Beacon of Hope (sculpture) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beacon of Hope
Artist	Andy Scott
Year	2006
Type	Steel
Dimensions	19.5 m (64 ft)
Location	Belfast, Northern Ireland

The Beacon of Hope is a large metal sculpture in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is also known as the Thanksgiving Square Beacon. This amazing piece of public art cost £300,000 to create.

The sculpture stands 19.5 meters (about 64 feet) tall. It was built in 2007 in a place called Thanksgiving Square. Many people have given it fun nicknames. Some of these include Nuala with the Hula and the Belle on the Ball. Others call it the Angel of Thanksgiving. It is the second biggest public sculpture in Belfast. Only the Rise sculpture is larger.

Building the Beacon of Hope

This sculpture took six years to plan and build. It is made from strong materials. The main part is shiny stainless steel. The globe at its base is made of cast bronze.

The sculpture spirals upwards. It looks like a person holding a large ring. This ring is called "the ring of thanksgiving". The globe at the bottom shows a message of peace and thanks. It has cities marked on its surface. These are places where people from Belfast moved to. They also show cities where Belfast businesses sent their goods.

A local company, P.F. Copeland Ltd, built the sculpture. They worked from smaller models made by Andy Scott. Another company, Beltane Studios in Peebles, made the bronze globe.

The Beacon of Hope has become a symbol for Belfast. Many groups use it as their emblem. These include the Belfast City Council and tourism groups. In 2006, it was named the best artwork in the city.

What the Sculpture Means

The idea for the Beacon of Hope came from Myrtle Smyth. She was inspired by a similar place in Dallas, Texas. That place is called Thanks-Giving Square.

Lord Diljit Rana, Baron Rana helped lead the project. He was the chairman of the Thanksgiving Square charity. He said the goal was to create a public space. This space would be for people to give thanks.

Images for kids

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  Beacon of Hope, September 2009

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  Beacon of Hope, October 2009

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  Thanksgiving Square, October 2009