In addition to the renowned collection of public art on Fresno's historic Fulton Mall, there's also an excellent and diverse public art collection to be found in the rest of Downtown Fresno. Here are some highlights.

Bucephalus
by Alexander Calder

Location: William Saroyan Theatre Courtyard

Alexander Calder (1898-1976) was one of the most famous sculptors of the twentieth century. His large scale, abstract steel sculptures and mobiles occupy prominent places in some of the most famous public plazas in the world.

Bucephalus (1963) was purchased by the City of Fresno in 1966 to occupy the plaza between the William Saroyan Theatre and Valdez Exhibit Hall. It is an abstract steel representation of a horse. Its name comes from the horse that Alexander the Great rode into battle in ancient times. It is considered one of Fresno's most significant works of public art.

 

Dos Amantes - by Adolf Odorfer

Mariposa Mall between O & P Streets

A cubist inspired steel sculpture, Dos Amantes (Two Lovers) sits on a pedastal above a reflecting pool outside the former US Federal Courthouse on the Mariposa Mall. Using strong primary colors of yellow, blue, red and black, it depicts two kneeling lovers, clasping each other in an embrace. It stands 24 feet tall., it was designed by Adolf Odorfer, a retired art professor at Fresno State. He designed the original sculpture in wood, for his back yard. Roger Dupzyk, a Fresno sculptor and industrial designer, fabricated the piece in welded steel plate in his manufacturing plant. The piece, which is 27 times larger than the wood original, weighs 10,000 pounds, and cost $25,000 when it was purchased and installed in 1973. The cost was shared by the Mall Art Committee, the City of Fresno and the US Government.

 

 

David of Sassoon
by Varaz Samuelian

Location: Courthouse Park

A two-and-a-half ton copper statue representing justice and freedom depicts Armenian folk hero, David, astride his rearing horse, Jalai. Symbols of Armenian cultural history are carved in the base in granite. Legend says that David of Sassoon drove invaders away from Armenia around the 7th century. Varaz Samuelian was born in Yerevan, Armenia and came to Fresno in 1957. David of Sassoon was installed in Courthouse Park at the southeast corner of the Hall of Records in 1971. A concrete model for this sculpture can be seen in a backyard near L and Monterey Streets. Samuelian died in 1995.

 

Earth Is A Sculpture

Location: Courthouse Park

This blue-tiled fountain serves as a metaphor in stone and water, incorporating the Sierra mountain range, San Joaquin Valley floor, and local legacy of growth and harvest in a contemporary sculpture. It was installed at a prominent place in front on the new Fresno County Courthouse in 1965 at the central axis of the Mariposa Mall. An understreet passage just to the west of the fountain connects pedestrians from Courthouse Park to the Fulton Mall.

 

 

Woodward Memorial Fountain

Location: Courthouse Park

Oscar J. Woodward, a Fresno banker and community leader, built the fountain as a memorial to his wife, Anna in 1921. The fountain was designed by Anna’s granddaughter, Atha. At first, it was located on the “Earth is a Sculpture” fountain site but upon construction of the new Fresno County Courthouse, it was moved to its present location, closer to the intersection of “L” and Tulare Street, in 1967.