Client: Park Nicollet Maple Grove Clinic and Specialty Center

Overview

Autumn leaves drift together at the top of the stairwell of the Park Nicollet Maple Grove Clinic and Specialty Center in Maple Grove, MN. Talley Fisher’s sculpture, “Autumn Updraft”, is 7' in diameter and 7' high, and consists of six petals, 3 to 6' long and 1 to 2.5' wide. It weighs approximately 50 to 75 lbs. maximum, with each sculptural element weighing up to 10 lbs. They are fabricated of powder coated perforated aluminum.

Goals

The goal in commissioning "Autumn Updraft" was to insure that the stairwell would not be sterile and uninviting and that the climb up to the top would be a positive experience. It is known that art can relieve the stress of being in a medical facility; it can uplift spirits, stimulate the imagination and curiosity, and enrich the experience of the visitor. "Autumn Updraft" will also bring hope and calm to the anxious visitor and staff member, providing an extremely important reason for its integration into the design of the space.

Process

Art Consultant Lisa Brown, of Lisa Brown, Inc., Minneapolis, MN contacted Talley in April 2015 about creating a small, suspended sculpture in the stairwell of Park Nicollet's Clinic and Specialty Center. A new artwork with the large petals and brilliant colors of Talley’s “Sunrise Cascade” was the type of suspended sculpture she thought her client would want to add to the project. It was Lisa who was the main contact between project personnel and the artist, and it was she who presented Talley’s sketches and color possibilities to the client. The contractor’s senior supervisor, Josh Bergstrom of Ryan Companies in Minneapolis, organized the installation to Talley’s specifications. Nearly all communication was over the internet, with images of the sculpture hanging in the studio being sent to Lisa and Josh, as well as a detailed installation guide being packed in the shipping crate, along with swaging tools, cable, and stainless steel hardware. It worked out perfectly, and Lisa reported the client was thrilled and so was she…exactly what Talley hoped to hear.