The Grove (Artist in Residence)

Installation Details

The Grove is a chapter in Scottsdale artist Erin Sotak’s on-going Eternal Optimistmyth series and a part of Scottsdale Public Art’s Creative Residency program in cooperation with the City of Scottsdale, the owner of the Livery where Sotak is working.

Inside the Livery a small citrus grove grows in portable pots in front of a Waterloo pump organ. As the myth recounts, in order for the lemons to grow and turn golden, they must be serenaded with the rich notes of music.  The lemons, which were originally harvested from the sea, need a generous amount of water to flourish.  The Livery— a veritable desert—lacks the necessary water. As a result, Cleo (Sotak) will haul water to the lemon trees and walk them throughout downtown Scottsdale on a daily basis, requesting the aid of passing pedestrians and rewarding them with wooden optimist nickels.

The Grove recalls the importance of water in the Arizona desert and the local farming history of old Scottsdale which once flourished with citrus groves.

This artwork was commissioned by Scottsdale Public Art.