Visiting Arizona 1987, the Village of Oak Creek was a big wow moment! The village views were my first peek into the wonders of Red Rock Country. A sculpture marking this entry point seems most appropriate, highlighting the red rocks, our junipers, cacti and hummingbirds, some of our priceless village treasures. THE TREASURES: Inspite of their defense system of sharp spines the cactus provide nourishment for many high desert creatures with its pads and prickly pear fruit. Cactus blossoms in the spring are delights for residents and visitors alike. The hummingbirds that visit them deserve honorable mention as well. They are super pollinators visiting as many as a thousand plants a day and are the acrobats of the bird family, able to fly forward or backward with wing beats of 50 times per second. The National Hummingbird Society has even made their headquarters here in the Village of Oak Creek where hummingbirds abound as they make their yearly migrations. In addition, the sculpture salutes our awe-inspiring red rocks and one of the patriarchs of our landscape, the juniper, who clings tirelessly to the rock crevices on our stone monuments. Juniper berries supply food for many desert inhabitants and have been used medicinally in many of our native American cultures. It seems important to mark the beginning of red rock country with “Village Treasures” and its star players, the cactus, hummingbirds, juniper, and the red rocks.

The sculpture is H 13’ x L 16’ x W 9’ constructed of Core-ten steel and highlighted with stainless steel cactus blossoms anodized in a rich cadmium yellow. The sculpture will be engineered for longevity and should require very little maintenance. 

You can view a youtube video of this art piece at this link:   VILLAGE TREASURES