Cal Poly engineering graduates have unveiled a striking new centerpiece in the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden: a 10-foot-tall steel poppy crowned by a stained-glass butterfly that turns in the breeze. Garden leadership tasked the students with creating a wind-driven sculpture inspired by nature, and since its recent reveal it has quickly become a focal point for admirers of art and invention alike.
“This sculpture is the Children’s Garden’s new showpiece,” said Janine Stillman, executive director of the nonprofit that sponsored the project.
Occupying a sensory-rich corner of the five-senses Children’s Garden, where scented plantings and hands-on exhibits engage young visitors, the sculpture fits seamlessly into its surroundings.
Amid the garden’s shaded woodlands, the team set up its own display. On installation day, general engineering graduate Aiden Largay climbed a ladder to secure the butterfly’s axle while teammate Irene Han held the petals steady. From that height, he could see exactly how the breeze would animate their creation.
“I loved the creative freedom of this project,” he said. “There wasn’t another one like it.”
Largay, along with mechanical engineering graduates Han and Madeline Xiong, built the sculpture as their interdisciplinary senior project and installed it just before they graduated. He paused afterward, taking in the poppy’s towering petals and recalling the weeks spent hand-bending steel and working long days in the machine shop to bring their vision to life.
Stillman tasked the team with blending artistry and engineering, sourcing materials locally and ensuring minimal upkeep. Pipes and sheet metal came through donations or discounted purchases, and she provided the stained glass that the students water-jetted and sandwiched into the butterfly wings.
“This team was super responsive and responsible,” she said. “What they accomplished is a grand achievement, both artistic and mechanical.”
In Cal Poly’s machine shops, the students used water jets to cut each steel petal, then bent them by hand to match the garden’s curves. They painted the petals the garden’s signature orange to reflect the classic color of the California poppy — the state flower and the garden’s logo — in Cuesta College’s auto shop, where a welding instructor, a friend of Stillman’s, guided them through the finishing touches.
“Having the freedom to craft something entirely new drew me in,” Xiong said. “Watching it evolve from sketch to reality and knowing we sourced everything locally makes me proud.”
The Children’s Garden welcomes more than 100 young visitors each week, many of whom are now drawn to the sculpture’s spinning petals and colorful wings.
Standing beneath the finished installation, Largay reflected on its community impact. “I like that the whole neighborhood will benefit,” he said. “Kids come here to learn about nature. Now they’ll learn about engineering, too.”
For more information on hours, events and garden tours, visit the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden’s website at slobg.org.
