One of Norfolk’s first mermaids is sent to rehab

Palace Princess Beatrice was in rough shape.

She might be one of Norfolk’s most iconic mermaid statues, perched near the intersection of Llewellyn and 21st Street. But after 21 years of rain, snow and heat, pieces of Beatrice’s blue-green painted tail, brown skin and fiberglass body have chipped away and worn down. Vivian Davis, a resident artist at the d’Art Center in Downtown Norfolk, was commissioned to rehabilitate her.

“She’s getting a makeover,” Davis said.

Beatrice is among more than 100 original mermaids crafted during the city’s “Mermaids on Parade” public art installation in 2000. Artists adorned the fiberglass mermaids in their signature style and business owners bought the creations.

Mixed media and fiber artist Deborah Small, whose work evokes African and Native American heritage, spent 100 hours painting and embellishing Beatrice, The Virginian-Pilot reported in April 2000. When finished, Beatrice boasted blues, reds and yellows as well as jewelry, a crown and fabric elements.

Decorum Furniture, which anchors The Palace Shops and Station in Ghent, purchased the mermaid.

The business called on the d’Art Center to give Beatrice a fresh look. Decorum’s owners met with Davis at d’Art to talk design and spotted a work on display from Nancy Topping Bazin.

Topping Bazin’s whimsical and brightly colored style was exactly what they wanted in their mermaid, Davis said.

“I told Nancy. She was completely flattered,” Davis said. “So I said I will always attribute that you were their inspiration.”

Davis started working on Beatrice in October and wants to finish before Christmas. She is chronicling the process through time-lapse videos and photos on her social media pages, instagram.com/tutoringart and facebook.com/tutoringart.

The first phase — removing the paint and repairing damaged fiberglass — is done. Once Davis applies a base paint coat, she will start on the design. Then Beatrice will be glazed with a marine-grade varnish because “we know how the weather is around here,” Davis said.

The design vision has a “Key West Miami vibe” — a sleek pattern and bold palette.

For Davis, the project is the realization of an artistic aspiration she’s had since moving to Norfolk in late 2019.

“I love mermaids. When I first moved down, I got excited because Norfolk’s mascot is the mermaid,” Davis said. “I could see a lot of them needed some work, and I said, ‘who knows — maybe I’ll get a chance to work on one, or maybe I’ll get to create one at some point.’”

Ali Sullivan, 757-677-1974, ali.sullivan@virginiamedia.com