Wednesday, June 26, 2024
San Juan Regional Medical Center and Local Artist Unveil Shimmering Wings Sculpture
A beautiful butterfly sculpture titled “Shimmering Wings” now has a permanent place in San Juan Regional Medical Center’s Healing Garden, thanks to a generous donation by local artist Christy Clugston, CEO of Inspire heART.
Clugston, along with members of San Juan Regional Medical Center’s leadership team and Board of Directors, unveiled the metal and glass sculpture during a ceremony Wednesday morning. Clugston talked about how she was inspired to create the sculpture after finding a lot of old, broken glass in her yard, as well as the special meaning behind it.
“So often we see broken things and we want to toss them, but one thing I noticed about the glass is in the sunlight it always shimmers, there’s such a beauty to it. So, it’s taking something that’s broken and recreating it to make something more beautiful. Nothing is ever truly broken or lost. We can always take the pieces and make something better,” Clugston said.
Clugston was inspired to donate the sculpture to San Juan Regional Medical Center after spending time at the hospital visiting a friend. She said she would often walk in the Healing Garden and kept thinking the butterfly was supposed to go there.
“I wanted to donate it so it can be a staple in our community,” Clugston said. “This is something that will be here a long time. I just wanted to bless other people and encourage others to do more. When everybody does a little bit, you can create something beautiful.”
The butterfly is located in the middle of the Healing Garden and is visible from patient rooms that overlook the garden. We hope it will play a role in hope and healing for our patients and serves as inspiration for our caregivers and our visitors.
“Art in the healing world can actually be transformative,” said Ruth Brooks, Chief Operating Officer at San Juan Regional Medical Center. “It gives you that moment when you’re feeling sick, or down and out, you can transform yourself from the place you are in to another place that can be warm and welcoming and just a healing moment.”
A special thank you to Christy Clugston and her family for creating and donating this beautiful sculpture. We encourage anyone visiting the hospital to stop by the Healing Garden and enjoy “Shimmering Wings.”
