Marble Sculpture 'Aurora' Stands Gracefully in Hospital Lobby

Orient artist Dorothy Abbott has donated a sculpture called “Aurora” to in Greenport, where it is displayed unobtrusively on a stand in a corner of the front lobby. The work is expected to become part of the hospital's permanent collection.

"Ms. Abbott volunteered to donate the piece," said Eileen Solomon, spokeswoman for Eastern Long Island Hospital. "It is a gift."

The intent of the circular, soft-edged sculpture, dubbed "Aurora" for the darkness that precedes dawn, is to give visitors peace of mind as they wait in the lobby — often under nerve-wracking circumstances. The solid marble sculpture weighs 600 pounds yet appears to be fluid and weightless from a distance. It resembles the rocks, albeit on a larger scale, found on the shore at beaches along the Long Island Sound.

Abbott crafted the piece from a block of solid marble quarried in Italy. The polished stone has hues of pink and grey that seem to swirl with the wavelike design.

Solomon said that the piece has been well received by visitors.

"People are making a lot of favorable comments,” she said. “They notice the motion of the piece and the colors that glow under the lights.”

"Aurora" is the latest addition to the hospital's art collection. The walls in the hospital lobby and patient wards are filled with artwork from local artists. Many of these works were donated by the artists or by patients who have had a favorable hospital experience, according to Solomon.

Framed enlargements of historical photographs gathered from the hospital's archives and the files of local historical societies also cover the walls. The photographs were introduced when the hospital completed an extensive remodeling and addition to the emergency room and lobby a few years ago.

Abbott's work has been displayed in galleries and museums around the world. She has displayed several one-woman shows through out the U.S. Her work has been exhibited in New York City, at Guild Hall in East Hampton and in galleries in Greenport and Riverhead, making it possible for members of the community to see a small portion of her considerable output.

Abbot was born in Thibadoux, La., in 1935. She studied at the Art Student League and Columbia University in New York City. She bought property in Orient in 1983 where she lives and works in her home and studio situated on a secluded 12-acre parcel near the Sound.

"She is a bit of a well-known recluse," Solomon said of Abbott's inaccessibility to the news media.

True to form, Ms. Abbott did not return phone calls requesting an interview for a story concerning her generous donation.