Providence, Waterplace Park
Located in the pedestrian tunnel under Memorial Boulevard, the Wall of Hope, is a permanent display of more than 11,000 ceramic tiles painted by Rhode Islanders "of all ages, races, religions and cultures." The installation was dedicated on September 11, 2002.
By 2016, because of occasional flooding and general exposure to the elements, the structures holding the tiles had begun to rust, so the center panels in the tunnel were removed so that the armatures could be redesigned. Originally scheduled to be replaced by the end of 2018, the current (as of May 2019) anticipated completion date is spring 2020.
Until they were removed in 2016, more tiles could be seen adorning the exterior wall of the Providence Journal garage at the corner of Sabin and West Exchange Streets. It was reported in April of that year that those murals would be relocated to the United Way Building at 50 Valley Street in Olneyville. The reason in this case was not because of weather damage, but because the new owners of the Journal building had plans that didn't include the murals.
A May 2019 visit to the United Way offices turned up no tiles, however, and neither the receptionist, nor the person she called to ask, had any knowledge of them having been moved there.
Additional tiles can be found on the west corners of Sabin and Snow Streets, on the exteriors of the Rhode Island Convention Center and the Providence Civic Center (aka the Dunkin' Donuts Center).
THE TILES YOU SEE HERE ARE PART OF A LARGER MOSAIC CREATED BY MORE
THAN 10,000 RHODE ISLAND RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES,
RACES, RELIGIONS AND CULTURES.
THIS MAGNIFICENT ARTWORK IS A TRIBUTE TO LOVED ONES LOST,
TO THE HEROES OF THE 9-11-01 TRAGEDY AND TO OUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
THOUSANDS OF OTHER WALL OF HOPE TILES ARE ON DISPLAY AT THE
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL AND IN WATERPLACE PARK IN DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE.
THE FINAL HOME FOR THIS INSTALLATION WILL BE THE
HERITAGE HARBOR MUSEUM—SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN 2005.
DEDICATED ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2002.
