Hopes and Dreams
2015 | 11.5 ft x 8 ft x 3 ft | Bronze and stainless steel | $150,000 | Located at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, MN. The women is bronze and the "dreamcatcher" is stainless steel. The intention of this commission was to honor, but not portray, Mercy Hospital's beloved long time Chaplain. The sculpture emerged through numerous conversations. His widow said he believed God was a "big loving mama". This became the larger than life-size, plus-size woman sitting and approachable with a ready lap. His successor told me he was deeply involved in the design of the Chapel's stained-glass window: a contemporized "dreamcatcher". I echoed the idea and composition with the dreamcatcher element. I learned the hospital staff voted to name the new garden: "Hope Garden". This became the figure's pose as an expression of hope. Always in mind was the support for patients and their families who seek solitude and strength from this Garden. These ideas, gleaned from multiple conversation came together to create "Hopes and Dreams".