The removal of an outdoor piano from Draper Road in downtown Blacksburg has stirred frustration among local artists. The piano, which had been a staple in the area for two years, featured artwork by artist Rita Brame, known for her murals throughout the town. Brame’s painting had been applied just a few months prior to the piano’s removal.
Rita Brame, who also serves as the creative director for 16 Blocks magazine, a local arts and news publication, was not informed of the piano’s removal. This prompted Hart Fowler, the magazine’s director, to send an email to Councilwoman Susan Anderson, criticizing the town for not notifying Brame and accusing officials of “alienating” the local arts community.
“With all of your resources, you choose to go after what has become a public treasure,” Fowler wrote. “You would know this if you spent more time downtown.”
The piano had become a beloved fixture in the community, drawing locals to play music in the streets, especially during the “Beats in the Streets” jam sessions held every Tuesday during the warmer months.
However, according to assistant town manager Matt Hanratty, the piano was damaged during construction for the ongoing Draper Streetscape project. Hanratty assured the public that the removal was temporary, with the town planning to find a replacement.
“Discussions on a replacement haven’t started yet,” Hanratty stated. “We’re considering whether to purchase another outdoor piano, as this is the third one we’ve had.”
Susan Mattingly, a member of the Blacksburg Town Council and the town’s arts committee, mentioned that Brame had painted the piano without consulting town officials. She added that Fowler, being on the arts committee, should have been aware of the piano’s removal.
“Hart is on the committee,” Mattingly said. “He should have known about the damage.”
Mattingly also praised Brame’s artwork, particularly the “boombox” painting on the back of the piano. On Tuesday, Brame was given permission to retrieve her artwork from the piano.
After recovering the painting, Fowler voiced his suspicions in an email to the Downtown Revitalization Committee, claiming the damage might have been intentional. He questioned the lack of reports or eyewitness accounts regarding construction damage to the piano.
“Given there’s been no report of construction damage, and no witnesses from the Draper Block have seen the piano mishandled, we believe the Stella Rose Outdoor Piano was intentionally damaged to remove it from the Downtown Piano Projects collection,” Fowler wrote.
In a separate email, Mattingly expressed concern that certain parts of the piano’s artwork might resemble unauthorized advertising.
“After checking the piano yesterday, I noticed ‘Steel Rose’ and ‘Green House’ were painted on it. Did we approve sponsorship for the piano, and if so, where will those funds go?” Mattingly asked.
However, the words on the piano actually said “Stella Rose,” not linked to any sponsorship, and had no affiliation with the Blacksburg-based Steel Rose Enterprise.
During the Blacksburg Town Council meeting, Fowler reiterated his belief that the piano’s removal was not due to construction damage and accused town officials of shifting the blame to workers.
“I don’t believe the piano was damaged during construction,” Fowler said.
Brame briefly addressed the council, highlighting the lack of a clear policy regarding public art in town. Both Brame and Fowler indicated they would make more detailed statements at future council meetings.
Hanratty expressed hope that moving forward, the town’s arts committee would establish a formal process for adding artwork to future outdoor pianos.
