Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center brings LOVE to Center
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2023
CONTACT:
Sean Webb, Marketing
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center
276-619-4301
swebb@swcenter.edu
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center brings LOVE to Center
Visitors encouraged to take pictures and share on social media with #LOVEVA and #SWVHEC
ABINGDON, VA (October 26, 2023) – The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center has installed a permanent life-sized LOVE artwork at the facility, One Partnership Circle, as part of a state and local partnership to promote tourism in the Commonwealth. First Lady of the Commonwealth of Virginia Suzanne Youngkin was in attendance to help cut the ribbon for the project, along with representatives of the Center and Virginia Tourism Corporation.
The artwork, which is 16 feet long and more than six feet high, is an extension of the 50-year-old “Virginia is for Lovers” brand, one of the most beloved and iconic slogans in the world.
“We hope this LOVE artwork will inspire all attendees of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center – students, conference and training attendees, and the general public – to take photos and enjoy the facility,” said David Matlock, Executive Director and agency head of the Southwest Higher Education Center. “The mission of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center is to strengthen the regional economy of southwest Virginia by providing higher education and professional development training of the current and future workforce. We are a great place, doing great things, because of great people.”
Be sure to share your photos on social media using #LOVEVA and #SWVHEC.
“Virginia is for Lovers is about doing the things you love to do on a vacation with the people you love most,” said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “We are excited to share the LOVE at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center where so many people can enjoy being a part of it, helping them to discover for themselves why Virginia is for Lovers.”
More than 300 permanent LOVE letters, called LOVEworks, exist in towns, cities and at Welcome Centers across the Commonwealth – each reflecting of the uniqueness of the community in which it stands.
The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, located in Abingdon, Virginia, is the first multi-college and university institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. Established as a State Agency in 1991, the Center partners with public and private colleges and universities to provide degree programs, certificates, and professional development courses. With approximately 110,000 square feet of professional classrooms, large conference areas, labs, and administrative space, the Higher Education Center accommodates hundreds of events annually. For more information, please visit swcenter.edu.
A full list and map of statewide LOVEworks can be found at Virginia.org/LOVE.
###
