Fulton Mall Public Art

"Dancing Waters" - clay fountain by Stan Bitters

One of the Valley's most prominent artists, Stan Bitters is known internationally for his sculpture, both in ceramics and in bronze. A graduate of UCLA, he also attended San Diego State and the Otis Art Institute. After graudating, he went to work as a designer for the Hans Sumpf Company in Madera, CA, the world's largest manufacturer of adobe brick. He went on to teach at Fresno State, and in 1976 published the book "Environmental Ceramics". He has awards from Otis Art Institute, Chicago and commissions from Lake Tahoe and Maui hotels. In 2006 he was profiled in the Los Angeles Times. In addition to Dancing Waters, Bitters worked closely with mall landscape architecht Garrett Eckbo also designed the sculptural clay pipes that adorn water features throughout the mall, which take their inspiration from the irrigation standpipes found in fields throughout the Valley.

Dancing Waters in one of the centerpieces of the mall art collection. At its inception, the fountain spouted water pulsating as high as fourteen feet into the air. Colorful lights also used to illuminate the fountain after dark. Due to prevailing winds and concerns over public safety the fountain no longer shoots water quite so high, but still delights shoppers and passers-by on Fresno Street with its vivid displays.

Location: Fulton Mall at Fresno Street