Public piano suggested for Leesburg

By Audrey Carpenter

The Leesburg Town Council unanimously approved the installation of a piano for public use at its meeting Nov. 28.

Commission on Public Art Chair Jeanette Ward said, “We feel that [a public piano] would really promote performing arts.” The piano will be donated for free to the Town and will be a one-year exhibit, or until it’s no longer usable, as part of an overall campaign to include more art in Leesburg and promote tourism.

The piano’s location is still uncertain. Given that it will sit outdoors and be subject to the elements, the Council is still considering where it should be placed that will allow it to be shielded but also accessible to the public.

The piano will be painted by an artist and a call for artist proposals will be undertaken soon, Ward said. The maintenance of the piano is minimal, with $550 covering the cost to transport the piano, tuning it twice over the course of the year and purchasing the paint supplies.

The idea for a public piano came from brightly painted public pianos in towns and cities worldwide, according to Ward, who said the nearest public piano currently is in Baltimore. In 2019, the Maryland Department of Transportation installed multiple pianos in the city’s subway system. See more information here: https://www.mta.maryland.gov/articles/221 “It would be nice to put Leesburg on the map with a public piano,” Ward said. The public would be welcome to play the instrument or listen. For more information, contact Jeanette Ward at: jward@leesburgva.gov.