Children’s art tiles that once adorned the walls of the Bristol Mall have returned to public view with the recent opening of the Bristol Casino and are expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future.

Andy Poarch, the spokesperson for Hard Rock and the Bristol Casino, explained that early into the construction phase of the Bristol Casino, the group recognized the significance of the tiles, which were painted by area children in the late 1990s, to the Bristol community at large and were careful to preserve the art.

“We recognized that there was a lot of history with the tiles and a lot of nostalgia surrounding the tiles as something that was and is a great point of pride with the citizens of Bristol.”