10,000 Suns Means It's Always Sunny in Providence

Armed with 10,000 seeds, gardening tools and a team of devoted volunteers, artist Adam Anderson returned to the unused 195 land to bring back his sunflower art installation, 10,000 Suns, for a second year. Throughout May and June, the team spent hours clearing the land, laying mulch and planting the flowers. Adam’s interest in sunflowers stems not only from their ability to grow to eight to ten feet in just two months, but also from their role as a bio-accumulator that helps clean the toxic soil damaged by industry and highway usage.

Adam knows that some people see the project as superficial – it’s a “seemingly simple idea” that people think “is pretty and nice.” But he hopes this will set the tone for the city long-term. “Sunflowers are a symbol of the possibility of landscape in Providence,” he says. “All great cities have great gardens and public spaces. Providence can do better.”