Art show returns to Health Sciences Library

The talent on the CU Denver and Anschutz Medical campuses stretches beyond academics.

A new exhibit at the Health Sciences Library showcases the creative endeavors of some of the faculty, staff and students from the two campuses. Paintings, photographs and sculptural pieces are on display in the Gallery on the third floor of the library in the “Art From CU Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus” show, which continues through March 31.

The library has been hosting a similar exhibit annually for six years, said deputy director Melissa Desantis. In 2007, the library formed an exhibits committee and decided to curate a campus show. The idea was well-received and the committee was overwhelmed with submissions for the first exhibit. The show has been popular since.

Submissions are mostly limited to wall hangings or small sculptural pieces because of space constraints. About 30 pieces are in this year’s exhibit, Desantis said.

One work of art in the show is Jennie Hammett’s “Building 500B.”

“I felt like taking some pictures of Building 500 for this show, since it is … historic. It is also kind of scary looking, at first glance. You don't know if you go in if you will ever actually come out. Then you get closer and discover all the wonderful details inside,” said Hammett, a student in the College of Nursing. The subject of the photograph is the post-office boxes in the building and their art deco numbers.

“You realize that though they are supposed to be the same, there are different things about a lot of them -- the lock has been changed, the top is broken, etc.  While everything is so uniform, it's not really so uniform. But at the same time, it looks so clean. Silver. Regular. But you and I are in on a little secret,” she said.

This is the first time Hammett has submitted a work to a gallery. “My little family is a group of shutterbugs. I'll go walking with my daughter, realize she is no longer beside me and see her hunching over a flower or a frozen pipe for a close-up from her unique perspective. My husband has done a lot of professional photography -- fashion, mostly.

“It’s really cool to be hung in a gallery. … I would love to hover and spy on people looking at my photograph.”

An opening reception for the show will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 29 in the Gallery. Artists will be on hand to answer questions or discuss their artwork. To see more images from the show, visit the Gallery’s Pinterest board.

Desantis said the annual show is an excellent way to reach out to community. Previous exhibits have included a series of events on the Ludlow Massacre, photos taken by a CU student that documented the effects of war in Bosnia, and works of art created by Aurora Public Schools students.

The Gallery also brings in traveling exhibits, many of which have medicine themes.

Through Feb. 28, “Every Necessary Care and Attention: George Washington and Medicine,” a traveling exhibit from the National Library of Medicine, will be on display on the first floor of the Health Sciences Library. The show explores the story of George Washington’s own health and examines the ways in which he sought to safeguard the health and wellness of those under his care.  At the time, medicine was transitioning from a traditional healer craft to a profession.

For more information about either exhibit, visit the Health Sciences Library website.