Finish^®, a Reckitt brand and a leader in dishwasher detergent brands, has unveiled the “HOPEFUL MONUMENT” – a monument created in the hopes that it will never actually be seen – to bring attention to the larger water crisis issue affecting all bodies of water worldwide. While most monuments commemorate the past and are placed in museums or parks, the Finish® monument is meant to inspire action for the future and sits at the bottom of an at-risk lake in central Texas, meant to never be seen as long as we take action. The “HOPEFUL MONUMENT” will only become visible if water levels drop low enough to reveal it, at which point it will be too late.

The brand worked with Stuart to craft a one-of-a-kind sculpture that depicts the very thing it is honoring. Carved in Cordova Cream Texas Limestone, the monument draws inspiration from rock formations, waterflow, waterfalls, flora and fauna unique to many of the endangered bodies of water in the Southwest. A first for Simpson, the notion of his work not ever being seen in service of sparking change is something he is proud to partake in.

“Though I’ve been working with stone almost my entire life, Finish’s ‘HOPEFUL MONUMENT’ is the first-ever piece of art I’ve created that is never meant to be seen, and I couldn’t be more excited to be involved,” says Stuart Simpson, HOPEFUL MONUMENT Sculptor. “As a Texas native, I’m familiar with our state’s drought situation and the water crisis as a whole, so I was eager to contribute because of the powerful message, and to help spread awareness on this important issue.”

Location: Pierce Lake

The sculpture was placed in the lake in the Spring of 2023