New Exhibit at DIA Features History of Colorado’s Tuskegee Airmen, Famed African-American “Red Tails” from WWII

DENVER, CO — Feb. 26, 2013 — Travelers at Denver International Airport (DIA) can now view pieces of Colorado’s military aviation history through a new cultural exhibition showcasing the famed Tuskegee Airmen of World War II.

The Tuskegee Airmen, also known as the “Red Tails” for the brightly painted tails of their fighter aircraft, were dedicated and determined young men and women who enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps to become America’s first African-American military pilots and support crew. From 1941 through 1946, about 1,000 pilots graduated from Tuskegee Army Air Field, receiving commissions and pilot’s wings. Other African-American navigators, bombardiers and gunnery crews were trained at military bases elsewhere in the United States.

The exhibit is located on Level 5 of the Jeppesen Terminal, on the southeast side adjacent to baggage carousel No. 9, and features the biographies and historic artifacts of Colorado members of the Tuskegee Airmen. Items for the display, including historic uniforms and flight equipment, were provided by members of the Colorado Hubert L. “Hooks” Jones Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

The Tuskegee Airmen of Colorado exhibition is curated through DIA’s Art and Culture Program, which transforms the environment of the airport through one of the world’s most important collections of public art, delightful performances, and cultural exhibitions that partner with Denver’s creative community. The Tuskegee display is part of a series of rotating gallery exhibits, and is a fitting way to help conclude Black History Month.

The gallery will be available to the public through May 31. For more information about Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., visit http://www.colorado-redtails.com

About DIA’s Art and Culture Program

DIA’s Art and Culture Program administers the City and County of Denver’s “one percent for art” requirement for public facilities and features nearly 30 site-specific works including sculptures, murals and other installations. The pieces are displayed in outdoor landscapes, inside Jeppesen Terminal and on airport concourses, as well as in the train tunnels and on the train itself. In addition to its permanent art collection, DIA curates temporary exhibitions, collaborating with museums, cultural institutions and arts organizations to present the highest quality two- and three-dimensional work.

Photo courtesy of Denver International Airport.

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