UTICA, NY – The Oneida Indian Nation gathered with Mohawk Valley Health System representatives, local elected officials and community members to unveil two new public artworks at Wynn Hospital in Downtown Utica, NY. The 200-ft. outdoor mural and a display inside the facility’s lobby are part of the Oneida Indian Nation’s $1 million donation in support of the hospital and highlight the central role of the Oneida people in New York State and United States history.
The event was held at the site of the outdoor mural, located along Columbia Street on the exterior wall of the Wynn Hospital Central Utility Building. Spanning 200 ft. and standing 10 ft. in height, the mural offers a visual representation of the Oneida Indian Nation’s history in Upstate New York from the Oneida Creation story to the Nation’s modern-day resurgence and the development of its enterprises, which have made it an engine for economic development for Nation members and all of Upstate New York.
The interior mural welcomes visitors to Wynn Hospital with a display that showcases important figures in Revolutionary War history. Its artwork depicts General George Washington holding a two-row wampum, a symbol of the agreement between the Oneida Indian Nation and the United States to forever coexist like two vessels traveling a river, moving in parallel but distinct paths.
“It is fitting that this mural is located outside the Wynn Hospital,” said Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Turning Stone Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter. “This facility, the first of its kind constructed in New York State in a half century, offers Mohawk Valley residents highly advanced medicine and world-class, technologically progressive care where they need it most, including the Oneida people and the more than 5,000 team members who support our Nation. Above all, the hospital is dedicated to the well-being of this community – those who call it home today and all who will call it home in the future.”
“We are very proud that our campus is going to be hosting this beautiful artwork,” said Mohawk Valley Health System President/CEO. “The amazing story of the Oneidas will be seen and experienced by thousands of people for many years to come, and this artwork will be a source of pride for all of the Mohawk Valley.”
“This artwork, which adorns Wynn Hospital, testifies to the spirit of friendship, partnership and community that characterizes the Oneida Indian Nation’s relationships with their neighbors as is evidenced by this gathering here today,” said New York State Deputy Secretary for First Nations Dr. Elizabeth Rule. “For each of these reasons, we should all be proud to have this mural and the story that it tells shared here in Utica for all New Yorkers to see, draw strength from and to be inspired by.”
“Years from now, people will look at this mural and understand that that was the beginning of a new birth of this region – new development, new growth, better healthcare, better education, better community and better entertainment. It just keeps getting better every single day,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente.
In addition to beautifying a frequently traveled thoroughfare near Wynn Hospital, the new public artworks will also support the ongoing revitalization of Downtown Utica and continue the Oneida Indian Nation’s commitment to celebrating the strong partnerships and unique shared history that define Upstate New York. They are the latest effort from the Nation to highlight this history locally and across the country, including a large-scale bronze sculpture in Downtown Rome commemorating the historic Oneida Carrying Place and $10 million donations to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.