A Living Reflection of Suffolk
In collaboration with the City of Suffolk and Keep Suffolk Beautiful, a public space in Downtown Suffolk was transformed through art. A mural was thoughtfully designed and brought to life in the heart of the city, enhancing Downtown Festival Park at 215 W. Washington Street. The result is a bold visual anchor that captures attention, sparks curiosity, and welcomes visitors throughout the year as they gather for festivals, concerts, and community celebrations.
Today, the park stands as a shared canvas. A place where families spread blankets, music fills the air, movies light up the night, and art becomes part of everyday life in downtown Suffolk.
At the center of this transformation is muralist Jorge-Miguel Rodriguez, an artist whose work blends imagination, storytelling, and place. With more than eight years of experience creating engaging public art, Jorge brings a thoughtful, site-specific approach to every mural. His designs are shaped by their surroundings, balancing scale, character, and movement through expressive forms, abstract elements, and vibrant florals.
Having previously completed a mural in the Vibe District, Jorge arrived in Suffolk with a deep appreciation for the Hampton Roads community. His work spans cities across Florida, Texas, Vancouver, and international locations, yet each project reflects the spirit of its home. Suffolk proudly welcomed Jorge, whose creative vision continues to make art approachable, meaningful, and woven into the fabric of the city
Courthouse Fountain Park Mural
Once a cornerstone of civic life, Old City Hall & Market stood at the heart of Suffolk from 1891 to 1962. Designed in Gothic style by Norfolk architect George C. Moser, the building was a hive of daily activity. Market stalls filled the ground floor with commerce and conversation. Above, the Police Department and an auditorium gave way over time to a ballroom and community gathering space. Court was held on the third floor, while just beyond its walls, the Farmers’ Market thrived as a meeting place for neighbors and growers alike.
Today, this mural at Courthouse Fountain Park serves as a visual bridge between past and present. Dedicated by the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society and the City of Suffolk, it honors the people of Suffolk and the enduring importance of preserving the stories that shaped the city’s foundation.
Created by Suffolk native and muralist Chip Wilkinson of Wall Murals, the artwork reflects a deep respect for place, memory, and community. Completed on November 19, 1998, the mural stands as a lasting tribute to Suffolk’s rich civic heritage and the power of art to keep history alive.
New Downtown Mural by Artist Alison Speerbrecker
West Washington Street | March 9 – April 1, 2026
Downtown Suffolk welcomes a new burst of color and creativity with a mural by local artist Alison Speerbrecker. Her work invites viewers into a world of playful imagination, where vibrant hues, decorative florals, and whimsical details dance across the surface, turning an everyday street into a moment of delight.
Rooted in joy and creative expression, Alison’s murals spark curiosity and connection, encouraging passersby to pause, look closer, and experience the magic woven into each brushstroke.
Explore more of her imaginative work at www.alisonspeerbrecker.com.
Featured Artists
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At the corner of N. Main and W. Washington Streets, Theresa Earles invites viewers into a world of playful abstraction. Her work unfolds slowly, built through layers of acrylic paint, where dots, marks, and shapes accumulate over time. Each piece grows intuitively, guided by process rather than plan, allowing the artwork to evolve organically as it takes shape.
Theresa’s art isn’t always meant to reassure, but it is always meant to engage. Rich with detail and texture, her work rewards those who linger. The longer you look, the more reveals itself—subtle surprises, quiet rhythms, and moments of visual discovery woven into every surface.
Her goal is simple and generous: to create art that feels fun, visually abundant, and welcoming. No instructions required. Just curiosity, presence, and a willingness to explore.
Location: Corner of N. Main & W. Washington Streets
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At the intersection of Market and Main Streets, Tonya Hopson’s floral work blooms with story and soul. A Norfolk-based artist known for her expressive flower paintings, Tonya draws inspiration from her mother’s abundant garden in Michigan, a place shaped by care, patience, and devotion.
Photographed from life and reimagined on canvas, each flower becomes more than a botanical study. They are vibrant tributes, infused with color, memory, and meaning. Through her work, Tonya honors her mother’s strength and tenderness, celebrating a woman who nurtured both her garden and her children with the same unwavering love.
These paintings speak to a larger truth. They reflect how women everywhere grow, adapt, and flourish through adversity, not by becoming something else, but by fully embracing who they are. Tonya’s florals stand as symbols of resilience, beauty, and the quiet power of simply being.
