THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 13, 1995 TAG: 9512120095
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALVA CHOPP, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
If you ever wanted to paint the Cape Henry Lighthouse purple or decorate the outer walls of the Francis Land House with pink trim, you can.
How about making a porpoise orange? Or climbing atop the Haunted Fun House on Atlantic Avenue to cover the gargoyle with polka dots?
A newly published marketing tool gives you just that chance to express yourself - to add your own special touches to a variety of local places and sights.
The Virginia Beach Coloring Book, a 26-page collection of various activities and must-see areas of the city, is currently on sale at the Visitors Center at the end of the Virginia Beach/Norfolk Expressway, the Virginia Marine Science Museum on General Booth Boulevard and the Central Library on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
Ron Kuhlman, city director of marketing and sales, said the idea for a coloring book to promote Virginia Beach had been in the minds of city officials for a long time.
``This area has a lot of diverse attractions that offer something different to everyone,'' he said. ``We were looking for some unique way to emphasize the area to visitors as well as to local residents who may not have visited these sights.''
Since 51 percent of the visitors come with a child under the age of 18, Kuhlman said a coloring book seemed a good way to introduce the various attractions to these families and spark an interest for local residents as well.
About a year ago, a committee from the Department of Convention and Visitor Development began putting together their ideas for the artwork. Kuhlman said members of the Virginia Marine Science Museum were asked for their ideas since that site is one of the most visited attractions at the Beach.
Photos were taken of such areas as the Life-Saving Museum of Virginia in the old Coast Guard station at 24th Street and Atlantic Avenue, the First Landing Cross at Fort Story and Seashore State Park. Pictures were made of surfers and of children plying oyster tongs at the Marine Science Museum and building sand castles on the beach.
Even pictures of the Kempsville Recreation Center and the Central Library were included to remind local residents of the services available to them.
After the selections were made, the list of photographs and rough ideas were given to David Narvaez, a local artist and sculptor, to create the final drawings.
Narvaez said he was happy to be a part of the project because it was a way to educate the public without using words. ``I didn't mind doing a coloring book because I do artwork to be appreciated by all ages,'' he said.
The Carrollton Publishing Company in Carrollton was given the contract to publish 5,000 copies of the book.
Pamela Glanville, the company's owner, said they were delighted with the finished product. ``Because we used David, who we consider an excellent artist, the quality of the artwork is far superior to any coloring books we've seen,'' she said.
``And we used the best paper quality inside the book that would take crayon,'' she added. ``It's a public relations piece of top quality.''
The coloring books are selling for $3.95, an amount designed to be competitive with other coloring books on the market. The proceeds will be used to cover the costs of printing, according to Kuhlman. ILLUSTRATION: Boardwalk
Aquarium
by CNB