FRESH ART GRACES CAPE, JACKSON: MURAL TO BE DEDICATED

St. Francis Medical Center officials will dedicate the hospital's recently completed 125th anniversary brick mural at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The mural, which is 45 feet long and 7 feet high, is a brick wall sculpture that overlooks the hospital's Healing Garden between the medical center and Healing Arts Center.

Workers on Friday put the finishing touches on the mural by installing lights around it.

The mural has five panels that depict the history of St. Francis Medical Center, from St. Francis the patron saint of the Franciscan Order seated in a natural setting surrounded by children and wildlife to major breakthroughs in health care and innovations at the hospital.

Mural images are in relief, meaning the images stand out from the background.

Bill Kiel, executive director of the St. Francis Foundation, said the hospital could have chosen a variety of ways to commemorate its 125th anniversary, but images in brick seemed to be the most everlasting.

"We wanted to do something that would highlight our long history, and we wanted to do something that was going to be lasting and would honor all the staff who have worked here -- the sisters, the nurses, the doctors, everybody who has worked here," Kiel said.

"We thought that there were a lot of different ways to do that, but this was something that would do it in a large fashion.

"It also seemed to fit in with the healing aspect of the garden. We wanted people to go out and look at it, then go out and look at it the next day and say, 'Oh, I didn't see the helicopter or the heart on the computer screen.' There's a lot to look at out there."

The mural, which was designed specifically for an outdoor setting and cost about $125,000, was created by Jay Tschetter of Brickstone Studios in Lincoln, Neb. Tschetter, who is scheduled to attend the St. Francis dedication, also created a similar mural on the grounds of the St. Louis Arch.

The dedication will take place in the Healing Garden and will feature a blessing and recognition of those involved in the project and of key donors to the project. Kiel said the atmosphere will be casual and the public is invited.