Client: St. Alphonsus Medical Center

Overview

Grace Unbound is comprised of 70 cast glass discs ranging in size from 32″ diameter to 12″ diameter and each is 1/2″ thick. The circular discs reference the colorful spheres of refracted light, often captured in photographs of the sun. The discs are placed in six ascending “rays” that radiate up and outward from a central point in the space of the entrance lobby. The pattern created by the sun ray clusters reinforces the idea of a sunburst of light.

Goals

The goal for this commission was to express the mission of the hospital; healing body, mind and spirit, and to provide a spiritually symbolic artwork that reflects not only the history of the hospital but the ongoing dedication to spiritual care. The intention was to connect people to a sense of place in the architecture of the hospital setting while offering a sense of peace, beauty and expression of nature.

Process

The artist was brought in early to the project, pre-construction of the building. This allowed for an integrated approach for the Architectural Team, Construction Contractors, Hospital Art Committee and Art Consultant to work closely with the Artist's Team to ensure the best possible opportunity for infrastructure needs to be met, installation techniques to be worked out ahead of time and for seamless finishes to the interior design systems. Through a dedicated series of meetings, conference calls and site visits, the Design Team was able to integrate the work into the overall project which in turn creates an excitement around the artwork and it's presence in the space.