New Public Art Installation
Portal Arches Installation reversed view 8-5
Portal Arch 8 - Waning Crescent
Portal Arch 7 - Last Quarter
Inspired by early Amerindian and African civilizations and then later Caribbean cultures that formed lunar knowledge systems around the Moon’s cycle to build thriving societies. Systems such as the Native American Medicine Wheel, the Anishinaabe Lunar Knowledge system, Amerindian Mythic Cycle, and the West African Cosmogram connect humans to the Moon and help determine the natural rhythms of working, building, sailing, planting and healing. The UPMC Mercy Pavilion functions as a place for healing. This site-specific installation in the hospital’s exterior plaza is designed to remind the public (staff, visitors and residents) of our connection to the Earth and the Moon. Experiencing the lunar phases reconnects us to the indigenous wisdom of honoring the Moon and encourages us to harness and appreciate our own ebb and flow. Across generations, cultures, and abilities, we are all affected by daylight and moonlight that synchronizes our bodies on an internal, cellular level. The installation brings the Moon from the sky to the ground level; the seemingly unreachable becomes more accessible.