Client: City of Maitland

Overview

An orange blossom catches light day and night.
20’h x 13’w x 13’d
Stainless steel, concrete, LED lights and motor
Maitland, FL

This five-petal blossom highlights Maitland’s orange-growing history and creates a gathering place for the community. To attract humans, like bees drawn to nectar, the male stamen pulse LED lights and the female ovule slowly rotates like a disco ball. Sparkling dots of light fill the interior. Five integral seats in the shape of orange slices gives people a place to sit, contemplate or meet a friend. Ten plaques that extend the petals into the ground plane, give fun facts about the history of oranges.

Goals

The artists' goals were to create a sculptural place for people to gather that told of the history of the site. In order to attract visitors, movement in the form of reflected sunlight by day and LEDs at night was created by a spinning central orb – the visual hook to spark curiosity.