Location: Intersection of Market & Main Streets
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At the intersection of W. Finney Avenue and Main Street, the work of Chris Jeanguenat draws viewers into a world where story, emotion, and imagination intertwine. An award-winning Virginia-based artist, Chris is known for her expressive narrative style, describing herself as a “happy, Gothic, visual storyteller.” Her work balances light and shadow, joy and mystery, creating pieces that feel both playful and deeply reflective.
Chris’s distinctive voice has earned widespread recognition throughout the region. She received Best in Show at the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival in 2021 and Second Place in 2024, along with awards for Excellence in Painting at the Port Warwick Art & Sculpture Festival, the Seawall Art Show, and the Chesapeake Arts Festival. She is also a celebrated artist at the Suffolk Art League, where she serves as Exhibitions Chair on the Board of Directors.
Her artwork has been showcased in solo and group exhibitions across Virginia, including notable one-woman shows at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Additional features include the Bay School Community Arts Center, the Dragonfly Studio in Ghent, and libraries throughout Virginia Beach. Her visual storytelling has also appeared in publications such as The Turquoise Iris Journal, extending her reach to audiences beyond the gallery walls.
Creating from her home studio in downtown Suffolk, Chris continues to explore imaginative and introspective themes, crafting vibrant works that invite viewers to linger, reflect, and step inside her richly layered world.
Location: Intersection of W. Finney Ave & Main St
VIEW PORTFOLIO
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Across Suffolk, everyday spaces are being reimagined through the creativity of young artists. Four students from John F. Kennedy Middle School have left a lasting mark on the city’s public art landscape, with original designs now featured on electrical boxes and bus stops throughout the community.
Rylee Legrand and Kaylon Smith were selected to bring color and imagination to electrical boxes in neighborhoods surrounding JFK Middle School. On East Washington Street, Kaylon Smith’s design captures the joy and energy of childhood, weaving playful moments into a downtown Suffolk scene. Rylee Legrand’s artwork pays tribute to one of the city’s most beloved icons, placing Mr. Peanut proudly against the Suffolk skyline.
Additional works by Serenity Mims and Alexandria Rodriguez continue this creative story across town. Serenity Mims celebrates Suffolk’s traditions and familiar landmarks, honoring the places that shape daily life. Alexandria Rodriguez brings a bold, graffiti-inspired collage to the streets, blending dynamic local scenes into a vibrant, contemporary expression of the city.
This project, made possible through a partnership with Suffolk Parks and Recreation, gave young artists the opportunity to share their voices in the neighborhoods they call home. All four students have previously exhibited their work at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts and the Suffolk Peanut Festival, reflecting the growing talent, confidence, and creative future of Suffolk’s youth.
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Alana Gene J. Landrum is a mixed-media artist residing in Suffolk, Virginia. Originally from Oakland, California, her artistic roots were deeply nurtured and cultivated in the cultural and visual landscape of her hometown. Her work integrates a blend of abstract and expressionistic techniques to give form to her emotions, ideas, and memories while offering commentary on womanhood, identity, and the ephemeral essence of life. Her practice encompasses painting, drawing, and sculpture, through which she captures her thoughts on our shared humanity and how we choose to move through time and space. She leaves space in her works for interpretation and hopes to communicate, through subtle emotional cues, the dynamic interplay between mind, body, and spirit as they engage in an ongoing dialogue with the world around us.
Location: Corner of Pinner and E. Washington Streets
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At the intersection of N. Main Street and Freemason Street, Karen Sallaz offers a gentle reminder of art’s power to shape how we feel. Creating art and experiencing it, she believes, can calm the mind, lift the spirit, and invite moments of joy. A true win-win.
Her work encourages passersby to pause, breathe, and connect, proving that even brief encounters with art can leave a lasting emotional imprint on the day.
Location: N. Main St. & Freemason St. In front of First Baptist Church
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At the corner of W. Washington and N. Saratoga Streets, the work of Adam Stanton reflects a life shaped by movement, service, and observation. Originally from a small foothill town in Northern California, Adam now serves in the United States Coast Guard, with more than seventeen years of service. He is currently stationed in San Diego, where he lives with his wife and three children.
Growing up between the pulse of San Francisco and the quiet grandeur of Yosemite National Park, Adam developed a creative lens that bridges urban energy and natural landscapes. That dual influence continues to guide his work, blending city textures with organic forms across a wide range of artistic media.
Adam’s artistic journey began early, sketching at the breakfast table, and deepened in high school with the discovery of acrylic and oil painting. Even while serving in the Coast Guard, his creative practice never paused. In 2012, he presented his first solo and group exhibitions in local galleries and boutiques in Boston, Massachusetts. Since then, his work has been featured in exhibitions across four states, with murals created in nine states and eleven countries around the world.
