Flying Tall

Most travelers rush through the airport in attempt to spend as little time there as possible. But next time you’re at DIA (and not in danger of missing of flight), take a second to look around. The airport has an ever-changing selection of art exhibitions designed to “to surprise and delight passengers,” says art and culture manager Chris Stevens.

The most recent addition is the 28-foot-tall “Denver Lily” in Jeppesen Terminal. Crafted over the course of a year by Denver artist Price Davis, an engineer by trade, the sculpture is made entirely of steel—the petals were stained to get the purple-pink hue—and weighs approximately 2,500 pounds. (Price and a team installed it overnight, starting at 10 p.m. and finishing around 6 a.m. the following morning.)

So why plant (no pun intended) your artwork at an airport? “Price is really wanting to produce these monumental-scale sculptures,” Stevens says. “There’s very limited space where you can do those and really make an impact.” Plus, it may be just what anxious travelers need. As Stevens says, “You get off plane, rush through trains, are worried about baggage claim and your rental car and all of a sudden there’s the beauty of this monumental surprise lily. It’s a pause in your day, [a moment to] relax a little before moving to the next step of your travel.”

Enjoy that rejuvenating pause now through mid-May.