There’s a new traveling art show in town – and it’s being shown in places that probably aren’t the first anyone would look.
Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank – the state’s only eye bank for cornea tissue – put together an exhibit called “Circle of Light Photo Project.” The exhibit features 19 images taken by people who had limited vision before their corneal transplants.
Among the images are a flying pink spoonbill; a close-up of a sunflower with a bee in the middle; a landscape with a smoky rainbow in the foreground, and more than a dozen others.
Cornea recipients submitted about 90 entries for the show. “We put it out to vote for our staff and they voted on their favorites,” said Jenn Venerable, the Aurora eye bank community and professional relations manager.
She added that the show has several locations. First, there’s a version at the eye bank itself, with every image about a foot square, not much larger. That display went up in May and will be there until at least December.
The problem? Only people going into the eye bank would see it, as it’s located in an office that doesn’t attract much non-cornea-related foot traffic. The solution? That might involve taking a flight.
There is an installation of the same images, only larger, at Denver International Airport. It was unveiled Monday in Concourse A, close to the moving walkway there that splits into two directions.
“So we have nine on one side and ten on the other, and both have intro posters on each side to describe the project,” Venerable said.
More wall space at the airport means bigger images that are closer to the size of posters.
There’s a third option for people outside of the Denver area. Within a few months, another iteration of the show will travel the state on request. The eye bank staff put together a few sets of prints – smaller sizes – that they will loan out as a set.
“If someone wanted to bring the traveling exhibit to their area – I’ve had requests like in Aspen, Longmont – we’re looking at bringing it, if they’re in Colorado or Wyoming, looking at either shipping or bringing it to them,” Venerable said.
