Summer 1999 - Undergraduate Artwork at University of Washington Medical Center

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. These simple words appear on eight signs, resembling "exit" signs, along a quiet corridor of University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC). Created by UW undergraduate Ikuyo Tsunoda, the signs offer a gentle and light-hearted reminder to visitors and staff: relax and notice your breathing.

Inhale/Exhale is one of seven artworks designed by UW undergraduates this spring for temporary installation in the UWMC. The works were created as part of a course on public art, taught by sculpture professor John Young.

"This is an incredible opportunity for students," says Young. "UW Medical Center has an internationally renowned collection of art, and these students have the chance to install their work near those of accomplished artists. They also get a small budget--$250 per student--to cover the cost of materials. That's a real windfall for undergraduates."

This is not the first time that Young's class has created works for UWMC. Young developed the idea in 1991 with Lynn Basa, then director of the UWMC art program. The results were impressive, and the collaboration has been repeated through the years. "We've had some great projects," says Young. "Some of the artworks have been so good--and so popular with hospital staff--that they've asked to keep them in their permanent collection. Years later, those works are still on view."

In designing the UWMC art project for his class, Young wanted to recreate the experience of a regular public art commission. This year students began by touring the Medical Center with Amy Hamblin, director of the UWMC art program, to look at potential sites for their temporary installations. Then they developed their ideas, prepared drawings, and finally created models that were presented to an art committee at the hospital for approval. 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. "It's a very loaded setting," explains Hamblin. "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. Karuna (Toi) Senasarn spent time in the Medical Center's lobby and noticed that children in the waiting area seemed bored. That became the inspiration for her artwork. "I decided to make a piece for children and adults alike, giving them an opportunity to socialize or introvert," she says.

Senasarn's piece, entitled Our Garden, is an interactive mixed media sculpture reminiscent of Japanese stone gardens. Visitors can twist stone knobs attached to miniature rakes, creating rippling patterns in sand spread across the bottom of the sculpture. "I wanted it to be calming and fun," says Senasarn. "While the piece was up, I went back a few times and saw people playing with it. I was happy that they understood the piece and got something out of it."

Another student created a sculpture composed of more than 1,000 brightly colored test tubes arranged in a circular pattern. Still another fabricated a 30-foot long metal "snake"--a symbol of medicine--that appears to weave its way through the grassy hillside below a UWMC patio.

Ikuyo Tsunoda, whose Inhale/Exhale graces a quiet corridor, remembers looking at potential sites. The hallway that she chose "was just telling me to do something" there, she says. Since the corridor had no seating, she created an artwork that visitors could absorb as they strolled past.

"This project was totally different than anything I've done before," says Tsunoda. "It was my first public art piece. Usually when I work on a sculpture I can be selfish about the meaning and impression of the piece. But for this project, I had to think about its effect on the audience. I had to think about what would be good for them."

Fortunately, Tsunoda knew she could turn to John Young for guidance. Throughout the design and production process, Young served as adviser to his students, helping them with questions of content and technique. He also played the role of cheerleader, encouraging students when they faced challenges.

"My role was complex," Young says. "At the heart of it was a desire to get the students to think about art in layers. To me, the best art has an avenue of accessibility--something everyone can relate to--but when you look deeper, there are layers of richness. My goal was for them to see these as more than one-note artworks."

Did Young succeed? Comments from UWMC staff and visitors suggest that he did. "I've heard lots of very positive comments," says Hamblin. "The people here really enjoyed the work. Every year, they welcome the students' fresh approach. They also appreciate the time and attention given to the place where they spend so much of their day." Hamblin adds that UWMC's art committee will be purchasing Inhale/Exhale, adding it to the Center's prestigious permanent collection.

For Young, this year's project had an added satisfaction. Hamblin, his new colleague on the UWMC project, was once his student, earning an M.F.A. in sculpture from the UW in 1989. "So now I've got two generations of students involved," says Young. "I find that really thrilling."

As the undergraduates were dismantling their artworks in late May, Young and Hamblin were already looking forward to repeating the process next spring. "What I love about this project is that the students' works are on display side by side with top international artists," says Young, glancing at a Deborah Butterfield sculpture near a student work. "And you know what? Even in that impressive company, the students' work holds up."