Collectors Fund $10 Million Restoration of Calder's Senate
Jon and Kim Shirley spent a decade and $10 million to restore Alexander Calder's 'Mountains and Clouds,' the largest modern public artwork in Washington
Former Microsoft president Jon Shirley and his wife Kim discovered Alexander Calder's monumental sculpture 'Mountains and Clouds' was incomplete during a 2016 visit to Washington D.C.'s Hart Senate Office Building. The couple, longtime Calder collectors, committed to funding a full restoration, a process that took ten years and cost them $10 million.
The Missing Masterpiece
The sculpture's massive 50-foot stabile, representing mountains, remained in place. The four cloud components, however, were absent. They formed a mobile meant to hang from the 90-foot atrium ceiling but had been removed after an earthquake and deemed structurally unsafe. Jon Shirley told ARTnews the sight was "surprising and dismaying." The clouds are substantial; the largest measures over 40 feet long and weighs nearly a ton. With them included, 'Mountains and Clouds' is the largest work of modern public art in the nation's capital, second in size only to the Washington Monument.
A Complex History
Calder's design was selected in 1975 and approved by Senator Philip Hart, the building's namesake. The artist died in 1976, the day after visiting Washington to approve a model. Construction budget cuts later threatened the project. Funding was eventually secured by Senator Nicholas F. Brady, with the legendary patron Paul Mellon providing the money. The finished work was dedicated in 1987. It is Calder's final piece and the only one to combine a separate mobile and stabile.
The Restoration Process
The Shirleys emphasize that the project required more than just financial support. The Calder Foundation, led by the artist's grandson Alexander S.C. Rower, discovered archival evidence that the original mobile was not built exactly to Calder's specifications. The restoration used new technologies to realign the work with the artist's vision. Shirley credited a bipartisan group of senators and a dedicated interagency government team working under the Architect of the Capitol for making the restoration possible.
Installation of the restored components began in late August. The Shirleys anticipate the moment the motor is activated and the clouds begin their slow, intended movement. While Calder was not a political artist, Jon Shirley noted the work's symbolic power lies in its demonstration of equilibrium and harmony across different planes. The restored 'Mountains and Clouds' is a landmark of American public art, revived through private philanthropy and public partnership.
