A car-sized modernist sculpture that disappeared from Tucson in 2018 has sparked a community-wide search effort, raising serious questions about how the city manages its public art collection. The missing artwork, titled "Noah's Ark," was created in 1966 by renowned mid-century modern artist Charles Clement and has been unaccounted for since it vanished from storage at Reid Park Zoo.

Charles Clement, who moved to Tucson after World War II, was a prominent mid-century modern artist who collaborated with numerous architects and designers to create public works of art throughout the city. "He worked with a number of architects and designers to create public works of art across the City," said Demion Clinco, CEO of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation, which now owns Clement's personal archive and intellectual property.

The sculpture's journey through Tucson began when Clement created the modernist piece in 1966. Initially installed at the Catalina Foothills School Administration Building, "Noah's Ark" remained there for nearly two decades before being relocated. "The Catalina Foothills School District donated the sculpture in 1985 to the City of Tucson, and it was installed at the Reid Park Zoo," Clinco explained.

By 2011, the sculpture had been moved into storage at the zoo, where it remained until 2017. The timeline of its disappearance became clearer when a community member sent a photograph of the sculpture to the Preservation Foundation. "From that photograph, we were able to look at aerial photographs of the zoo and it looks like it was in storage until at least February of 2017, and by 2018, it was moved from that storage location," Clinco said.

The mysterious disappearance has left many wondering not only where the sculpture is now, but why there appears to be no official record of what happened to it. The artwork, constructed with a steel base and painted fiberglass with an inlaid concrete veneer, is substantial enough that its movement should have been documented. "Sculptures that are the size of a small automobile don't generally move frequently and certainly, understanding that the zoo has gone through a lot of transformation, it would make sense that objects would be moved, relocated on the property, or into storage," Clinco noted.

The concern extends beyond the Preservation Foundation to include Clement's family. Chris Bondante, Clement's niece and representative of the Charles Clement Estate, has issued a strongly worded statement expressing alarm over the sculpture's disappearance. "My name is Chris Bondante, niece of artist Charles Clement. I have worked to honor my uncle's legacy and his commitment to public art by gifting his intellectual property and personal archive to the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation so that his work may continue to be appreciated by the community he loved," she stated.

Bondante's concerns focus particularly on the apparent lack of proper procedures being followed. "We are deeply alarmed by the disappearance of his 1966 sculpture, Noah's Ark, which was donated to the City of Tucson and installed at the Reid Park Zoo in 1985 for public enjoyment. After decades on continuous display, the sculpture was quietly removed. To date, there has been no consultation with the artist's estate, no documentation of deaccession or public notice, and no information provided about the work's current location. This lack of transparency is profoundly troubling."

The estate argues that the handling of the sculpture may violate the city's own policies. "The apparent lack of transparency and failure to follow established protocols appears to violate the City of Tucson's own administrative policies regarding the management of public art. We are alarmed that this significant work by Charles Clement has been potentially lost," Bondante continued.

The timing of the disappearance is particularly troubling given recent efforts to preserve Clement's legacy. "The recent restoration of Clement's El Presidio Fountain, initiated by the Mayor Romero and Council, reflects a meaningful commitment to preserving Tucson's cultural heritage. That effort underscores the City's recognition of Clement's legacy and makes the unexplained disappearance of Noah's Ark especially troubling," the estate representative noted.

The family is calling for immediate action from city officials. "We urge the City of Tucson and its relevant departments to fully investigate the sculpture's disappearance and commit the resources necessary to locate and safeguard this work. Noah's Ark represents a vital part of Tucson's cultural and artistic heritage and we remain hopeful it will be found."

When contacted about the missing sculpture, city officials provided a cautious response. Lane Mandle, chief of staff to City Manager Tim Thomure, stated: "We appreciate that this issue has been brought to our attention. The City is working with the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona on the records for the sculpture, which we believe was approved for deaccession in 2018. Staff is also working to confirm that the City is no longer in possession of the artwork."

However, the lack of clear documentation troubles preservation advocates. Clinco emphasized that the disappearance raises broader questions about the city's art management practices. "This is not the only sculpture by Charles Clement that has condition issues, or that's not being managed, in our view, well," he said.

The search for documentation has proven frustrating for those trying to track down the sculpture. "We asked for information from the Arts Foundation of Tucson and Southern Arizona, who managed the City's public art collection, and they would have managed any sort of formal relocation or deaccession, which means the removal of the sculpture from the City's permanent art collection. Those records have not been found, and so it really sort of raises a series of questions about whether the City's public policy around art was followed, what the dispensation of the sculpture was, if it's in storage, which is what we are really hoping. Can it be identified? Can it be found? And then can we find a way to make it publicly available to the community again?" Clinco explained.

Wylwyn Reyes, director of the Arts Foundation of Tucson and Southern Arizona, acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. "We are concerned about the unknown whereabouts of the artwork by Charles Clement, an artwork that holds lasting cultural and historical importance to Tucson. While its status is currently unclear, we will be working closely with the City of Tucson and the Tucson Preservation Foundation to locate this important work."

Reyes emphasized the importance of proper stewardship of public art. "Stewarding public art is both a cultural and civic responsibility. In recent years, we have strengthened our partnerships with city departments and developed new procedures centered on transparency and public trust. Together, we remain committed to preserving Tucson's cultural heritage for generations to come."

The Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation is now asking the community for help in locating the missing sculpture. They are encouraging anyone with information about "Noah's Ark" to come forward and contact them at info@preservetucson.org. The hope is that someone in the community may have seen the sculpture being moved or know where it might currently be located.

The case of the missing "Noah's Ark" sculpture highlights broader issues about how cities manage and preserve their public art collections. With proper documentation apparently lacking and the sculpture's current whereabouts unknown, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining clear records and following established procedures when handling valuable cultural artifacts.

As the search continues, the Tucson community remains hopeful that this important piece of their cultural heritage will be found and restored to public view, ensuring that Charles Clement's artistic legacy continues to be appreciated by future generations.