City of Manassas and Manassas Regional Airport officials Tuesday unveiled the area’s newest Virginia “LOVE” sign, a metal sculpture that features several airplane parts.
The sign, formally known as a Virginia “LOVEwork,” was made possible by donations from businesses that use the airport as well as grants from the Virginia Department of Tourism, the Virginia Department of Aviation and the City of Manassas, according to Rita Witte, administrative coordinator for the Manassas airport.
An artist with Creative Color, a Fredericksburg design firm, created the sign, which took about six months to complete, according to officials.
The items incorporated into the sign are not necessarily new. Instead, the sculpture incorporates some recycled pieces for a more authentic look, officials said.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place outside the airport’s main terminal at 10600 Harry J. Parrish Boulevard in Manassas.
The spot is open to the public and offers a good view of the aircraft that use the airport. The sculpture will remain a permanent fixture, said airport director Juan Rivera.
The Manassas Regional Airport is the second airport in the commonwealth to have an aviation-themed LOVEworks sign, according to a press release.
The now iconic statewide branding initiative, “Virginia is for Lovers,” turned 50 years old this year.
In 1969, the slogan was established by the Richmond-based advertising agency Martin & Woltz Inc., now known now as The Martin Agency, and made its first appearance in a 1969 issue of “Modern Bride.”
In and around Prince William County, there are other LOVEwork signs in historic downtown Manassas, in Occoquan’s River Mill Park and outside the Potomac Mills shopping mall.