Cliff Garten's luminous 145-foot sculpture suspended inside Denver's expanded convention center

A monumental new public artwork now hangs 70 feet above the ground floor of the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Titled "Mountains and Rivers Without End," the 145-foot-long mixed-media sculpture by California artist Cliff Garten was installed as part of the convention center's recently completed $233 million expansion wing. The Denver Post reported that the piece is valued at $1.8 million.

The Denver PostMassive, $1.8 million public art piece now glowing from inside Colorado Convention Center

"visible from all levels of the convention center and can be seen at night from as far as Speer Boulevard."

That prominent nighttime visibility makes the artwork a new beacon in the city's skyline, according to the outlet. The sculpture's scale and location above the main hall ensure it becomes an immediate focal point for visitors and passersby alike.

The funding for this ambitious piece came through Denver's 1% for Art municipal ordinance, which sets aside a portion of city capital improvement project budgets for public art. The Denver Post noted that the artwork was approved over five years ago, coinciding with the early planning stages of the convention center's expansion. The ordinance has been a consistent driver of public art across the city.

Garten's mixed-media composition stretches across the atrium, suspended from the ceiling of the new wing. The work's title evokes a classical Chinese painting concept, and the artist aimed to capture the flow of Colorado's mountain landscapes and waterways. The convention center's expansion adds significant event space to the downtown venue, and this sculpture now serves as its visual centerpiece."

The Denver Post also highlighted that the $1.8 million price tag makes "Mountains and Rivers Without End" one of the more costly single artworks commissioned under Denver's percent-for-art program. The installation joins a growing collection of public art in the Mile High City, reinforcing its reputation as a hub for large-scale civic sculpture.