Bainbridge Island and Seattle, WA-based artists, Maggie Smith and Lois Shelton have been selected to create a commemorative artwork honoring the nursing professionals who have, and continue to study and serve at Harborview Medical Center. The artist team was selected from a pool of 71 artists and artist teams. Smith and Shelton will research and document a legacy of learning and service, and will create an innovative, interpretive artwork to honor it.

1600 registered nurses currently work at Harborview Medical Center. Known as the “engine of the hospital,” their legacy is long and proud. Thousands of nurses have served Harborview and its patients since its founding in 1877 as the King County Hospital, and University of Washington School of Nursing students have received their clinical education at Harborview since 1931.

Maggie Smith is an artist known for her work in metal, stone, ceramic and glass. Her public projects, such as the Armed Forces Memorial in Norfolk, Virginia and the Salem Witch Trials Tercentenary Memorial in Salem, Massachusetts, have explored local history and the meaning of commemoration. Lois Shelton is an award-winning filmmaker with a focus on documentary. With subjects ranging from civil rights and the Japanese American internment to the history of houseboats on Lake Union, Lois seeks to make the past relevant to the present. Both Maggie and Lois are committed to authentic collaboration, deep research, and lyrical storytelling.

Three nursing students from the 1960’s model uniforms from Harborview, Swedish and the University of Washington. © UW Special Collections