Where Art, Ecology, and Solar Innovation Bloom Together
At Little Bridges in Jupiter Farms, Florida, a forest preserve and homestead where art and ecology come together, renewable energy has become more than a source of power. Two painted SmartFlowers have become conversation pieces that connect visitors with the surrounding landscape while inviting conversations about how art and ecology can inform thoughtful design.
How the Collaboration Began
Rachel Lubeck first encountered the work of Cuban artist Yanel Hernandez Prieto while curating an exhibition that included several of his paintings. Years later, Hernandez Prieto joined the American Landmark Artist-in-Residence program, founded and directed by Lubeck. After visiting the property and responding to the landscape in his own work, the two began collaborating on transforming the SmartFlowers into works of art.
The SmartFlower as a Canvas
The artwork features wildlife that is both visually compelling and ecologically meaningful. Zebra Longwing and Gulf Fritillary butterflies rely on native passionflower vines, Monarch butterflies depend upon milkweed, and flowering plants such as firebush provide nectar for butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. Barred owls inhabit the surrounding pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, and cypress habitats. The surrounding gardens are an essential part of the work. As seasons shift and wildlife moves through the preserve, the installation changes with its surroundings, making the SmartFlowers both sculptures and living canvases.
Biomimicry, Art, and Innovation
Inspired by the movement of a sunflower, the SmartFlower opens at sunrise, tracks the sun throughout the day, and closes again at dusk. Rather than treating the SmartFlowers as isolated pieces of technology, Lubeck and Hernandez Prieto explored how renewable energy infrastructure could become more deeply integrated into an existing landscape without disrupting the ecological relationships already present there.
Conversations Around the Installation
Visitors are often drawn first to the sculptures themselves before asking what they are. Those questions naturally grow into conversations about biodiversity, conservation, renewable energy, and how thoughtful design can strengthen our relationship with the landscapes we inhabit. Even without paint, the SmartFlower already tells a story about nature, observation, and clean energy. Together, Lubeck and Hernandez Prieto added another chapter, using art to deepen people’s connection to place.
Looking Forward
Lubeck and Hernandez Prieto hope to continue creating site-specific SmartFlower installations inspired by the wildlife, ecology, and cultural stories unique to each place. Rather than repeating the same imagery, each installation would grow from the landscape where it stands. Their shared goal is to demonstrate how renewable energy infrastructure can become more deeply integrated into the places it inhabits while encouraging stewardship, curiosity, and meaningful conversations about the natural world. For inquiries about commissioned SmartFlower artwork, curatorial collaborations, or future projects, contact Rachel Lubeck at connect@artistsalapts.com.
