Sometimes treasures are hidden in plain sight. Take for example the enormous mosaic that graces Emory’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center Administration Building, conveying the history of medicine through the ages through 2.5 million small mosaic chips.
Installed in 1996, the mosaic is the work of Italian-born artist Sirio Tonelli. Dr. John Skandalakis (1920-2009) of Emory University was familiar with the artist through previous work on the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Atlanta. It was Dr. Skandalakis, director of the Centers for Surgical Anatomy and Technique, who was a key force in commissioning the mural.
Yet this piece of campus, 66 feet long and three stories high, remains largely unknown on the Emory University campus. Interested in seeing the mural in person? WHSCAB, at 1440 Clifton Road on Emory’s Atlanta campus, is open to the public during normal weekday hours. A brochure available in the lobby not only gives background information but provides a key to the identities of the over 30 historical figures and events pictures on the mosaic.
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