Joe Schwarz legacy and story on display at cancer center

Sixteen months after the grand opening of the IU Health Joe and Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center, IU Health Foundation board member and donor Shelly Schwarz, along with her family and friends and IU Health team members, returned to the cancer center to unveil two sculptures depicting Shelly’s late husband Joe Schwarz.

One sculpture, titled “The Spark of Ambition,” depicts Joe as a child whose early entrepreneurial leanings enabled him to support his family through his shoe-shining business. This figure represents innocence, ingenuity and skill, and can be found outside the main entrance of the cancer center.

The second sculpture depicts Joe as an adult at the beach, one of his favorite places. This figure, titled “Sharing Hope,” shows Joe feeding the seagulls – one already in flight – and represents joy and the celebration of life. This figure can be found in the cancer center's new green space, Cornerstone Garden, thanks to a gift from local business Cornerstone Companies, Inc.

The sculptures are meant to be interactive. Patients and guests are encouraged to touch the installations and marvel at their realistic features.

Designed by the late Seward Johnson, who was known for his life-size, bronze figures, the sculptures offer meaning inherent in the small acts of everyday life and are possible thanks to a gift from Shelly Schwarz.

“My hope is that these pieces of art not only keep the legacy of Joe alive, but also inspire patients and patient families to keep fighting,” says Shelly.

The investment in people and their healthcare experience is just one of the reasons behind Cornerstone Companies’ gift to help establish the new Cornerstone Garden at the IU Health Joe and Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center.

“We believe that when you have a better experience, you have better care,” says Cornerstone Companies, Inc. President and CEO Taggert Birge. “Our team does an excellent job of thinking about what patients, their loved ones and people who work in healthcare need – this means thinking about the details of floor plans and patient flow – and it also means thinking about the intangibles that make up an experience.”

Aside from Birge’s role at Cornerstone Companies, Inc., he also is part of the Schwarz family and speaks passionately about Joe Schwarz.

“After a lifetime of hard work, Joe was able to focus on his legacy, making his intentions very clear – he wanted to support the people of Indiana,” he says. “Joe would have been so proud that his legacy is bringing hope and healing – for those who are fighting tooth and nail – just as he did as a shoe-shine boy – and for those who are waiting to take their victory lap – just as he did in his walks on the beach.”