Flowers and Butterflies

Location

S. Beulah Boulevard and W. McConnel Drive
Flagstaff, AZ

Flowers and Butterflies is a public artwork created by Jury Judge for a traffic signal cabinet near the intersection of Beulah Boulevard and McConnell Drive in Flagstaff. Selected through the City of Flagstaff's public art program in 2023, the design transforms an ordinary piece of urban infrastructure into an opportunity to celebrate the natural world.

Through its floral and butterfly imagery, the artwork draws attention to the beauty of nature within an everyday urban setting. It encourages viewers to notice the plants and pollinators that contribute to healthy ecosystems and reminds us that art can make even familiar street corners more colorful, welcoming, and engaging.

About the Artwork

About the Artist

Jury S. Judge is an accomplished visual artist, writer, poet, and cartoonist whose work has appeared in more than 135 literary magazines and publications. Her artwork has been featured on the covers of several literary journals, including Blue Mesa Review, Glass Mountain, and Levitate. She is also known for her Astronomy Comedy cartoons, which appeared in The Lowell Observer. Judge earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Houston–Clear Lake in 2014. Her creative work often draws inspiration from nature, combining careful observation with imagination and artistic expression.

Themes and Significance

  • Nature and Biodiversity: Flowers and butterflies represent the beauty and diversity of the natural world, encouraging appreciation for the living things that share our environment.

  • Pollination and Interdependence: Butterflies are important pollinators. Their relationships with flowering plants illustrate how living organisms depend on one another for survival.

  • Transformation and Growth: The butterfly's remarkable metamorphosis from caterpillar to adult symbolizes change, renewal, and the possibilities of growth.

  • Art in Everyday Places: By transforming a functional traffic signal cabinet into public art, the work demonstrates how creativity can brighten ordinary spaces and strengthen a community's sense of place.

  • Environmental Awareness: The artwork invites viewers to consider the importance of protecting native plants, pollinators, and the habitats that sustain them.

Questions for Elementary School Families

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Questions for Secondary School Families

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Extension Activity

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