RTP's Pride Plaza Will Be Restored This Week

Richmond Triangle Players' self-named "Pride Plaza," the intersection directly outside the Robert B. Moss Theatre's front door at the intersection of Altamont Avenue and West Marshall Street in Scott's Addition, will be restored with a bright new design, created by artist John MacLellan. Installation of artwork is scheduled to begin Thursday November 4, 2021 at 7:00 am. An official dedication is still being planned.

Unveiled in July 2018, the original painted mural was the first piece of LGBTQ+ public art in the city. "We initially conceived of the mural at the intersection as something temporary to celebrate our 25th Anniversary season," said RTP Executive Director Philip Crosby. "But with the support and encouragement of our then City Council representative, Kim Gray, the Mayor's Office, the Scott's Addition Neighborhood Association and the City's Public Arts Commission, we were able to make the mural a more permanent item, using the best paint materials we could find at the time."

Time, traffic and even some vandalism took its toll on the painted street mural all too quickly. "We suspected we would have to repaint in two to three years, but the influx of construction vehicles into the neighborhood and a shift in the bus routes caused the deterioration to happen much faster," Crosby continued.

And then in 2019, a reckless driver decided to deliberately deface the mural, burning rubber tires to put three clear "doughnuts" onto the intersection. "It was devastating to us and to RTP's patrons. But Richmond really rallied around us and let us know they wanted the mural repaired, and helped us raise funds to do so."

Plans to proceed were delayed by further area construction and by the pandemic, but that extra time gave Triangle Players the time to redesign the mural and come up with a different method of installation.

"Our friends in the City Department of Public Works were able to connect us with a company who was doing very sophisticated street art installations using thermoplastics, which actually adhere to the asphalt and create a far more durable surface. The intersection will now be able to be washed and will last 8 to ten years," Crosby explained.

"Artist John MacLellan was also able to take another look at the design and incorporate more colors into the original rainbow, colors that more completely represent the breadth and depth of the LGBTQ community. The colors of the Progress Pride flag are now all represented into our burst of triangular designs -- including black and brown triangles to represent marginalized our communities of color, along with the colors pink, light blue and white to better represent transgender folx, alongside the rainbow colors of the first Pride flag" he continued.

Major funding for the installation has been provided by The Bob and Anna Lou Schaberg Foundation, World of Art, and RTP's Annual Fund Donors. No public funds were spent in the realization of this project.

"We hope everyone in Richmond will be as excited about this re-imagined plaza as we are," Crosby said. "We're incredibly proud to share it with the City we love."

For more information, contact executive director Philip Crosby at 804-342-7665 or at crosby@rtriangle.org.

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