Calder Foundation Restored Mountains and Clouds Mobile
The iconic Hart Senate Office Building sculpture is being repaired to move as Alexander Calder originally intended.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Fine Art
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The Calder Foundation has launched a $12 million restoration of the mobile component of the "Mountains and Clouds" sculpture in Washington. The project aims to restore movement to the artwork, which has been stationary for decades.
Why it matters
The sculpture struggled with engineering limitations that caused the mobile to freeze, leaving a major work of art incomplete in a prominent government space. This restoration aims to preserve the artist's original vision through modern engineering.
The restoration project involves a 75-foot mobile component and a 51-foot-high grounded stabile. The $12 million effort is fully supported by private philanthropists.
The players
The Calder Foundation
This organization is dedicated to preserving the legacy and works of the influential American sculptor Alexander Calder.
Alexander Calder
He was an innovative American artist best known for inventing the mobile, a type of kinetic sculpture made with delicately balanced shapes.
Jon and Kim Shirley
They are prominent philanthropists and art collectors who frequently support major public art and institutional projects.
The details
The mobile component, which has been deinstalled since 2014, is being rebuilt using modern technology to finally allow the intended movement. Philanthropists Jon and Kim Shirley are funding the entire project, ensuring no taxpayer money is required.
Timeline
Alexander Calder conceived the sculpture in 1976.
Mountains and Clouds debuted in the Hart building in 1986.
The mobile component froze in place by 1992.
The mobile component was deinstalled in 2014.
Restoration is expected to be completed in late 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This restoration effort highlights the ongoing necessity of public-private partnerships in maintaining large-scale cultural infrastructure. It reflects a broader trend of leveraging modern engineering to revive kinetic artworks that failed to perform due to legacy limitations.
Visitors to the Hart Senate Office Building will eventually be able to view the sculpture in its fully intended kinetic state. The completion of the project ensures the artwork remains a functional, moving display within the public building.
The takeaway
Large-scale public sculptures often require periodic technological updates to function as the artist intended in a modern environment. Private funding continues to be a critical driver for the conservation of significant government-owned art pieces.
Further reading
Discover more about major conservation efforts in our Fine Art section.
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