Mary C. Myrand, manager of Design Services & Digital Imaging for the Department of BioMedical Communications for the School of Medicine, has worked diligently on completing a glass window design for the meditation room in the new Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical Education Commons, set to open next month.
When walking on the second floor of the new facility, it is easy to notice the intricate patterns and stunning colors emanating in the atrium. The meditation room's four large paneled glass windows have been transformed into a piece of art through the work of Myrand.
She was asked to work on the project by Chuck Pokriefka, director of facilities and support services for the School of Medicine. While Myrand holds both a bachelor's degree in fine arts and a master's degree in teaching, she had never undertaken a process quite like this.
At first glance the design looks like stained glass. But it is not. Poly-film panels have been applied to the glass from the inside of the room and coupled with lead piping on both sides of the glass, to give the windows that stained glass effect.
Myrand was chosen to spearhead the project because of her experience using vinyl film, examples of which can be seen at Scott Hall, specifically the School of Medicine shields located on the windows of the front entrance. While Myrand said that the two types of films are similar in concept, they require different processes.
"There was a definite learning curve," Myrand said. "This was something completely new to me, but it was something I loved and have had a lot of fun with."
Myrand was able to utilize her graphic design talents to come up with a full-sized template to assist her in bringing the design to fruition. She came up with a design for the window on her computer, printed it, and placed it in the windows. She then carefully cut out the film pieces and placed them in accordance with the template.
The project was not without frustration. There where a couple times she contacted the company that provided a similar paneled design in the meditation room in Scott Hall for help.
"It has been a very time-consuming project, but it's something I've really loved. As an artist, it's another medium to express myself," Myrand said.
When observing the design, the first things you notice are the colors. The windows are filled with sweeping shades of red, orange and yellow. These colors work well with the lighting of the new Mazurek facility and provide the piece with a natural glow. The colors were selected by Pokriefka, but the implementation was left solely to Myrand. In the window, the colors are stacked upon one another, creating a beautiful layered look. The inspiration for the piece stems from the way a sedimentary rock looks when cut open with its many layers.
"I just wanted to provide people with a place where they could go and collect their thoughts and relax. I felt that this design was very calming and in line with what a meditation room seeks to do," Myrand said.