Long COVID continues to affect hundreds of thousands of Coloradans, though the pandemic is no longer in an emergency state and most people consider it “over.” The artwork and stories in this exhibition share a range of Coloradan’s experiences of this illness, from chronic migraines and fatigue to debilitating symptoms that render sufferers bed ridden for days, weeks, sometimes months. Some have recovered, others have not yet found lasting relief. While Colorado institutions like the Anschutz School of Medicine and Jewish National Health’s Long COVID clinics are at the forefront of providing care and conducting crucial research, knowledge about post-COVID conditions and access to care is limited. This exhibition aims to bring both the lived experiences of Long COVID and the resources available locally to the public’s attention.

It Comes in Waves is supported by an INSITE Fund grant through the RedLine Contemporary Art Center, a Regional Regranting institution for the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Artist Heather Schulte received this award to further her project, Stitching the Situation, a community led non-profit documenting and memorializing experiences of COVID-19 through collective embroidery. This funding facilitated expanded accessibility by commissioning interviews and writing submissions by folks living with Long COVID, and hired incarcerated artists to illustrate them.