Eli Richard

Sun Lanterns

A series of inactive fountains near the popular LOVE sculpture at Scottsdale Civic Center Mall prompted an illuminating upgrade in 2018.

Instead of water, the fountains were filled with art. Sun Lanterns by Eli Richard was an art installation featuring 23 solar-powered, multi-colored plexiglass and steel lanterns. In February 2018, Richard installed the lanterns in the non-functioning fountains, directly north of Robert Indiana’s LOVE, near Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

Richard’s design was inspired by the “quiet beauty of the desert,” including the dramatic colors of the local landscape, from verdant vegetation to multi-hued sunsets. “The color was also meant to bring a lot of energy to the space,” Richard said.

Because of the redesign plans for Scottsdale Civic Center, Sun Lanterns was not a permanent installation. It was reinstalled later in 2018 and 2019 along Marshall Way as part of Canal Convergence.