SALT LAKE CITY — A familiar name has been selected to reimagine Seven Canyons Fountain, the popular centerpiece of Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.
Stephen Goldsmith, one of the fountain's original designers, was commissioned to design the next iteration of the iconic water feature after it has sat dry for over seven years.
The Salt Lake City Arts Council said Tuesday that Goldsmith's job will be to "transform the fountain into a new artwork that honors its history while evolving into something entirely new. According to the council, it will "integrate sculpture, light, sound, and elements of the natural environment to create an immersive, multisensory experience."
During the reimagination process, the fountain will be referred to as Seven Canyons Refuge.
Goldsmith was part of a team that designed the fountain in 1993 and featured running water through a recreation of the city's canyons, waterways and mountains. The fountain had been a gift from local philanthropist, Dr. Obert Tanner.
The water features were turned off in 2017 due to maintenance issues and concerns over a Salt Lake County Health Department inspection report.
“I’m committed to making sure Dr. Tanner’s gift nearly 32 years ago is modified into a place that merges his love of water into a place of refuge," said Goldsmith, "a place for understanding the hydrology of our home in the desert, and a space to dream.”
