The expansive glass wall on the south side of Jim Dan Hill Library has a new feature - a full-length stained glass artwork created by Gloria Eslinger of UW-Superior's Department of Visual Arts.

The artwork, titled "Sunrise/Sunset," is an abstract mosaic that's four feet wide and stretches the length of the 40-foot window on the library's second floor. In the piece, Eslinger sought to engage "the natural movements of nature by embracing the concept of the sun." 

Eslinger said she hopes viewers will appreciate the piece not just for its beauty but also for its connection to nature.

"Working with light, and the landscape visible through the windows of the space (at the library) was an act of creating the outside beauty on the inside space," she said. "Nature, color and movement are key themes."  

Eslinger spent 180 hours over three months creating the piece as a practicum for Goddard College, where she is completing a master's of fine arts degree in interdisciplinary arts. The permanent installation in the library is her first large-scale public art piece designed for a specific space.

Debra Nordgren, library director, said Eslinger proposed the artwork after spending a considerable amount of time working on the library's second floor while pursuing her advanced degree. The proposal was approved following a review by the library staff and the campus administration. 

"She described her vision of the work as incorporating her research on color and its impact on people as well as finding a way to connect the indoors and outdoors," Nordgren said. "We are thrilled to have this unique nature-themed art in the library. 

Eslinger is an assistant professor specializing in art therapy. She also teaches art foundation courses and is director of Kruk Gallery in UW-Superior's Holden Fine and Applied Arts Center. She is a registered art therapist under the American Art Therapy Association and has 13 years of professional experience in the mental health field.