The Roanoke Valley Rocks campaign began Friday with the unveiling of the first painted rockfish statue, one named Rocky which is displayed at the Weldon boat landing.

While the first rockfish, the work of Halifax County artist Napoleon Hill, was a traditional fish to keep with Weldon's title of Rockfish Capital of the World, the other 35 that will be displayed throughout the area are expected to be a departure from the realm of marine biology.

“I thought it best to do one that looked like a real rockfish,” Hill said at the unveiling, which was followed by Weldon's first participation in the Friday in the Park summer concert series.

Hill with Meacham.

Hill has been commissioned to do five or six more of the rockfish for the campaign, the creation of the Halifax County Convention and Visitors Bureau as a way to promote the area. Some of those he will do fish for include the Halifax electric cooperative, First Media Radio and the town of Weldon. “Those will flow a little more free.”

Hill was pleased to be asked to do the first painting for the campaign. “It was a great honor to do the first rockfish.”

Lori Medlin, president of the bureau, was pleased with the first effort and said the next fish will become more flashy. “There's going to be one with mirrored tiles. Another will have tobacco barns.”

Before the unveiling, Weldon Mayor Julia Meacham said it was fitting to have the first fish unveiled in the town where the rockfish come to spawn each year. “With Weldon being the Rockfish Capital of the World, this is just another way of protecting that and bringing people to the area. That's a part of Weldon's history.”

The statute isn't just a nod to the rockfish, the mayor said, supporting it are boulders from Highway 301 and stones from the Roanoke Canal. “Today is a real exciting day for all of us,” she said during the unveiling.