DEN Welcomes It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back into its Permanent Public Art Collection

Denver-based multidisciplinary artist Thomas “Detour” Evans’ sculpture now on view in Concourse B

DENVER – January 22, 2025 – Denver International Airport (DEN) today welcomed the newest work in its permanent public art collection, Denver-based artist Thomas “Detour” Evans’ sculpture It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back to the Concourse B expansion area.

“DEN’s participation in the City’s 1% for Public Art program is a point of pride for the airport. Many of the works in our permanent collection loom large in the memories and imaginations of our millions of annual visitors. Thomas Evans’ work, It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back, will soon become an iconic fixture of the world’s sixth busiest airport, welcoming or bidding farewell to our passengers,” DEN CEO Phil Washington said. “I am so pleased to welcome Evans’ unique and vibrant sculpture to DEN.”

It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back was inspired by the idea that life is always in perpetual motion and it’s our luggage that carries the items we hold dear. It was selected by a panel of community representatives, arts and culture professionals, and civic leaders in 2022.

“I was super ecstatic to be selected to be a part of the process of adding art to such a vibrant place where millions of travelers pass through during their journey in life,” Detour said.

The artwork, located on Concourse B East, near gate B60, is 26 feet long x 12 feet wide x 8 feet high and is suspended from the concourse ceiling. Evans put a call out to the public for personal luggage that had a story behind it. 183 donated bags were incorporated into the final design, including from Cleo Parker Robinson, Ed Dwight, a flight attendant of 33 years, three DEN employees, as well as the Denver’s five professional sports teams. Visit DEN’s arts page in February to learn more about the backstories of the donated bags and their donors.

The City’s 1% for Public Art Ordinance directs that 1% of any capital improvement project over $1 million undertaken by the city be set aside for the inclusion of art. At DEN, funds are set aside and then site-specific large-scale public art opportunities across the campus are identified. For this specific project, funding was designated by DEN’s Gate Expansion Program’s construction budget. No taxpayer dollars are used for any artwork at DEN. Learn more about the Gate Expansion Program here.

About DEN’s Art Program: The mission of DEN Arts is to engage, educate and entertain the public audience. Both the public artworks and rotating exhibitions aim to connect a local and global audience to the environment and culture of the vibrant City of Denver and the unique State of Colorado. For more information, visit www.flydenver.com/art.

Denver International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. DEN is the primary economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $36 billion for the region annually. For more information visit www.FlyDenver.com, check us out on YouTube and Instagram, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Sign up for DEN’s monthly newsletter Nonstop News.

###