Downtown Summerlin, the vibrant and walkable urban core of the Summerlin master-planned community, recently unveiled a new sculpture, “Mood Sculpture” by Tony Tasset, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Activities at Downtown Summerlin in support of Mental Health Awareness Month during May are presented by Summerlin Hospital Medical Center. The 20-foot-tall Fiberglass sculpture, which features seven colorful “smiling” spheres, a takeoff of the iconic smiley face invented in 1963 that is now an emoji staple in American pop culture, will remain on display at Downtown Summerlin throughout the year.
It is located in the butterfly garden under The Pavilion. Created in 2017, Tasset’s totemic “Mood Sculpture” has been placed at major venues and destinations around the country, now making its temporary home at Downtown Summerlin. From the sour grape face at the bottom to the sunny delight yellow face on top, “Mood Sculpture’s” cheery, childlike colors remind viewers that it’s OK to feel, serving as a marker for acceptance and belonging.
At a recent weekly Saturday Farmers Market, Downtown Summerlin showcased the art of Sophia Orr, a senior at Faith Lutheran High School, whose oil paintings have been recognized for their quality as well as their deeper meanings. Orr, who began painting with oil only a year ago and has struggled with anxiety and paranoia, is now expressing herself through art. “My paintings have the double meaning of being afraid of not j.
