Art brings joy

A couple weeks ago, we took our kids to Disneyland. On the long drive from Salt Lake to California, we stopped just outside Vegas to see the Seven Magic Mountains. This public art project was created in 2016 by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone and is made up of seven towers of colorfully painted limestone boulders stacked 30 feet into the sky. It was only supposed to stay up for two years, but due to its incredible success there are talks underway of how to keep it up longer. My family and I were excited to see it. But what struck me even more than the art, was the reaction people had to the art. Any rest stop could give people a chance to get out of the car and stretch their legs. But this piece of public art was bringing people joy. The bright colors and sheer wonder of it, made people happy. They were smiling, touching the boulders, taking pictures, laughing, delighted. The mood was contagious and we found ourselves making friends with our fellow travelers. Nearby, people had started a rock garden of their own—stacking up nearby rocks to make towers, mini magic mountains. The art was inspiring people to create, to build something of their own for whoever came next to enjoy. I was struck by the power of art in our world—how it brings us joy and inspires us as people. How it can unify strangers and remind us of the good in the world. I felt so big and thrilled to be an artist doing work like this, and also so small and humbled to be weaving one small thread in the great tapestry of artistic humans who have ever lived and created. I’ve saved these photos as my screensavers to remind me how powerful good art can make me feel ❤️❤️