EL PASO, TX (KTSM) – The City of El Paso’s Museums of Cultural Affairs Department (MCAD) is the project team behind Desert Blossoms. The art piece was chosen for the Top 100 Public Art Pieces by CODAworx.

This is the portion where the public can now vote on their favorite piece.

CODAworx is a global online community that celebrates design projects featuring commissioned artworks and their jury of voters have rounded out their Top 100 most successful design projects that integrate commissioned art into an interior, architectural, or public space. Now it’s your turn to vote on which is the best during People’s Choice round.

The art piece was created by Carol May and Tim Watkins and is located at Chuck Heinrich Park, 11055 Loma Del Norte Dr. Desert Blossom serves as a signature gateway to Mundy’s Gap leading into the Franklin Mountains.

The final winners are announced on August 30. You may vote for as many projects as you’d like, but you may only vote once per project. Final tallies for votes will be reviewed for accuracy.

We couldn’t be prouder of the work the City’s Public Art Program is doing as we receive our third nomination in CODA Award’s Top 100. Desert Blossom showcases how our public art projects not only enhance El Paso’s visual image but can also be engaging and interactive to users.

Ben Fyffe, Cultural Affairs and Recreation Managing Director, City of El Paso

Desert Blossom is a signature sculpture as well as an engaging, interactive entrance to El Paso’s iconic Franklin Mountains. The sculpture stands at 19-feet high. Cast glass disks span the arch and are embedded in the shade structures. These disks glow and cast colored shadows on the ground as the sunlight pierces through. Desert Blossom incorporates interactive sound play for children, including bells and sound spinners. The diamondback snakes on the adjacent fence have interactive tails – washer and threaded rod rattles that make sound and vibrate too. The snakes are made of concrete with mosaic tile and provide a tactile path to the Archway.

Desert Blossom’s completion date was in 2021 with a budget of $75,000.

For local and breaking news, sports, weather alerts, video and more, download the FREE KTSM 9 News App from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store