Alexander Calder’s monumental sculpture "Mountains and Clouds," located in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., is finally undergoing a full restoration. The 75-foot-wide "clouds" component of the mobile was dismantled in 2016 due to structural safety concerns, leaving only the stationary "mountains" portion on display for nearly a decade. Supported by private funding secured by the Calder Foundation, the project will refabricate the suspended elements and reinstall the computer-controlled motor system that allows the sculpture to rotate.
This restoration is significant as it fulfills the final artistic vision of Calder, who completed the work's maquette just one day before his death in 1976. As one of the few site-specific commissions in a major federal building, the sculpture's return to its intended state restores a vital piece of American public art history. The project highlights the ongoing role of private philanthropy and artist foundations in maintaining large-scale public works that government budgets often fail to sustain.