Art Park: The Vision





On May 23, PAAL broke ground on a new outdoor Art Park that will provide a venue for showcasing prominent and emerging visual and sculpture artists. A series of artists’ work, representing every medium from bronze, steel and found objects to marble and aluminum, is slated to be displayed. Rotating exhibits will allow the public to enjoy a wide range of art styles and mediums while maximizing the opportunity for artists to display their work.



Plans for the Art Park include:

  • Meandering sidewalks that will snake through lush green grass, with trees, shrubs, sculpture and concrete benches strategically placed throughout the park.
  • A water feature that will provide visual and auditory pleasure.
  • Ornamental fencing and gates that will allow passersby to gaze from Old Street through the garden to Water Street, yet will secure the area after hours.
  • An automatic watering system that will keep the garden healthy.
  • Outdoor lighting that will facilitate use of the park during evening functions.
  • A doorway that will be added to the PAAL building leading out to the park.



Benefits of the new PAAL Art Park include:

  • The first green space in the heart of Old Towne Petersburg, where visitors, residents and local employees can sit and relax, enjoy the rotating art exhibits, eat their lunch, meet with friends, read a book and more.
  • A classroom where serious art students, local school classes and art enthusiasts of every age can explore the outdoor sculpture and learn more about various art forms, techniques and possibly a little about themselves.
  • A cultural venue where outdoor concerts and performances of all types can be performed and enjoyed.
  • An event space available to the public for weddings, parties and social gatherings that demand a unique and memorable outdoor location.
  • An urban beautification project designed to bring back to life the lot at the intersection of Sycamore and Old Streets in the heart of Petersburg’s Old Towne that was rendered unsafe for pedestrians after a 1993 tornado destroyed the building that occupied the lot.
  • A catalyst that will help stimulate further urban redevelopment and renewal in Petersburg and throughout the Tri-Cities.



THIS is the vision for the Petersburg Area Art League’s new Art Park. But to realize this vision, PAAL needs your help. . .