Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel Celebrates 5th Anniversary by Getting “Taped” by Local Artists

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Creatures stretch along the top of the Renaissanc Providence Downtown Hotel while it's covered in tape art

“What brought us to Tape Art was that its work resembled the graffiti our building was covered in when we began redeveloping it in 2005." - Angelo De Peri, General Manager

Providence, Rhode Island (PRWEB) June 18, 2012

The Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel, located on 5 Avenue of the Arts, decided to do something big in honor of its 5th anniversary. Big became an understatement. Over the week of June 11, Tape Art artists Michael Townsend and Colin Bliss covered the former Masonic Temple with layer after layer of colored tape, creating murals of figures along with large blue and green “mythical creatures” across the top of the hotel and along Francis Street.

“We wanted something big and we wanted something extra special,” said Angelo De Peri, General Manager of the Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel. “What brought us to Tape Art was that its work resembled the graffiti our building was covered in when we began redeveloping it in 2005. It’s a great representation. And, when we learned about Michael’s background, it became full circle.”

As a struggling graffiti artist before his career took off, Townsend actually sought shelter in the abandoned Masonic Temple that now houses the Renaissance Providence, one of the top-rated hotels in Rhode Island. For over 75 years, the building laid empty as an ultimate art sanctuary for adventurers. In this state, it became a safe-haven for graffiti artists around the world to come and produce massive sprawling artworks throughout. The artist and his friends are also famous for creating and living in a secret apartment in Providence Place Mall for nearly four years until they were discovered.

For the hotel installment, Tape Art was given free-reign to do whatever the hotel inspired, as well as a few big ladders. Bright and early on Monday morning, June 11, a blue creature began to stretch across the top of the building. Shortly after, a second creature followed along the ground, reaching up over the entrance to Temple Downtown Restaurant. The “mythical creatures” were accompanied by outlines of individuals representing the construction workers and graffiti artists that used to call the building home.

Townsend and Bliss currently travel the world as desired tape artists. For more than 20 years, Tape Art has been spear-heading collaborative drawings using low-adhesive tapes that can be stuck on facades, sidewalks, walls; just about any surface, without permanent repercussions. What began as nightly guerrilla art raids on the surfaces of Providence grew into Tape Art being invited to install over 500 creations on walls around the world.

As part of the exhibit, the artists also hosted a Q&A session in Temple Lounge on Thursday, June 18. The session was open to the public and attracted people who came to watch a presentation on past installations and ask questions about the Renaissance Providence project and the uniqueness of Tape Art. It’s not without surprise that it was also used as an opportunity to ask about the secret apartment in the Providence Place Mall.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our anniversary and where we came from than by featuring something, and someone, with such strong ties to our graffiti roots,” said Mike Barrett, Director of Marketing for the Renaissance Providence. “Throughout the entire week, so many people stopped to learn more about what was going on as they looked on in awe. The installment was incredible and we look forward to participating in more discoveries with local Providence artists.”

Unfortunately, the tape art exhibit was removed a week after the project began as part of the artist’s commitment to the temporary nature of their public displays – meant to capture their inspiration of the here and now. As a result, large balls of blue and green tape began to form on the ground as the art was removed. The large bundles of tape were then moved to the hotel lobby for display.

“Along with the scores of graffiti artists that perfected their craft on the cavernous walls of this building, some of the earliest Tape Art drawings were made inside over twenty years ago,” said Michael Townsend. “Thanks to Renaissance Providence, we were given the privilege of returning to this building to revisit the walls of an old friend and once again draw on them with reckless abandon. During the last week, we did our best to fuse together an amalgamation of the imagery found on the walls when the building made its unlikely transformation from a towering stone shell to a posh hotel.”

To learn more about the Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel or to book a room visit, http://www.renaissanceprovidenceri.com. For more information on Tape Art, and to view previous projects, please visit http://www.TapeArt.com.

About the Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel
Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel is an AAA Four-Diamond address located in the heart of the Rhode Island capital. Standing nine stories tall in a former Masonic Temple, the hotel has 264 guest rooms and eight suites surrounded by striking neoclassical architecture. All accommodations are arrayed with handsome furnishings, contemporary amenities, and cutting-edge in-room technologies. The trendy Temple Downtown Restaurant & Lounge serves Mediterranean-inspired fare in a relaxed setting for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hotel guests enjoy an on-site Fitness Center open around the clock, with cardiovascular equipment and free weights. The hotel is also a desirable destination for meetings and events, with 10,000 square feet of function space through nine rooms equipped with state-of-the-art presentation technologies, including the Symphony Ballroom, a popular setting for weddings and social gatherings. To learn more visit http://www.renaissanceprovidenceri.com.

About Renaissance Hotels
Renaissance Hotels represents a diverse collection of more than 150 hotels in 34 countries worldwide. Each property is unique, offering passionate travelers a one-of-kind experience and memories they will be sure to take with them long after they depart. Within every hotel, guests are greeted by an exceptional array of amenities and an inspiring world of local discoveries. For travelers looking to experience something new, innovative and locally driven, programs including the industry leading entertainment platform RLife LIVE as well R Navigator, ensure that every trip is transformed into an eye-opening, unforgettable journey. To discover more visit http://www.renhotels.com.

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