Crews work to move art to open up street traffic on the Fulton Mall

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A spot people normally use to take a rest after walking the Fulton Mall was on the move Thursday. A crane held a cement wall that attaches to a bench weighing close to 10 tons. Crews showed a great deal of trust in the trench they had built as they moved the mosaic piece a few feet over to where the sidewalk will be located.

The middle of the mall must be cleared to make way for a street.

"Every single piece on the mall is being restored. We have a professional art conservator on the construction team and they're going to restore and relocate every single piece," said Randall Morrison, Deputy City Engineer.

The time has come to restore and move the clock tower on the Fulton Mall.

Stan Bitters' "Dancing Waters" fountain is among the art pieces which will now be located in a space near an entrance to Chukchansi Park.

Art Conservator Andrea Morse of Los Angeles is in charge of preserving the artwork on the mall. She said once the project is done, the art pieces, many people didn't even realize was displayed on the mall, will be easier to spot.

"They'll be in perfect condition now. I think the public will enjoy them a lot more now when they see the fountains running and all the bronze pieces shining and looking great and glistening."

The construction work is an inconvenience to many who work downtown, but this summer art lovers can go on a treasure hunt to find all the pieces along Fulton Street.