Take a virtual stroll through Norfolk's NEON district to see art popping up along the streets.
Photography by Hyunsoo Leo Kim and production by Will Houp | The Virginian-Pilot
"Bloom," created by Carl Medley III and Charles Rasputin, is a mural of juxtapositions. It's at the corner of West Olney and Duke Street, and the piece's white fangs will be activated at night by projections against the wall during the NEON festival.
Sam Hundley, a designer for The Virginian-Pilot, put together "Mr. Frog" in 2014. It’s made of found objects and clings to a wall on West Olney behind the Pilot’s building.
Internationally-recognized artist Alex Brewer, aka HENSE, painted this three-story facade on the face of the Glass Wheel Studio for its grand opening.
Troy Summerell, a surfer, painted "Happier Times" at Granby Street and West Wilson Avenue. "We are all doing one thing to make this place happier and better for development," he said.
"All the Pieces Matter" sits in an alley on Magazine Lane against a garage door and cement wall. Created by Elizabeth Cooke, from Hampton, the mural is still in progress.
The Richmond-based artist Nils Westergard found inspiration in his girlfriend, Kaiya, for this piece, which is aptly called "Kaiya with Finch."
Asa Jackson works on his mural, a take on modern day hieroglyphics. "It’s like a history of mankind," he said. Local efforts through crowdfunding raised the money to support the Newport News artist's piece.
Norfolk’s John Hickey painted this mural on the side of Exotic Home at 819 Granby Street in 2013. Local glass artist James Akers is working on adding neon artwork to continue the theme of exploration.
The Renova Submarine, on the side of the Renova Center on Virginia Beach Boulevard, was painted by Talent Murals of Virginia Beach in 2012.
Local glass artist Julia Rogers places glass and light art to illuminate "We can create what we can imagine" at night. Esteban Del Valle, from New York City, is the lead artist on the piece that is meant to explore how artists can create a different reality.
Wallace Berkley Gibbs III, aka Berk, created this artwork at the Plot. The piece has since been taken down to make room for Cementoscope, a concrete mixer and kaleidoscope combination that will project light onto the billboard.
R R O B O T S, aka Nick Kuszyk, painted Bob’s Gun Shop’s wall in 2014. The inspiration came from the old-time Navy camouflage method of razzle-dazzle.
An impromptu mural started on a volunteer day for the NEON Festival, Michael Scott Younger III, Steph Li Puma, Meg Mori, Esteban del Valle and Amanda Page Stephens helped create it.
Mark Wroblewski, a graffiti artist, an oil painter and illustrator, spray-painted this mural in the arts district.
In reference to Norfolk’s nautical history, New York City artists Chris Soria and Misha Tyutyunik painted this gateway mural on Granby Street. Jeffrey Sargent led the crowdfunding.
Elliott Addesso worked with students at Norfolk’s Emerging Leaders program to finish this piece. It was funded by Norfolk’s Public Art Program in 2013.
Two Old Dominion professors, Rick Nickel and Clay McGlamory, collaborated on this mural. The finished piece will have about 50 solar-powered neon lights added to it.
The tattoo shop Fuzion Ink on Granby Street has labeled its alley wall as a "legal wall." It's a place where artists can paint whatever, but it only lasts until the next artist comes along.
This spot on Magazine Lane is part of the "legal wall" as well. Fuzion Ink's piercer, Pu Nastee, leads the project.
Professor John Rudel works with students from Virginia Wesleyan College on "Blue Sky." It's a Mondrian-inspired piece. Rudel says the squad is called the Marlin Mural Team.