The eighth annual public art installation at Alexandria’s Waterfront Park is set to open next week.
Artist Alicia Eggert’s “Now or Never” installation will have an opening reception Saturday, March 21, from 1-4 p.m. at Waterfront Park (1 Prince Street). Artist remarks will happen at 1:30 p.m.
Eggert’s artwork features two billboard-style sculptures — one saying “NOW” and the other “NEVER” — facing a passageway that viewers can walk through. According to the Office of Historic Alexandria, the artwork’s “now or never” messaging can resonate on both a personal and global level.
According to the Office of Historic Alexandria, “by inviting people to move physically between the structures, the artwork underscores the possibility of finding common ground, even in polarized circumstances.”
“Now or Never continues the Site See series’ tradition of bringing thought-provoking site-specific work to Waterfront Park,” said Diane Ruggiero, the deputy director for the Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities, in a release. “We are excited for visitors to engage with the artwork and see how it resonates with their own lives and experiences.”
The Alexandria Commission for the Arts picked Eggert in 2025 from a group of 23 artists who responded to the city’s call for submissions. Eggert is a Dallas-born artist most well known for text-based neon artwork with themes of political activism and social justice. Her neon sculpture “Ours” appeared outside the Supreme Court and other locations in 2022 ahead of the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision.
Eggert’s art has been displayed at locations like the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum; Philadelphia Museum of Art; CAFA Art Museum in Beijing; Triennale Design Museum in Milan, Italy; and Galeria Fernando Santos in Porto, Portugal.
The new installation is part of the Office of the Arts’ “Site See: New Views in Old Town” series. The temporary installations seek to draw residents and visitors to Waterfront Park. The artwork is commissioned by the City of Alexandria’s Public Art Program.
The “Now or Never” display will be open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. through November 2026 at Waterfront Park.
