On January 20, 2000 a football sized work of art honoring Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists was unveiled in Topeka, Kansas. The 'earthwork' depicting a CRNA and patient clasping hands is entitled "Sacred Trust." Environmental Artist, Stan Herd used plowed earth, woodchips, lime, and volcanic rock to create a snapshot of a scene that takes place in the operating rooms of America everyday.
"I wanted sort of a Rockwellian feel to come across to people, that we are sort of peeking into an intimate moment in someones life," stated Herd. "I was flattered that I was asked to create this to honor a group that is sometimes unnoticed and unknown but does such an important job."
The work of art was funded entirely by donations and was dubbed the Field of Dreams (FOD) by CRNAs everywhere. The idea was birthed from discussions on a CRNA e-mail list concerning the need for the public to be aware of who provides the anesthesia in the US. A member of the list, Kim Zweygardt, CRNA, was a childhood friend of Herd's and familiar with the artist's career."We were joking about many CRNAs being rural, needing grassroots Public Relations and being 'outstanding in our field' and the lightbulb just went on. I thought of Stan's work and contacted him to find out if there was any way to do this," Mrs. Zweygardt said. "Stan is somewhat of an activist. He does commercial art, but that work finances the real work of projects he believes in. If he doesn't, it is 'no go'. At first Stan was like most of the public..... 'CRNA? What does that mean?'
"I spent a lot of time explaining our history, how things work in the anesthesia world where CRNAs do 65% of the anesthetics in the US, but, because we're always in the OR, doing hands-on care behind the scenes, we are not recognized for what we do. He 'caught the vision' because he had actually had that exact experience!
"When he was 12, Stan had an emergency operation. He was scared and there was a 'nice man' there who talked to him and made him feel better. He knew it wasn't his doctor, but he'd never known who that masked man was. Stan asked me, 'Do you think that was a CRNA?' And yes, I knew it was. We were both raised in western Kansas and it is and has always been CRNA anesthesia there. It was neat to see Stan have that lightbulb moment for himself and realize the need for this work of art," Zweygardt concluded.
The artwork was photographed with CRNAs from all over the US standing as part of the image, representing the 28,000 CRNAs in the US who provide safe anesthesia care for patients. That day, they were literally "outstanding in their field!" FOD posters, t-shirts, and coffee mugs are available with a portion of the proceeds being used to fund other public relations projects to promote CRNAs.
The image was visible from the air for a year, but even as the Kansas wind returned the image to prairie, the legacy of "Sacred Trust" did not change. CRNAs continue as they have for 120 years, providing the best of the art and science of anesthesia and caring to surgical patients everywhere.
For more information about the Sacred Trust and the artist:
www.stanherd.com
