A fountain at the National Gallery of Art switched back on Thursday in a special ceremony for the gallery's 75th anniversary.
The three-tiered bronze fountain at the apex of the Federal Triangle complex is dedicated to the gallery's founder, Andrew W. Mellon. It hasn't worked since 2008, but was restored as part of a major renovation project funded by the Richard King Mellon Foundation
National Gallery of Art Director Earl Powell III, along with other gallery officials, switched on the fountain at 10:10 a.m.
"A gift to the people of the United States from Mellon's friends and associates, the fountain was conceived as a tangible memorial to Mellon and his gift of the National Gallery of Art," Powell said in a news release.
During the second phase of the renovation project, the plaza and memorial bench around the fountain will be restored and work is expected to be completed by summer 2017.
The fountain will run from March through November.
