On Saturday, February 21, 2026 the St. Paul’s Art planning committee hosted a meet and greet with the community and the seven contracted artists at Origin Circle at Kindred. Friends, neighbors and officiants shared stories of the history and legacy of the neighborhood. The artists were delighted to engage and learn about the scale of the redevelopment efforts of the City of Norfolk and the deep sense of pride shared by the community.
WATCH A VIDEO OF THE EVENT
Topics such as the historic, annual May Day festival, the legacy of the Hunton YMCA, the daily laughter and children roller skating behind cars, Ms. Webster’s etiquette classes, Queenie White Brown (who always made sure to introduce the neighborhood girls to one another), Bailey’s Amusement Park, the neighborhood candy lady, and so many other memories embedded into community life in St. Paul’s were shared.
Together, the artists took an in-depth tour of the development site and began exchanging ideas and imagining the artwork they might create. They each have several months to develop a design before presenting it to the St. Paul’s Art planning committee and the community for approval. After approval, they will begin creating their projects for installation in 2027 and beyond.
Check back for updates as the City prepares a survey in an effort to reach all who would like to contribute their ideas and hopes for the public art that will celebrate this deeply treasured history and love for the St Paul’s community.
Project background:
The City of Norfolk and the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) have partnered to transform the former Tidewater Gardens public housing community in the St. Paul’s area into a mixed-use, mixed-income community of the future – an economically vibrant, environmentally resilient place where people of all incomes, backgrounds, ages, and cultures can live, learn, work, play, and thrive.
This public art initiative is part of the Critical Community Improvements (CCI) Plan, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and has been developed in collaboration with the St. Paul’s Transformation Cultural Trail Advisory Committee and the Norfolk Arts Committee.
In 2025, the St. Paul’s Art Planning Committee created a pre-qualified list of artists/artist teams from which they selected (7) to create several large-scale, place-making experiences and site-responsive public art projects.
The 1st project they contracted with an artist to complete is a mosaic mural by Poetry Jackson. Poetry is now in the planning phases of her design, using input received from the community. Jackson is tasked with creating the design and installing a colorful mosaic along a retaining wall at the entrance to the neighborhood.
For the additional (6) projects, members of the community weighed in and voted for their (2) favorite artists out of (4) in June of 2025. Those two projects will be created by Blessing Hancock and Wesley Clark. These artists rose to the top of this first round of voting.
In July 2025, the community was invited to cast their vote for (4) of (5) artists who are now on contract. Volkan Alkanoglu, Chris Fennel, Jim Gallucci, and Zachary Robinson rose to the top of this last round of voting.
