Large-scale art project part of $3.2 million in ARPA spending by county
The colorful Seven Magic Mountains large-scale sculpture that’s graced the desert south of Las Vegas for the past eight years may be headed north. Washoe’s Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday is slated to vote on $3.2 million in grants funded through American Rescue Plan Act funds, including $500,000 to move the sculpture.
The sculpture consists of seven towers of large, stacked boulders painted in bright colors. The Nevada Museum of Art owns the massive piece, which was created by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone out of stacks of boulders and Day-Glo paint. The Art Production Fund and the Nevada Museum of Art commissioned and financed the piece, which was intended to be in place for just two years, but its popularity led to its much longer residence.
The Bureau of Land Management, which manages the land where the art currently resides, estimates close to 325,000 people visit the site each year. Vogue magazine used the art in a photo shoot, and celebrities including Beyonce, Jay-Z and BTS have traveled to the site for photos of the “Instagrammable” site.
In recent years, however, vandalism and trash at the site have become an issue. Graffiti and stickers have been plastered across the rocks near the bottom of each stack. The Las Vegas Sun reported in 2022 that residents were taking it upon themselves to pick up trash in the area. The museum also funds clean-up and maintenance at the site.
According to a draft resolution awarding the funds to the Nevada Museum of Art, the museum would have to move the sculpture to Washoe County by the end of 2026. Each boulder is between 10 and 25 tons, and stacked they can reach up to 35 feet tall. No location for the art is noted on the resolution.
Other projects proposed for grant funding through the ARPA dollars include:
- $200,000 for a digital application for the Washoe ArTrail with an “interactive augmented experience” and Gerlach trailhead art, murals and other art pieces for local parks.
- $790,000 for the Tenancy Support Program, including rental assistance
- $89,900 for a staffing study at the Sheriff’s Office
- $238,000 for Communities in Schools expansion into four local middle schools
- $305,000 for accessibility enhancements at Notables music therapy
- $250,000 to purchase property for a northern Nevada Courage House to support victims of sex trafficking
- $200,000 to expand the Truckee River Rangers program
- $100,000 to support ongoing work of Northern Nevada Literacy Council
- $75,000 to support 20 households and a site-feasibility project in Gerlach through Rebuilding Together Northern Nevada
- $50,000 for Family Respite Care of Nevada to support foster and adoption
- $400,000 to support another year of alternative traffic options through Tahoe Area Regional Transportation
Washoe County’s ARPA-funded projects have focused on public health, children, housing security and economic development in the community—all priorities for the county’s strategic goals.
The Board of County Commissioners meets on Tuesday, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m.
