Article Options

From Southern Illinois to everywhere

BY ADAM TESTA, THE SOUTHERN

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 9:02 AM CDT

CARBONDALE - Southern Illinois University Carbondale photography professor Dan Overturf has displayed his artwork on campus and in museums, but he now has to opportunity to reach an even bigger audience.

An exhibit of 40 of Overturf's photographs was hung in the international terminal of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport last Thursday. The exhibit may remain there for anywhere from six months to a year or even longer, Overturf said.

"I'd been knocking on this door, seeing if it would be possible for a year and a half," he said. In April, he visited the airport to scope out the area.

The photographs are all taken from "A River through Illinois," a book released in April featuring Overturf's photography and writing by former Southern Illinoisan News Editor Gary Marx.

Other photos from the collection have been used in displays at the Dickson Mounds Museum, Cedarhurst in Mount Vernon and on the SIUC campus, but the O'Hare collection is a mixture previously used and unused photos with a Chicago focus, Overturf said.

New prints ranging in size from 2 feet by 4 feet to 2 feet by 8 feet were created for the exhibit, he said.

"They're pretty big, but you always have to gauge size by the facility they're in," he said. "They don't look big up there. It's amazing how much space there is at an airport."

Marx shared in Overturf's excitement for having the exhibit in such a high-traffic venue, which adds another level to the project. The duo began shooting photos and collecting stories of life along the Illinois River eight years ago.

"It evolved, took on a life of its own," Marx said.

For Marx, who grew up watching O'Hare air traffic buzz overhead, the exhibit also represents a homecoming of sorts.

"My first job was at O'Hare Airport, so to have my writing hanging on the walls there is kind of like being home," he said.

Airport officials told Overturf last week that about 1 million people pass through the international terminal each year. While he's amazed at that high number, Overturf realizes many people walk through terminals but ignore their surroundings. Changes in the airline industry, however, may help bring more viewers to the display.

"Because of (the changes) the exhibits become more important in some ways," he said. "People get there so much earlier and have more time to wander the airport. I think it will get a fair amount of attention."

adam.testa@thesouthern.com

351-5031