A seahorse underwater next to a crab.
A tree growing, seemingly, right from the ocean.
A giant pelican from the profile view.
And, a blue crab, front and center, with its colors popping right off its white background.
These are just a few of the original quilt squares that were created by Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) students submitted to help celebrate the 15th anniversary of Lynnhaven River Now. A partner of VBCPS, Lynnhaven River Now is an award-winning river restoration group with more than 8,000 members that works to restore and protect the Lynnhaven River.
Students were tasked with creating artwork on squares utilizing the theme, “Watersheds and Me,” which meant the squares were to depict places, activities, animals, plants and landscapes that embody students’ feelings about the watershed and how they, personally, connected to it. They could use any number of materials to produce their square, including fabric markers, fabric paint, sewing/applique/cross-stitch, archival quality markers, crayons or acrylic paints.
Students were also asked to prepare a brief writeup, explaining their artwork and the design.
120 squares were made, and using these squares, Lynnhaven River Now volunteers created two Anniversary Quilts, which will be on display in the VBCPS Administration Building (2512 George Mason Drive, Building #6) throughout the summer (Quilt 1 will be on display in July and Quilt 2 in August). The public is invited to view the quilts anytime during summer operating hours.
For those unable to visit the School Administration Building, Lynnhaven River Now has created a special digital binder, where guests can view the quilts as well as see each individual square and the writeup prepared by the student. To see the quilts online, visit https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1s8CqLVhqdAztqiB9fBO8Q1VCKGVoyxGy84qhpkfjLGE/edit#slide=id.p.