Atlantic sturgeon: Local artists create sculptures to install along Appomattox River Trail

TRI-CITIES — Remember when 200+ fish sculptures popped up in Richmond over 20 years ago? The public art project coordinated by 1708 Gallery promoted the resurgence of rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay. The idea was based on other successful projects: cows in Chicago, mermaids in Norfolk and horses in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Next year, varied art installations representing the Atlantic sturgeon will be on display along the Appomattox River Trail [ART]. CultureWorks Tri-Cities Program Manager, Daniel Jones of Petersburg, is bringing to life a conservation effort started years ago in the Hopewell-Prince George area of Virginia.

"The effort was to bring back a healthy population of Atlantic sturgeon to the James and Appomattox Rivers by improving the spawning grounds and water quality," Jones said.

Today, the James River Association provides river excursions where people can see these magnificent creatures when they breach. Jones organized a public art project “Art on the ART” to celebrate and increase awareness about the ongoing effort to protect sturgeon and their habitat.

Atlantic sturgeon

The Atlantic sturgeon is a member of the family Acipenseridae and along with other sturgeon is sometimes considered a living fossil. Atlantic sturgeon live in rivers and coastal waters from Canada to Florida. Hatched in the freshwater of rivers, Atlantic sturgeon head out to sea as sub-adults, and return to their birthplace to spawn, or lay eggs, when they reach adulthood.

'Art on the ART'

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The goal of the project is to create public art for the enjoyment and pride of the local community as well as to raise awareness of Friends of the Lower Appomattox River [FOLAR], a local non-profit organization with a mission, “to conserve and protect the Appomattox River for all to enjoy.”

CultureWorks seeks funding for each art installation. The locations of the installations have already been selected along prominent, high-traffic areas on the ART at the Hopewell Riverwalk, Roslyn Landing in Colonial Heights and the University Boulevard Trailhead in Petersburg. Installation of this project is expected in Spring 2023 with a public unveiling.

Three artists have been chosen by a panel to create Atlantic sturgeon sculptures, including Keith Ramsey [Richmond], Nancy Sanderson [Petersburg], and Kirk Thore [Hopewell]. Thore’s piece has been generously funded by the Hopewell Downtown Partnership and will be installed at the Hopewell Riverwalk.

If you are interested in sponsoring Keith Ramsey’s piece at Roslyn Landing or Nancy Sanderson’s piece at University Boulevard, contact Jones at (804) 536-3025 or email daniel@richmondcultureworks.org. Each art installation will be accompanied by interpretive signs which contain information about Atlantic sturgeon, the ART, FOLAR and the artist.

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Appomattox River Trail

The ART winds through six communities in South Central Virginia: Chesterfield County, Dinwiddie County, Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Prince George County, and Hopewell, from the Brasfield Dam at Lake Chesdin to the confluence of the James River. This blueway/greenway includes a network of bicycle-pedestrian paths, 16 riverside parks, 11 historical sites, eight boat access points and three marinas. FOLAR’s vision is to unify the region with coordinated wayfinding signage on water and land as each section of the river trail is developed.

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CultureWorks

CultureWorks values diversity and inclusivity and believes everyone in the community should have access to arts and culture, as well as the opportunity to express their culture through the arts.

Visit CultureWorks.org to learn more about the nonprofit organization that champions local arts and culture in the Richmond and Tri-Cities region [Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg] along with the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan and the town of Ashland.

“As a wildlife biologist and artist, I am extremely excited about and ready to wholeheartedly support this project. The comeback of this species indicates good health in the river habitats of the James and Appomattox Rivers since these fish use the river bottoms to feed and lay eggs and too much silt would hinder these activities," Susan Watson, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, FOLAR board member, said. "It is a wonderful idea to raise awareness about this local species along the Appomattox River Trail.”

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This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: RVA CultureWorks: Atlantic sturgeon art along Appomattox River Trail