Checkup

Hope Takes Flight

Butterfly Painting Offers Golden Message of Inspiration

Frank League wanted to send a message. The former Navy pilot, avid art collector and 15-year Mayo Clinic patient says his gratefulness to Mayo for saving his life after a near-fatal heart attack spurred him to think about how he could inspire others.

Enter the work of Susanne Schuenke, Ph.D. Schuenke, an artist from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., had taken a trip in the winter of 2003 to the butterfly conservatory at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Enthralled by the elegance and breathtaking beauty she witnessed during her visit, she was working to capture these qualities in a painting when League contacted her with a special request. Having previously commissioned work from her, he knew she was the perfect person to create an inspirational work of art to donate to Mayo.

Susanne Schuenke's inspiring painting brightens the lobby of the Mayo Clinic Davis Building.

Enlarge

"I'm alive today because of Mayo Clinic," League says. "I've long wanted to thank the institution with a gift of lasting worth, and when I heard about Mayo's commitment to the Humanities in Medicine Program and their focus on embracing the arts in healing, I knew that Susanne's art was the answer." Patients, visitors and staff of Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville can find proof of that — on a grand scale — in the Davis Building lobby, where Schuenke's "Give Me Wings" has been on display since September. An oil-on-linen artwork 6 1/2 feet tall and 14 feet wide, the painting is the product of the captivating experience Schuenke had in the butterfly conservatory.

"It is a magical experience," says Schuenke. "So many wings all around you, and each is so different and so big. You have to move slowly, but when you stand still, the unthinkable can happen: A butterfly mistakes you for a plant and lands on you, sits and has no other immediate travel plans. You have to behave like a plant, standing silently and nearly motionless, hosting this little guest who has honored you with his trust."

Her interpretation of the experience is equally captivating. The butterflies of "Give Me Wings" are equal parts whimsy, iridescence and intelligence, captured in an ethereal field of gold. An empowering image that conveys both harmony and spontaneity, it is exactly what League envisioned when he commissioned the piece.

League says he took his health for granted until his heart attack in 1990. Since that time, he has come to Mayo for many surgical procedures, including bypass surgery.

"When I look at 'Give Me Wings,' my heart beats stronger, and I know that all things are possible," says League. "It is my prayer that it will inspire visitors to Mayo with that same kind of positive energy for years to come."

To request an appointment at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, call (904) 953-0853 or complete our online appointment request form: