Cleveland Clinic Mentor Hospital Lobby to Feature Original Artwork by Noted Artist

Mentor, Ohio: When Cleveland Clinic Mentor Hospital opens July 11, patients and visitors entering the main lobby atrium will be greeted by a large colorful original artwork that was designed to inspire joy, especially in people who may be feeling stress about being in a hospital.

The artwork was created by Eva LeWitt, a 38-year-old artist known for producing vibrant sculptures using commercial and industrial pliable materials which she casts, dyes, cuts and arranges into hanging geometric forms with a broad color palette. Her large-scale abstract pieces often recall domestic or theatrical décor, such as curtains.

The commission, created specifically for Mentor Hospital, is the biggest LeWitt has created to date. Covering the entire wall directly across from the main entrance, it features loops of brightly colored mesh of varying densities streaming from the ceiling in straight lines that end in circles. The circles allow every point in the space to have a definition, LeWitt said. The differences in the mesh thickness let the colors blend in ways that are dynamic and unique as the viewer moves through the lobby or looks down on the piece from the second story windows that surround and brighten the atrium.

LeWitt, who lives in New York City, said the hospital lobby was an appealing project for her to work on as it was a blank slate.

“I wanted to create something that would be joyful and uplifting for patients and visitors. Hospitals can be a tough place and I would like for this to be a happy distraction for them,” she said.

LeWitt and the Cleveland Clinic Art Program worked on the project from concept to drawings to execution for nearly a year.

Ellen Rudolph, senior director of Cleveland Clinic’s art program, first saw LeWitt’s work in a museum in Boston and thought her style would be a good match for the unique architectural challenges of an atrium, with people viewing it from below or above. It will also help orient people who get turned around in the new facility.

“I’d never seen anything like her work,” Rudolph said. “She creates sculptures that look like paintings and drawings at the same time.”

The piece was installed in late May by LeWitt and Cleveland Clinic art program staff. They worked together to hang, steam and straighten the mesh. This gave the local team a chance to become well acquainted with the piece so they can handle any needed maintenance over time.

LeWitt is the daughter of Sol LeWitt (1928-2007), an influential 20th century artist who has two wall drawings on view in Cleveland Clinic’s Health Education Campus Samson Pavilion.