
Description of “Time to Cast Away Stones”, a Sacramento public work of art created by well-known artist Stephen Kaltenbach.
Time to Cast Away Stones by Stephen Kaltenbach, is located at 13th and K Streets in front of the K Street Entrance of the Sacramento Convention Center.
A massive sculpture (9x7x68 feet), Time to Cast Away Stones (1999) consists of two fountains with a walkway in between connecting the K Street Mall and the Sacramento Convention Center. The sculpture brings to mind ancient Greek or Roman ruins.
Carved into the base of the concrete composite fountain sculpture are four questions to ponder: Where are we going? What have we wrought? How are we loving? What have we thought?
SacramentoRevealed.com – All Things Sacramento (from a personal perspective)
I can’t count the number of times that I walked past Time to Cast Away Stones during the years that I worked in Downtown Sacramento, including a number of years when my office was located in the adjacent Esquire Building.
As an aside, the fountain sculpture is not only a public artwork to enjoy – it also serves a very practical purpose. I have often, during the hot summer months, observed the mounted police that patrol the State Capitol stop at the fountain to let their thirsty horses take a well-deserved drink.

I was recently in Downtown Sacramento and decided to take pictures of the fountain sculpture when it occurred to me that I did not even know the name of the artwork – let alone the name of the artist. Time to do my homework!
Kaltenbach, the artist, was born in 1940 in Michigan. Kaltenbach has long-time roots in the Sacramento area. He attended U.C. Davis in the 1960’s and he taught at California State University, Sacramento, from 1970 to 2005.
Kaltenbach is not only a sculptor – he is also a conceptual artist, a painter and a writer. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Kaltenbach has had solo and joint exhibits around the world. According to his website, Kaltenbach continues to be active and exhibit his work.
So, if you were like me (i.e. clueless), now you are in the know!
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Did YOU know the title of this public work of art and/or the name of the artist?
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