Giant Jackrabbit Hopping Into Old Town

A new creature has arrived at the corner of Marshall Way and Indian School Road as One-Eyed Jack, a 26-foot-high, 20,000-pound jackrabbit sculpture made his debut on Sept. 19. This white-painted steel sculpture was commissioned by Scottsdale Public Art.

One-Eyed Jack is the creation of Tempe-based artist John Randall Nelson. Scottsdale Public Art was charged with the task of bringing this project to realization. After a lengthy process, Nelson’s proposal was chosen, in part, for its eye-catching design. At night, the piece will be lit with a soft LED glow, designed to accentuate the planes and angles of the sculpture.

“One-Eyed Jack” by John Randall Nelson PHOTO BY BRIAN PASSEY

“The long-awaited installation of John Randall Nelson’s One-Eyed Jack is very exciting,” says Kathy Duley, a member of the Scottsdale Public Art Advisory Board. “Much like the LOVE sculpture on the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall, this piece is sure to become an icon on Marshall Way. By attracting visitors and locals alike, it will encourage people to explore the businesses located on the street, raising awareness of this charming area of Old Town Scottsdale.”

Nelson’s design mixes the Southwest appeal of an iconic desert animal with the modern aesthetic of nearby contemporary art galleries. The sculpture references both the desert agrarian roots of the Scottsdale area and the modern hustle and bustle of the arts and shopping district, including the weekly Scottsdale ArtWalk on Thursday nights.

The sculpture, fabricated at R.J. Ruff & Co. in Phoenix, is connected to Nelson’s time as a painting student at Arizona State University in the 1980s and 1990s. During that time, Nelson said he “dutifully” attended many of the opening exhibitions at the galleries in Old Town Scottsdale.

“It was crazy-busy with art openings every Thursday night,” says Nelson. “Artists like James Turrell, Fritz Scholder and Luis Jimenez were the art stars. It was party central back then. We all wanted to have a show there.”

Bentley Gallery, now relocated downtown Phoenix, hosted one of Nelson’s first solo shows on Marshall Way. He showed his work there from 2002 to 2006. He was represented by Joanne Rapp Gallery, also on Marshall Way, from 1999-2000. Nelson says the sculpture is a reminder of Marshall Way’s history.

One-Eyed Jack

At the corner of Marshall Way and Indian School Road, Scottsdale

For more info, visit scottsdalepublicart.org.