A public art sculpture that has stood outside Sacramento's Convention Center for over two decades has been hiding a profound secret beneath its cascading waterfalls, one that countless passersby have unknowingly walked past for years. The sculpture, titled "Time to Cast Away Stones" by artist Stephen Kaltenbach, features an eye-catching array of broken stone faces positioned atop two rectangular fountains along 13th Street next to the Esquire Plaza.
First unveiled in 1999, the artwork consists of varying broken stone faces that appear weathered and ancient, designed to evoke memories of classical sculptures found in museums around the world. The cascading waterfalls flow continuously over these fragmented visages, creating a mesmerizing display that draws the attention of pedestrians and visitors to the downtown Sacramento area.
However, what makes this sculpture truly remarkable lies hidden beneath the flowing water. Carved directly into the stone surface are four profound philosophical questions that remain largely concealed from casual observers: "How are we loving?" "What have we thought?" "Where are we going?" and "What have we wrought?" These thought-provoking inquiries can only be fully appreciated when the water flow is temporarily stopped or when viewers look closely through the cascading streams.
Artist Stephen Kaltenbach, a UC Davis graduate who has created several other notable works throughout the region, explained the deeper meaning behind his creation in correspondence with local media. "Although stone lasts for thousands of years, it is brittle, so much of the world's history of figurative sculpture has been broken," Kaltenbach wrote. "Seeing these broken figures was so reminiscent of the art from ancient cultures seen in museums that, to me, they quickly came to represent the transitory nature of civilization, and, as human figures, they also spoke to human mortality."
The artist revealed that the hidden philosophical questions were intentionally designed to add multiple layers of meaning to the public art display. The sculpture began as clay work that was subsequently fired to achieve a stone-like quality, allowing for the intricate carving of the text that would later be concealed by the water features. "Because artists are constantly seeking to give their work extra layers of meaning, these discoveries were extremely valuable to me," Kaltenbach noted.
The location of the sculpture at the Esquire Plaza near the intersection of 13th and J Streets in Sacramento makes it a frequently passed but rarely examined piece of public art. The broken stone faces serve as a metaphor for the fragmented nature of historical records and the inevitable decay that affects even the most enduring human creations. The water element adds another dimension, suggesting the passage of time and the cleansing or obscuring effects of natural forces on human achievement.
For visitors who take the time to stop and observe more carefully, the sculpture offers a contemplative experience that goes far beyond its initial visual impact. The four hidden questions invite reflection on fundamental aspects of human existence: our capacity for love, the nature of our thoughts, our direction as a society, and the consequences of our actions. This discovery serves as a reminder that public art often contains deeper meanings that reward those who take the time to look beyond the surface and engage more thoughtfully with the artistic works that surround us in urban environments.
