HENRICO, Va. – There may be more panels to the new mural of Richmond’s skyline on display at Regency Square than there are occupied parking spaces surrounding the Henrico mall on a weekday afternoon.
The vibrant, hand-painted mosaic was a collaborative effort led by local artists Matt Lively and Hamilton Glass. They worked with 216 Freeman High School art students and three art teachers to produce the mural.
The two artists, in collaboration with the ninth through twelfth-grade students, began with an original photo of Richmond’s cityscape and its surrounding neighborhoods and transformed it into a mosaic piece of original work.
Regency Square spokesperson said that the mural will be displayed permanently as a tribute to the local community.
The artwork helped the mall receive a silver award from the International Council of Shopping Centers. They placed second for “Cause-Related Marketing Programs.”
The mural can be found on the first floor, outside J.C. Penney’s. Make sure to look closely, and spot the surprise Star Wars reference painted into the sky.
The future of the decades-old mall seems to be looking brighter, and it will soon undergo a serious transformation. Chesterfield-based Rebkee Company and the Henrico-based Thalhimer Realty Partners, Inc. plan to invest more than $35 million to bring Regency back as one of Richmond’s premiere retail venues.
They purchased the struggling mall for $13 million in 2015.
There are currently leases in play for a movie multiplex, an indoor trampoline park and a West Coast pizza chain’s first Richmond location.
The new master plan for the mall includes a redesign that will create 44,000-square feet of additional retail space; including four out-parcel development sites, and a 12,000-square-foot building along the property. The existing flyover entrance located on Quioccasin Road will be removed and a new signature entrance, with pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, established.