Coloring Shore Drive with Public Art

Thank You For Helping Us Create a Community Full of Creativity

Coloring Shore Drive with Public Art image
  • Mission-This two-story mural will celebrate the Virginia Beach bayfront community and pay tribute to the long-serving rescue squad.
  • Fundraising Goal: Raise $14,000 to cover the costs of supplies, materials, and artist compensation.
  • Project Timeline: Jan-June 2025
    • Jan: Finalize design
    • Feb: Focus on fundraising goals/opportunities and create supply list
    • March: Marketing and promoting project
    • April: Begin initial preparations and priming
    • May: Wall cleaning, scraping, priming
    • June: Painting begins
    • Late June: Unveil the mural and celebrate
  • Collaboration: Princess Anne High School students are teaming up with the Ocean Park Rescue Squad to create a vibrant community art mural.
  • Artists: Tessa Hall Duquette is a Virginia Beach–based muralist, creative entrepreneur, and founder of The Garage, a hybrid art gallery and event space supporting emerging artists. Since leaving her marketing job in 2022, she’s painted over 28 murals, curated exhibitions for hundreds of local artists, and is currently co-founding a new nonprofit, The Creative Well Arts Foundation. Her work blends vibrant storytelling with community impact, from public murals to immersive gallery shows. Tessa is also a co-founder of CreativeMorningsVB and passionate about making art more accessible.

    Katie Nesbitt is a dog mom, human mom, wife, and former teacher. After ten years of teaching and coaching middle school math, Katie finally took the leap to pursue her dreams of creating full-time. Her business, Luna Willow Creations, was born when she started painting ornaments as gifts for friends and family. It has evolved to include greeting cards, stickers, pet & home portraits, original artwork, and now murals! It is Katie’s joy to create artwork honoring the pets, places, and people you love. She is inspired by her home of Virginia Beach, her Aussie pups, Luna and Willow, the love of family and friends, and the trials of raising two toddlers. You can find Katie at her Luna Willow Creations booths in Lazy Daisy and VA Vintage and painting a mural near you!
We are a student-led group at Princess Anne High School who have partnered with the non-profit Ocean Park Rescue Squad to design and paint a mural along the side of their two-story building. Our mural design was created by students to incorporate themes of Virginia Beach and honors the history of the rescue squad and Ocean Park area. Our student committee is also completing all the fundraising, advertising, and some of the painting, so we need your help!

Our mission is to create a mural that promotes the identity of the Ocean Park area and attracts tourists as they travel down Shore Drive. First, you will see the LOVE sign followed by our postcard-inspired mural, then crossing the Lesner Bridge you spot a kayak structure, followed by the Cape Henry Lighthouses located at the edge of our neighborhood. This piece of public art will commemorate the dedicated work of the Rescue Squad as well as capture iconic and historical components of Virginia Beach.

Donors who wish to donate by check should make their check payable to OPVRS, with "Mural" in the subject line.