Client: Riverside Regional Medical Center

Location: Newport News, VA, United States

Completion date: 2018

Artwork budget: $50,000

Project Team

Artist

Talley Fisher

Talley Fisher Studio

Art Consultant

Barbara Harriman

Distinctive Art Source

Overview

“Spring” is a suspended sculpture in the atrium of the new Pavilion at the Riverside Regional Medical Center. Made of powder coated perforated aluminum, it is 18' high x 6' wide x 4' wide, and alludes to new spring leaves, with their brilliant green tones.

Goals

The client was interested in a sculpture for the waiting room atrium that reflected the themes of the 4th and 5th floor - water, leaves, trees, and nearby college campuses. After proposing several concepts to the Art Committee, the design with newly emerging "leaves" in vibrant greens was selected. By bringing nature indoors, this sculpture fills the 32' atrium, creating a positive and uplifting space for this healing environment. When viewed from outside at night, it has a dramatic impact on the viewer.

Process

This project involved close collaboration between the artist, Distinctive Art Source, and representatives from the hospital's construction management and facilities teams. The artist worked closely with the art consultant's team during all phases of the project, from design development to installation planning. DAS shared the artist’s previous works with the Art Committee, and worked with the artist to understand the site through photographs, architectural drawings, and a site visit. The committee then reviewed the artist’s conceptual designs, which included waves and/or leaves, and DAS worked with the artist to finalize the design.

The atrium begins on the 5th floor, so it was necessary to work with facilities to develop a thorough installation plan. Collaboration for the installation included integrating the sculpture suspension into the atrium structure provided by the architect and creating an installation plan to ensure safety and as little disruption to patients as possible.