John Henry Sculpture

New sculpture adds art to Red Butte Garden

Community members near Red Butte Garden can now experience contemporary art nestled in their back yard.

Award-winning artist John Henry's sculpture, Le Mont Rouge, now blazes bright red against a sweeping mountain vista outside the Red Butte Gardens Amphitheatre, at the head of the Bonneville Shoreline trail.

The sculpture, installed Sept. 9, represents a collaborative partnership between the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and Red Butte Garden. On loan from UMFA, Red Butte Garden will host the piece for five years.

Le Mont Rouge was purchased by the Utah Museum of Fine Arts in 2008 with the intent of installing the sculpture near the Marcia and John Price Museum Building. At the same time, Red Butte Garden was developing a long-range plan to add permanent outdoor sculptures to the garden. The organizations recognized their interests dovetailed, and in 2010 Red Butte was selected as the preferred hosting organization for Le Mont Rouge.

"We are delighted to site this important and beautiful artwork near Red Butte Garden, where it will look terrific in contrast to the natural beauty of the hills that will surround it," said Gretchen Dietrich, executive director of the UMFA.

To Gregory Lee, Red Butte Garden executive director, the location provides the opportunity for "experiencing fine art in an outdoor setting." Lee hopes "that Le Mont Rouge enhances and enriches a visit to campus or the garden."

Le Monte Rouge is the symbolic first step in developing a robust outdoor sculpture experience.

"(The installation) also represents the garden's initial involvement in bringing fine sculpture to the Garden, which we plan to be an ongoing initiative at Red Butte Garden because fine outdoor art can enhance garden settings while the garden settings in return can enhance the outdoor artwork." Lee said.