep Suffolk Beautiful. Hillary Breedlove noted that Suffolk is still recovering from severe weather that hit several years ago.
“This whole area had multiple buildings here, and about five years ago, a tornado came through when we had one of those big hurricanes and wiped out a lot of the buildings,” she said. “So the city decided to create this festival park here as a gathering place, and they have different events.”
McDonald added: “We're trying to do things to improve the downtown landscape, and adding a space of art — a space of color — is a good thing.”
City leaders hope the enhancements will encourage visitors to not only stop by for events but to stay longer.
“I’m hoping that by bettering downtown and beautifying it, we can bring more people to the restaurants and businesses, but also to events like this that turn around and put that money back in the community,” McDonald said.
As Suffolk embraces its new colorful identity, residents and visitors alike are looking forward to the potential for growth and community engagement.
“I like how the sunset hits the mural every day,” Madeline Breedlove said.
