Moving a Sculpture: Mountains and Rainbows Finds a New Home in North Scottsdale
José Bermúdez’s Mountains and Rainbows has lived at Scottsdale Civic Center since 1976, when it was purchased by the Scottsdale Fine Arts Commission. Originally sited within a pond-like setting in a fountain, the sculpture measures 22 feet at its highest point and was surrounded by 24 steel floating discs. A rainbow effect was created when the water sprays streaming from one side of the artwork was caught by the sun. The sculpture’s environment was reimagined at the Civic Center starting in the 1990s by eliminating the fountain after vandalism and years of harsh treatment from the water.
Mountains and Rainbows now has another new home, this time at DC Ranch Park in north Scottsdale. This new water-adjacent location better aligns with Bermudez’s original vision of the artwork and was approved by the artist’s family.
Gina Amato, lead preparator for Scottsdale Public Art, and Wendy Raisanen, curator of collections and exhibitions for Scottsdale Public Art, guided the move and ensured a smooth transition for this beloved public artwork.
Now, Mountains and Rainbows overlooks the two-acre lake and has the majestic McDowell Sonoran Preserve in the background. The steel discs are positioned in the ground surrounding the sculpture. DC Ranch Park is not yet open to the public, but you can check out a time-lapse video of the relocation below.
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