good night

Puzzle Pieces; casein tempera on board; 8" x 10"

If you find yourself in the vicinity of Rochester, Minnesota, you must take time to visit the Mayo Clinic campus.  Its rich history of art, architecture and medicine will leave you inspired and in awe.

Tonight, I had the privilege of showing two of my paintings in the lobby of the Plummer Building.  This 90 year old historical landmark is named for Henry S. Plummer.  He's the genius who designed not only the building but also our modern-day medical record system and so much more.  His 15-story building is graced by two magnificent-16-foot-high-bronze doors that weigh 4,000 pounds each.  They are always left open save for extremely solemn occasions. In the past 16 years, that's only happened three times. The building's carillon tower defines Rochester's skyline and houses 56 bells.  On the outside of the building are a delightful series of bas relief caricatures - ranging from dragons to happy elephants and sad donkeys.  The later are in reference to the election of 1928 when Hoover, a Republican, defeated Democrat Al Smith.  The Plummer Building is just one of many significant historical buildings on the Mayo campus.  I'm looking forward to going back soon to explore more.