Over the course of his career, Adam has completed more than fifty-seven commissioned works, with a strong focus on large-scale murals. Alongside these public installations, he continues to create canvas pieces, apparel, clothing, and footwear. His murals are celebrated for their vibrant expression and their ability to feel inseparable from their surroundings, as if the space and the artwork were designed together.
Adam describes his artistic purpose with clarity and intention. His goal is to capture a vision, bring it fully to life, and allow it to merge with its environment, creating work that feels inevitable rather than imposed. Through each piece, he seeks to evoke emotion and inspire a deeper appreciation for the diverse landscapes, both built and natural, that shape our lives.
Location: Corner of W. Washington & N. Saratoga Streets
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At the corner of Market and N. Saratoga Streets, the work of Al Staszesky reflects a lifelong devotion to seeing and drawing the world with intention. Based in Portsmouth, Virginia, Al is an active presence in the Hampton Roads arts community, where he participates in drawing groups across the seven cities and teaches traditional techniques in drawing and painting.
Al’s work is immediately recognizable. Bright color, confident line work, and deliberate composition come together to shape paintings that feel both studied and expressive. While he is widely known for his nude portraits, his subject matter extends far beyond the figure. Landscapes, travel-inspired scenes, and familiar surroundings all find their way into his work, each filtered through his distinctive visual language.
Rooted firmly in observation, Al approaches art as an interpretation of reality rather than a departure from it. He balances each surface through the fundamental elements of painting, carefully adjusting distortion and form until the composition feels complete. His process is thoughtful, disciplined, and responsive to the material itself.
Perhaps the highest praise for his work comes from a simple truth he values deeply: the ability to make ordinary things feel more engaging, more vibrant, and more fun to look at. Through his art, Al invites viewers to see the everyday world with renewed curiosity and appreciation.
Location: Corner of Market & N. Saratoga Streets
ArtStops: Coloring Every Commute
In partnership with Suffolk Transit
Clayton Singleton
Along East Washington Street, at the Wilson Pine Apartments shelter, the work of Clayton Singleton stands as a catalyst for conversation, reflection, and connection. A Norfolk-based visual artist, educator, and community advocate, Clayton uses art as a bridge, inviting dialogue and encouraging empowerment through shared experience.
His work celebrates culture, identity, and belonging, values that align deeply with Suffolk’s vision for inclusive, welcoming public spaces. Through bold imagery and thoughtful composition, Clayton creates art that doesn’t simply decorate a space, it activates it.
Clayton’s impact extends well beyond the wall. He has exhibited in major museums across Virginia and served in leadership roles within regional arts organizations. As a five-time Teacher of the Year and Norfolk Public Schools’ 2023–2024 City-Wide Teacher of the Year, he continues to shape the next generation through creative education and mentorship.
Through every project, Clayton’s work reflects a commitment to uplifting youth, strengthening community, and using art as a force for understanding and possibility.
Location: East Washington Street at Wilson Pine Apartments Shelter
Rajendra KC
At the Godwin Court Building shelter, the work of Rajendra KC brings a sense of light, movement, and shared experience to the space. Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, and now based in Falls Church, Virginia, Raj is an award-winning plein air painter whose vibrant landscapes capture both the beauty of natural light and the quiet energy of community.
Raj’s work reflects a deep attentiveness to place. Painting on location, he responds to shifting skies, changing colors, and the rhythm of everyday life, creating scenes that feel immediate and alive. Alongside his studio practice, Raj is a dedicated educator, having taught at numerous art centers across Virginia and exhibited widely throughout the East Coast.
His connection to Suffolk is woven directly into his work. Raj’s painting for the 2024 Taste of Suffolk festival was featured on official event posters and merchandise, placing his art into the hands and memories of the community it celebrates.
Through each piece, Raj invites viewers to slow down, notice the light, and experience the shared spaces that bring people together.
Location: Godwin Court Building Shelter
WATCH Downtown Suffolk Arts and Cultural District champions Welcoming Arts, Talent, Culture, and History to revitalize downtown through arts-driven development and creative entrepreneurship, incentivized by targeted tax and fee reimbursements, creating vibrant and welcoming public spaces.
WATCH Inc. is the community activation nonprofit for the WATCH Downtown Suffolk Arts and Cultural District, advancing downtown revitalization through public art, placemaking, and cultural activities that engage the community and celebrate local heritage.