Client: Mt. Nittany Medical Center

Overview

Constellation II has an interesting story. It was created in 2010 for the small entrance lobby of Mt. Nittany Medical Center. It presented a suspended sculpture 6' H x 16' L x 12' W of “stars” made of small sculptural elements of perforated aluminum anodized bright silver. Two months after it was installed, a woman told us how it buoyed her spirits and gave her hope for her very sick relative. That was exactly what art should do in healthcare centers. But then, it was removed for a total renovation of the entrance.

Goals

Contacted again in late 2011 by the Foundation Director, Kimberly Neely, whose fundraising campaign for the original work doubled the amount needed for the artwork, I began the task of reassembling the work, adding many more "stars", and designing a totally new site-specific composition for a two story atrium space in the lobby of the new Shaner Cancer Pavilion. Now, the suspended sculpture is 18' H x 12' diameter.

The goal here was to bring the same natural wonder of night skies to this larger and more prominent space, where very sick patients and worried loved ones pass through daily. The staff at the reception desk tells us that every day someone asks about Constellation II, and they themselves love looking at it and seeing something new each time. It is definitely an addition to the overall design of the architecture of the lobby and atrium, filling it with light and reflections in the space and the surrounding glass, exactly what the Center was hoping for.

Process

Kimberly Neely, the Director of the Foundation, was instrumental in selecting me for the first, and then the second, version of "Constellation". She obtained elevations and plans for use in my design and installation decisions, set up all the arrangements with the maintenance staff for the lift, and for a worker to drill into the ceiling and set over 220 stainless steel hardware anchor/fasteners from which to suspend the bead chains of sculptural elements.

This second and final work was once again commissioned by the Foundation for Mt. Nittany Medical Center after approval from the Board of Directors.

Additional Information

Kimberly was nice enough to say that I "worked within our budget to present an original and thoughtful piece of art that has come to symbolize our cancer center. The process of working with her (Talley) as she visualized, created and installed the sculpture was collaborative and inspiring. We feel privileged to have one of her beautiful sculptures in our Medical Center. This is art on a grand scale in many ways!"