Images Photographed by Formerly Blind Serve as Inspiration for New Art

DENVER, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pictures taken by once-blind cornea transplant recipients serve as inspiration for new works of art created by local artists in a new exhibit opening November 18, 2011, in Denver. The Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank first asked cornea transplant recipients to go out in the world and take photos of the things they most appreciate seeing with their restored sight. It then invited Colorado artists to select a photograph and create new art pieces inspired by the transplant recipients' newfound vision. The photos along with the new art will be exhibited at Artwork Network, located at 878 Santa Fe Drive. They will remain on display through November 28. A free, public reception will be held on November 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Additional information on the exhibit and the artists is available at www.corneas.org.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111109/DC03628)

Artists were free to interpret, incorporate, appropriate or simply reference the original photograph in any way they chose. One local artist participating in the project, Randy Hughes, chose recipient photographer Arlene Matis' Red Rose, which she grew in her garden the first summer after her transplants. "It was obvious to me that she was very proud of the flower," Hughes said, "it affected her enough to document its beauty. The second reason I chose it is more personal. Recently a dear friend passed away and became a donor to the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank. This particular friend did not have a fully developed sense of smell, and the scent of roses was the only scent she could detect conclusively. Selecting this photo seemed the best way to honor both Arlene's love of roses and my friend's memory."

This is the second annual Circle of Light Photo Project exhibit. The project aims to show the impact eye, organ and tissue donation has on our communities through images photographed by people who were legally blind before a cornea transplant restored their sight. It hopes to inspire others, through a visual medium, to become eye, organ and tissue donors by joining the Donate Life Colorado Organ & Tissue Donor Registry. Colorado residents can register to be eye, organ and tissue donors at the time of driver's license renewal or online at www.DonateLifeColorado.org. Those residing outside of Colorado can visit www.DonateLife.net to find out how to register in their state.

The Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank serves eye donor and their families and provides for sight-saving transplantation locally, nationally and worldwide. It is the recovery agency for donated eye tissue in Colorado and Wyoming.

SOURCE Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank