Wraparound artwork celebrates sun, water and nature-adds benefit to neighborhood

 LYND LIVING, a national apartment investor, developer and operator, is enlivening the city’s waterfront area with new murals along three sides of Mayflower Apartments. The iconic high-rise is just one block from the Atlantic Ocean in Virgina Beach, Virginia.

The murals radiate the energizing colors of the ocean and warm climate flowers, and feature whimsical representations of beach lovers. Work on the highly visible walls was completed over five days in early July. The artwork is meant for people living in the Mayflower to enjoy or anyone passing by.

“This project illustrates our greater mission of creating memorable living experiences for our residents while making a positive impact on the community at large,” said Chris Jett, LYND LIVING chief visionary officer. “Whether we are creating public art, engaging residents to help with a beach clean-up or hosting a food-truck event, we want to enhance lives and build community wherever we operate apartments. That is what Lynd Living is all about.”

LYND LIVING purchased the 16-story building in 2019 and committed over $4 million to improvements to the 266-unit structure. The company hired artists Kelly Towles and Red Swan to design and execute three murals, the longest of which stretches 91 feet along Atlantic Avenue.

Towles’ outdoor spaces are immediately recognized in Washington, where he has been creating inspiring murals for over 20 years. He also produces the popular Pow! Wow! festival, where artists collaborate on public murals and spur community activity.

“We wanted to come together and create these murals, and bring some smiles to people’s faces,” Towles said. “We leaned toward bringing in the beach vibes and wanted to interpret it in a fun new way- like turning the ocean into a character and bringing in the native flowers from the area. We are all very happy with the way they came to life.”

Lindy Swan and Hanna Moran of Red Swan are well-known for their murals in Washington and Baltimore. They collaborated with Towles at Pow! Wow! 2019 and 2020. Their work is prominently displayed at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles, and at the nearby National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center. They displayed large canvases at a temporary beach exhibit celebrating the 2018 East Coast Surfing Championships in Virginia Beach.