Stacy Parker, The Virginian-Pilot
VIRGINIA BEACH -- One of the most recognizable icons of Virginia Beach is turning 20 this year.
The King Neptune statue, a bronze sculpture of the Roman god of the sea, has been a fixture next to the Boardwalk on 31st Street at the Oceanfront since 2005. Created by sculptor Paul DiPasquale of Richmond, the commanding statue stands 34 feet tall, including the rocky base adorned with sea creatures.
The bearded and well-muscled King Neptune holds a sea turtle in his left hand and a trident in the right one.
To celebrate the 20-year milestone, the Neptune Festival will launch a photo campaign for people to "check in" with the statue and share a selfie at the end of the summer. A contest to name the octopus, fish and dolphin on statue's base is also being planned.
A photo structure will be installed in the landscaping between the Boardwalk and the bike path in late August for photo opportunities. It will feature artwork with a QR code for locals and visitors alike to "check in" at the statue and populate an online map with their hometowns.
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"It is by far the most photographed icon of the city, and after 20 years, we are excited to provide everyone with a new way to interact with it," said Melanie Gazzolo, Neptune Festival spokesperson.
More than two decades ago, the Neptune Festival organizers and supporters came up with a vision for the statue of King Neptune as a symbol of pride for Virginia Beach. The annual festival celebrates the city and its heritage.
DiPasquale was intrigued by the idea of a creating a statue so close to the ocean, according to the book "Neptune Festival, Celebrating the Beach Life."
"I started thinking of Neptune as two parts," the artist says in the book published by the festival. "From the waist down, I saw his connection to the ocean world and his attachment to the sea. Then I imagined from the waist up representing him visiting our world."
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In a recent interview with The Virginian-Pilot, DiPasquale said he envisioned Neptune as "an old guy in good shape, a sentinel of our oceans."
Private fundraising paid for the project. The statue was built in a foundry in China through a process called lost-wax bronze casting. It was shipped back to the United States in pieces and reassembled on the Boardwalk in August 2005. It was unveiled a month later. In total, the statue weighs 12.5 tons.
"The way we built it and designed it and engineered it, it's going to outlast the hotels," said DiPasquale. "It's going to last another 200 (years) easily."
The artist said he's met people who got engaged or married at the statue and has been sent photos of tattoos paying homage to it.
"It's doing exactly what was expected of the statue," DiPasquale said. "That is, being an icon."
Nancy Creech, former president of the Neptune Festival, agrees.
"It's been very successful in becoming the icon of the city, and it's easily recognizable," Creech said.
She likened it to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis another popular landmark for photographs.
"It's been very helpful for the city in terms of (public relations) and recognition," she said. "It's one of the more visible things that the Neptune Festival has done."
The animal naming contest will be held in 2026, and could be incorporated into school and summer camp curriculums around sea life and art, Gazzolo said.
DiPasquale will be the Neptune Festival's Grand Parade honorary grand marshal during the 51st Annual Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend to be held Sept. 26-28.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
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