Rising Solstice Sun To Create Unique Art Experience At ALX Waterfront

ALEXANDRIA, VA – June 21 is the big moment for the Waterfront Park art installation, “Now or Never.”

On June 21, the summer solstice, the sun will rise directly through the center of the installation, which reads “Now” and “Never.” The City of Alexandria is inviting residents to watch the moment and join the artist, Alicia Eggert, for the event.

The gathering will begin at 5:30 a.m. with sunrise at 5:43 a.m. Photographers are encouraged to get into position ahead of time to capture the moment.

The effect is achieved by the placement of the art installation, rotated 22 degrees north of true east.

Eggert’s work is part of “Site See: New Views in Old Town,” an annual series of temporary public art installations in Alexandria’s Waterfront Park, commissioned by the City of Alexandria’s Public Art Program. “Now or Never” is the 8th installation of the series. The program invites residents to view contemporary art in a historic location.

Eggert is an associate professor of Studio Art at the University of North Texas. According to the university, she has exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the CAFA Art Museum in Beijing, the Triennale Design Museum in Milan and more, and she has had recent solo exhibitions in Portugal, Massachusetts and Texas. Her work is held in collections around the world, including the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery.

“Now or Never” will remain on display through November.