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Fountain Head's Return!
Bedford Curator Corner
Bedford Curator Corner: Fountain Head's Return!
After a nearly 6-month sojourn offsite, Fountain Head, the City of Walnut Creek’s iconic golden sculpture has been returned to its downtown location on North Main Street. The sculpture, created by Oakland artist Seyed Alavi in 2012 has become a landmark work and consistently inspires intrigue and provokes lively conversations. Alavi says of the work, “I combine the concepts of water as a source of life, with the mythological connection of wisdom and the fontanel—the soft spot on a baby’s head.”
After many years of exposure to the elements, the once glowing dome showed signs of fading and water damage, causing the surface paint to bubble. Fountain Head was in crucial need of conservation to restore it back to its original gleaming glory. In March 2024, City staff deinstalled the work, which piqued the curiosity of both pedestrians and vehicular passersby, many of whom stopped to take photos and share their thoughts and concerns: Where was this well-loved work going? And, more importantly, when would it return?
In late August 2024, the City, Public Art staff and the public welcomed the return of Fountain Head. The sculpture underwent a thorough conservation that included cleaning, sanding, adding multiple layers of primer and a new industrial-strength paint, which contains flecks of metal to allow for a sunlit sparkle. The revitalization of the sculpture restored Fountain Head's luster, and with this recent fortification, it is shining brightly again for people to enjoy for years to come.