Oceanfront neighborhood rallies, creating surf mural
VIRGINIA BEACH — George Alcaraz already planned to host an art event and fundraiser at his new Shadowlawn restaurant last Saturday, but it felt more significant after a night of violence at the Oceanfront.
Dozens of families turned out to paint a surf mural on the parking lot fence of Shadowlawn Eats. Talk of the previous night’s shootings in the resort area was unavoidable, but being together was therapeutic for the tight-knit neighbors who live just blocks from the beach.
“Trying to remember why we were there and to still have a positive, fun-filled day was really great for the neighborhood,” said Alaina Smith, Shadowlawn Civic League president.
Alcaraz, who also manages the annual East Coast Surfing Championships in August, said he’s trying to start a “surf vibe” at the restaurant on Mediterranean Avenue. He invited the Virginia Beach Jaycees to sell ECSC T-shirts and banners from past years at the restaurant.
“This neighborhood, being so close to the jetty, is just filled with surfers of all ages,” Smith said.
Natalie Bledsoe brought her children to paint a yellow surfboard with a sea turtle inside a hamsa, an ancient Middle Eastern symbol, on the fence. Her children added their handprints to the design.
Bledsoe is an artist and recently became a U.S. citizen.
She considered the event part of her personal celebration.
“It was the topping on the cake to come out here and do a painting to express who I am,” she said.
Silver Nelson lives a few blocks away and is looking forward to seeing the mural when she goes to the restaurant.
“I love how colorful this is,” she said. “With all the people’s signatures, it gives it a real neighborhood feel.”