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HEART MOUNTAIN takes its title from the mountain near Cody, Wyoming, a landscape with profound personal and historical significance. The name reflects both the mountain’s striking heart-shaped formation and its history as the site of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, where more than 14,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly incarcerated during World War II.
The wood for the sculpture was gathered from the surrounding region, connecting the work to the landscape that inspired its title. After visiting the preserved barracks at the former camp site, Deborah Butterfield was deeply moved by the creativity, resilience, and sense of community demonstrated by those who lived there. She was struck not only by the hardship they endured, but by the artwork, crafts, and expressions of humanity they created under extraordinary circumstances.
The sculpture’s embracing form reflects this spirit of connection and compassion. With its intimate presence and welcoming gesture, HEART MOUNTAIN becomes a meditation on kindness, resilience, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.