Love is in the air in Falls Church—or perhaps more specifically, in the ground.
City officials on Oct. 22 unveiled a new Love sign titled Reflection: Diversity and Inclusivity. Installed in the heart of the Little City at 300 Park Ave., the sculpture is part of the “Virginia is for Lovers” campaign, joining more than 350 other Virginia Tourism Corp. LOVEworks structures in cities and towns around the commonwealth.
The L, V and E of the sign are mirrored to serve as a reflection of the community. The O features watercolor images of iconic and historic Falls Church landmarks, including the Cherry Hill Farmhouse, State Theatre and City Hall, as well as the Eden Center, “the largest Vietnamese economic area in one location on the east coast of the United States,” says Mary Catherine Chase, director of communications and public information officer for the City of Falls Church.
Also depicted in the O is the arch at Tinner Hill, which marks the location of the first rural chapter of the NAACP in the U.S.
Naturally, the city’s namesake has a place, too. “That’s a depiction of the Falls Church, the one where George Washington was a journeyman. It was what put Falls Church on maps,” Chase says, referencing the 18th-century structure on E. Fairfax St. that is today the Falls Church Episcopal.
A Labor of Love
The idea for the sculpture came about as plans for the city’s 75th anniversary began to take shape in 2023-24. Cindy Mester, the city’s community relations and legislative affairs director, led the effort, working with the planning committee to launch a contest through which city employees could submit designs for the sign. They received nine entries, and chose a concept by Ripal Patel, a manager at the city’s Department of Housing and Human Services.
Patel originally planned for the O to feature faces representing residents. The idea evolved to focus on geographic landmarks.
“Because the L, the V and the E are literally mirrors, people’s faces are already being reflected,” Chase explains. “So, the O transitioned conceptually to being places to represent what we call home.”
Patel worked with watercolor artist Bill Abel, a former city resident, who painted the images. Falls Church Art & Frame preserved the original O artwork, Colours Imaging digitized it, and Composition Systems made the vinyl wrap. The city’s Department of Public Works Operations made the sculpture’s base, while DS Metal Works fabricated the metal for the letters.
Committing to Community
Multiple city entities, including the City Council and Planning Commission, worked together to select a spot for the sculpture, settling on a green space near City Hall, the Cherry Hill Farmhouse and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library.
“Almost all large-scale community events take place here,” Chase says. “What better way to show everyone that they’re part of the community than through this sculpture and also really welcoming visitors?”
At a time when the terms “diversity, equity and inclusion” have become politically charged, the name of the piece might seem risky.
“The the selection of the sculpture [and its name] happened before there was a doubling down on particular vocabulary,” Chase says. “Throughout the process, which has occurred over the last year, that did not come up. I think that speaks to Falls Church’s values. That commitment [wasn’t] questioned throughout the process.”
City officials knew that local residents were enthusiastic about Virginia’s Love signs, Chase adds. They’ve always welcomed the opportunity to take selfies with traveling signs that were part of popular city events such as Watch Night on New Year’s Eve.
Whereas other Love sculptures were made to promote tourism, Chase says this one is just as much for the people who live here. “So much of what we’re focused on was the community aspect—the fact that a child can come to this and see themselves in this sculpture and have that unique understanding of, ‘I belong here, I’m welcome here,’ no matter who they are, is really meaningful. I think it is a message that appeals to people who are visiting, but I think it’s also a real message shining a mirror to the values of the city.”