Providence Unveils 5 New Downtown Portraits

PROVIDENCE, RI — Taking a look toward the sky in downtown Providence means you'll likely see beautiful mural work adorning buildings across the city's skyline. Recently, you've probably seen a few new ones.

City officials recently announced the installation of five large-scale portraits within Providence’s Downtown neighborhood. The project, titled “Who We Are Now,” will reflect the city’s "vibrant, multicultural community, as well as highlight the power of photography to inspire change in perspective," officials said.

Fifteen local photographers were invited to submit work for consideration, and five images were chosen for the exhibition by curators Marybeth Meehan, José Ramirez, and David Santilli.

The large-scale banner reproductions of the photographs will be on display in Downtown Providence through December of 2023.

“These brilliant portraits allow us to see our neighbors and each other in a new light,” said Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. “I want to thank the five local artists who contributed their work to this project. We are the Creative Capital, and we will continue finding ways to turn our city into a canvas for art.”

The title and prompt for the installation, “Who We Are Now,” asks the artists, and ultimately the viewer, to consider the topic of identity in 2022, a news release said.

It is comprised of portraits by five local artists: Kannetha Brown, Eli De Faria, Jeny Hernandez-Watson, Jonathan Pitts-Wiley, and Abenda Sohn.

According to artist statements provided as part of the project, the awarded portraits tackle subjects such as cultural pride, resistance, survival, joy, and unity in diversity.

"The five photographs that we have chosen to display in downtown Providence are each, in their own way, beautiful, deep, intimate, and moving, and represent important perspectives on our Rhode Island community," said curator Marybeth Meehan.

"We can’t wait for viewers in the cityscape to be drawn in through the eyes of these talented artists."