I recently saw the tulips that Pella, Iowa, is famous for. They reminded me of the photograph below that was selected for the Glick Public Art Project. At the time I was working at Riley Hospital for Children, part of Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis. The Glick Eye Institute was located near Riley. Someone once said these tulips looked like cups of light. I really like that expression.

Glick Public Art Project

Public Art for the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute – 2012 Request for Proposals

Deadline: October 31, 2012

The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute Public Art Committee seeks proposals from artists with a connection to Indiana for art to be displayed in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute. The Glick Eye Institute is home to the IU Health Ophthalmology Center, the Department of Ophthalmology’s Optical Shop, research labs, conference space and ophthalmology administrative offices. All kinds of art will be considered for the building, which is nearly 80,000 square feet on four floors. 

Why is public art being sought for the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute?

It is important to have visual stimulation in a building dedicated to preserving eyesight and reducing vision impairments. Public art is being considered because a limited budget is available for purchased art. While an anonymous donation provided seed funding to purchase some art, and while fundraising to purchase new art continues, we must rely on the generosity of Indiana artists and artists who trained in Indiana to exhibit their works in the Glick Eye Institute.

We seek art that depicts or expresses vision, light, color, perspective and/or reflection.

My Submission

I still remember how astonished I was when I put on my first pair of eyeglasses and the world suddenly came into focus in incredible detail.  It was like magic.  I loved to read, and was aware of how important the eyeglasses were in making reading much easier and more enjoyable.  I’d always been interested in science, so I learned the basics of optics.  And I’ve had a lifelong, intense interest in photography, learning the theory and application of techniques to capture images.  With photography I try to paint a picture with light in its many intensities, colors, and contrasts.  I try to use novel perspectives and compositions to both better define three dimensional objects with a two dimensional medium, and to catch the viewer’s attention so he/she might look at something a little differently.  I learned to do darkroom work in both high school and college, but am grateful for the digital revolution, which provides much greater control of almost all aspects of photography.

As a Quaker, and having been raised on working farms in Iowa, I have always had great interest in and concern for our environment.   I use photography to try to promote appreciation for our natural world.

EUGENE AND MARILYN GLICK
EYE INSTITUTE

 INDIANA UNIVERSITY
School of Medicine

December 4, 2012

Dear Jeff,

Thank you for submitting your photography for consideration to the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute’s Public Art Project.

We were fortunate to receive 123 submissions; all of the art was thoroughly reviewed by a committee comprised of IU School of Medicine faculty and staff, and artists from the Indianapolis community.

The committee is interested in exhibiting the photograph titled “Tulips” in the Glick Eye Institute for the calendar year 2013. We will accept the art for exhibition in January and will be in touch to arrange a mutually convenient date for delivery. Your pieces must be ready to hang; our facilities services employees and the IU art curator will oversee the installation.

Additionally, we wish to continue to incorporate your photography of “Open Eyes” in the institute’s printed materials and website. We thank you for allowing us to use those images.

Again, thank you for submitting your work. We appreciate your participation.

Sincerely,

Jeff Rothenberg, M.D.

Chair of the Glick Eye Institute Public Art Committee Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute

1160 W. Michigan St.

Indianapolis, IN 46202

The page above is from the booklet containing all of the selected art that year can be found here: https://1drv.ms/b/s!Avb9bFhezZpPhb9SzMdjP5yI6W2c3w