Panya Clark Espinal

Northern Night, 1996, installation view on ground floor

Northern Night, 1996, installation view on ground floor

Northern Night, 1996, installation view

Northern Night, 1996, installation view

Northern Night, 1996, detail

Northern Night, 1996, detail

Northern Night, 1996, installation view on upper floor

Northern Night, 1996, installation view on upper floor

Northern Night, 1996, detail

Northern Night, 1996, detail

Northern Night, 1996

Public Art Commission

Smalti mosaic on plywood panel; 8 x 20 feet

Northern Night is a traditional coloured glass mosaic at the entranceway to the patient care unit in the Whitby Mental Health Centre in Whitby, Ontario. Inspired in part by Tom Thomson’s Northern River, the image was designed to bring a sense of the outdoors into the centre, particularly to patients who have little or no access to natural outdoor environments. It was simply intended as an image of warmth, comfort and beauty for the residents of the centre. The traditional Smalti material was sourced by the artist in Italy.