Once the designs were approved, the students had three weeks to construct and install their artworks, which remained on view for one month. Stefon Hoffman's fabricated steel sculpture, Water Tower . Photo by Mary Levin. Students quickly learned that designing artwork for a medical center presents unique challenges. Although they were encouraged to create work that would be relevant to the setting, they also had to keep in mind the sensitivity of health-related subjects.
People are here for a variety of reasons, often with a lot of emotional content attached.
The UW Medical Center art program aims to nurture and stimulate people but not impose in such a way that it adds to the burden people are already under in this emotional environment. After choosing a site, each student spent time observing its use. Graham Day, whose mixed media sculpture fills a large wall in the physical therapy gym, consulted with physical therapy staff about the work they do. The resulting sculpture integrated elements that could actually be used during therapy. That became the inspiration for her artwork.