ART SHOW RETURNS TO BENEFIT FOUNDATION
‘65 Roses for Cystic Fibrosis’ benefit exhibit now in downtown Loveland
The 14th annual “65 Roses for Cystic Fibrosis” art show is underway at downtown Loveland’s Independence Gallery, and art lovers can find affordable pieces knowing that the entirety of the proceeds will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Billie Colson, the proprietor of the gallery, originated the show when her granddaughter, now 14 years old, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. She began the show, which sells various pieces donated by herself and others, to raise funds for research, and she has done just that, raising $11,000 at last year’s show for a total of roughly $160,000 since it began in 2009.
Since she began selling pieces and donating the proceeds, Colson said that there has been noticeable progress in treatments for cystic fibrosis, with treatments for more genetic strains each year.
“Huge growth in what they’ve been treating,” she said, adding that in recent years a new drug, Trikafta, has helped her granddaughter cope with the symptoms of the illness.
“She has been swallowing pills since she was four,” Colson said. “It helps them digest their food.”
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that affects the lungs, pancreas and digestive system. It causes mucus in various organs to be thicker and stickier than usual, and can cause problems related to digestion, nutrient absorption, sinus infections and lung problems.
Most diagnoses come during childhood, but some people live with the disease for years without realizing it, Colson said.
According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, approximately 40,000 children and adults are living with cystic fibrosis in the United States.
The name of the show, and a common refrain in cystic fibrosis circles, comes from the 1960s, when a young boy, Richard Weiss, who had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis heard his mother talking about his condition on the phone.
“She kept talking about it on the phone, and he said ‘Mom,’ I know you’re talking about those 65 roses,’” Colson said.
The show itself, hosted for the entire month of February, has over a hundred pieces in various styles, mostly paintings, on sale to benefit the foundation, many incorporating a rose in some way.
In previous years, Colson has put out the call for donations, but said that this year her hope was to move out some works from previous years that had not sold.
Independence Gallery is located at 233 E. Fourth St. in downtown Loveland. More information is at independencegallery.com.