On Wednesday, December 13, 2017 the intricate task of installing a 4-story glass artwork in Hennepin County Medical Center’s (HCMC) new Clinic & Specialty Center began – a process that may take up to three days and represents almost two years of planning. A gift from the Hennepin Health Foundation (HHF), the piece illuminates images of life, hope, healing, and a sense of belonging to a community inclusive of our patients, families, and staff. The new Clinic & Specialty Center, located just across 8th Street from HCMC’s emergency department, is near completion and scheduled to open in March, 2018.
Architectural glass artist Martin Donlin, who is known for designing major installations of this type worldwide, was selected by a special art committee made up of employees, patients, artists, and community members using a local, national and international Call for Artists. The narrative design incorporates the Minnesota iconic element of water as a symbol of life and resiliency. The 15 panels tell a story that started as a unique collaboration between Donlin and local environmental poet Laurie Allmann, who was commissioned to write the corresponding poem Mirroring the Light. Together the poem and design describe the transformation of water and life, shown through nurturing figures and wildlife ascending from a single plant to the heavens, spanning from 1st to 4th floor, all while acknowledging local hallmarks and heritage. (A video featuring the artists and their inspiration for this piece can be found here.) Continue reading “4-Story signature artwork “piece-by-pieced” into HCMC’s Clinic & Specialty Center”
