Multiple Artists

Cholla Reflections and Cholla Canal Water Resources Mural 

Water is essential for life. In the desert, this need is magnified. The cholla cactus skeleton and wavelike elements are indicators of the dichotomy between the presence and absence of water. The abundance of water is signified by the wavelike shapes and the colors blue and green. The lack of water is represented in the cholla cactus skeleton hole pattern. 

Keep Scottsdale Beautiful and Scottsdale Public Art collaborated on this beautification project at the northern intersection of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Greenway-Hayden Loop (north Hayden Road). The goal was to turn a destitute-looking area of Scottsdale into a point of pride for our community.  

The project paired public artists Kelly O’Brien and Patrick Renner of Houston’s Flying Carpet Creative Studio with a local team of university students: Jessica Arnold (interior design, Northern Arizona University School of Art), Rigoberto Berber-Arias, and Alan Estrada Sanchez (both Arizona State University School of Architecture).  

Flying Carpet Creative Studio produced five earth-cast concrete monolith sculptures for the site. They collaborated with the student team to create artistic metal elements on the bridge, sandblasted elements on the sidewalk path, and hand-cast pavers.  The additional design elements, located in adjacent areas to the monoliths, intertwine with the theme, material, shapes, and colors of the art, creating a cohesive look for the intersection.  

Part of the collaboration with the student team also included Cholla Canal Water Resources Mural by Kyllan Maney on the Water Facilities building. Maney states: “The artwork invokes an interest in the natural elements of the place by taking a record of the desert terrain and re-presenting it more dramatically in the landscape. This mural component acknowledges the relationship between this landscape and the man-made elements pushing on it: the Arizona Canal System, Scottsdale Water Resources, WM Phoenix Open, and the adjacent TPC Scottsdale golf course, all of which have a long history in Scottsdale.” 

Partners: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Central Arizona Project, and the City of Scottsdale 

Donors: Pancho Concrete Pumping, Rock Solid Concrete, Salt River Materials Group, Scottsdale Concrete, Strategic Materials, and Waste Management