Lao Tzu

Thirty feet tall and weighing in at 16 tons, Lao Tzu is a massive public sculpture by artist Mark di Suvero.

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With its reddish-orange color, the soaring steel sculpture that dominates Acoma Plaza, between the Denver Art Museum and the Denver Public Library, is a favorite of both children and adults. The artwork is often used as a landmark and is sometimes casually referred to as “the big orange thing,” but the sculpture’s official name is Lao Tzu (pronounced lou dzuh.)

Mark di Suvero is the eleventh winner of the Heinz Award for Arts and Humanities. "Mark di Suvero receives the Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities for his sweeping contributions to America’s cultural landscape through a daring body of sculpture and an enduring commitment to broaden public venues for the visual arts."

Installed in April 1996, the massive artwork is constructed of industrial I-beams, and weighs 16 tons.

Check out Mark di Suvero at the Library and in Westword.