Is Where the Angels Are (Boise)
The global Covid pandemic was unprecedented. It brought sickness and loss to every community, and dramatically revealed the degree to which we rely on health care workers to see us through life’s most traumatic times.
This memorial was created to honor the caregivers who give so much – physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally – to care for a community.
Caregivers were asked to share single words that express their feelings about the pandemic and its aftermath. The words engraved on the plaza are their words.
The language of Emily Dickinson’s poem, and the symbol of the butterfly within it, represents nature’s ability to heal and sustain us. Just as the butterfly is a central focus of the Dickinson poem, it is also an ancient and nearly universal symbol of the soul. Some traditional cultures believed that butterflies could carry messages to loved ones who have died.
In her poem, Emily Dickinson appeals to the butterfly, the bee, and the breeze to help her through a loss. In these gardens, may the silent solace of nature transform.
The Saint Alphonsus Medical Center COVID Memorial titled “Is Where the Angels Are”, offers a message of hope that honors the sacrifices of all who were touched by the worldwide COVID Pandemic.
The poem by Emily Dickinson that inspired the memorial appears in English, Spanish and Braille.
The Gentian weaves her fringes –
The Maple’s loom is red –
My departing blossom
Obviate parade.
A brief, but patient illness –
An hour to prepare –
And one below, this morning
Is where the angels are –
It was a short procession –
The Bobolink was there –
An aged Bee addressed us –
And then we knelt in prayer –
We trust that she was willing –
We ask that we may be –
Summer – Sister – Seraph!
Let us go with thee!
In the name of the Bee –
And of the Butterfly –
And of the Breeze – Amen!
Emily Dickinson (1858)
This poem is in the public domain.
Project details
Design: Troy Passey
Project Location: Saint Alphonsus Medical Center, 1055 N. Curtis Road, Boise, Idaho, USA
Typology: Memorial, public art
Design year: 2022-2023
Built: 2023
Landscape design: Jaqueline Crist
Manufacturer of urban equipment: Studio 2000
Photo credits: © Guy Hand
Troy Passey
Troy Passey is a conceptual artist who bases his artwork on elements of language. He finds inspiration in literature, films, lyrics, and the poetry of plain-spoken speech. In 2023 he installed four site-specific COVID Memorials for Saint Alphonsus Medical Centers in Idaho and Oregon. These memorials, titled Is Where the Angels Are, are based on a poem by Emily Dickinson. In 2019 he created two concrete and stainless steel sculptures, titled Kith & Kin, for the James Castle House in Boise, Idaho.