Madonna Stone donation to Via Christi

Below is the article published in the September 14, 2009, Via Christi newsletter:


Stone Madonna displayed in St. Francis rose garden
The rose garden on the west side of Via Christi-St. Francis, just north of the Emergency Department, has a new addition: a 400-pound impressionistic representation of the Madonna.
This statue was donated by Rex Lee, MD, and his wife, Arvella. Dr. lee was a general surgeon with Via Christi for more than 50 years. About eight years ago, Arvella Lee came across a group of local sculpture artists in Zimbabwe, Africa. She purchased the statue of the Madonna and had it shipped to the U.S. The Lees decided to donate the sculpture to Via Christi upon retirement.
"I had always wanted to donate the statue to Via Christi because it was a Madonna," said Arvella Lee.
Facilities Management had some difficulty when deciding how to display the statue.
The statue's size, weight and narrow base posed problems. Experts consulted by Ken Sloan, Plant Operations trade lead, said drilling holes in the bottom could break the statue.
In the end, it was decided that drilling holes into the thickest part of the staue at the back and inserting tow anchor bolts would be the safest way to secure it. Sloan designed a decorative black wrought iron arbor with a plate of meatl in the center to serve a two-fold dunction: as a support structure to bolt the staue to, and as a backdrop behind the Madonna.
The sculpture now stands on a polishe granite base.
"We felt that Via Christi was a good recipient because my husband was associated with the Medical Center and he loved it there," said Arvella Lee. "It was a part of our lives."