Brain sculptures to raise disease awareness in town

After Bloomington resident Jill Bolte Taylor suffered from a stroke in 1996, she could not walk, talk, read or recall any of her life.

Following an eight-year recovery, the Harvard-trained neuroanatomist formed a nonprofit organization promoting brain health.

This weekend, Bloomington’s landscape will be temporarily altered with 22 brain sculptures, each standing 5 feet tallthrough an event titled “Brain Extravaganza!,” according to a press release.

“I think it’s great for the city, and I think it’s a great program to bring awareness to these situations,” said Brian Robinson, City of Bloomington communications director. “It’s hard to miss 22 5-foot-tall brains. I think it’s a great initiative because we do have a focus on the arts. That plays a role in it, but it brings to light a lot of new understanding around the brain.”

Robinson, who said several of his family members have suffered from strokes and Alzheimer’s disease, said he hopes the event will bring awareness to brain diseases in Bloomington.

The supporting nonprofit, Jill Bolte Taylor BRAINS, Inc., provides educational services and promotes programs related to the advancement of brain awareness, appreciation, exploration, education, injury prevention, neurological recovery and the value of movement on mental and physical health.

According to Bolte Taylor’s website, “Brain Extravaganza!” is the first project the nonprofit has undertaken.

“Healthy brains are brains that have a lot of connections between the cells in that brain, and a healthy community has a lot of connections between the people in that community,” her website says. “We are consciously contributing positively to the health and well-being of our Bloomington community by building a healthy network within the area.”

Each painted, anatomically correct fiberglass brain — which is 5 feet long, 5 feet high and 4 feet wide — will include a plaque on the base of the sign with five brain facts and a question, according to the press release.

The brains will be placed in various spots throughout the community, including several on Kirkwood Avenue and on the IU campus.

Bolte Taylor wrote the New York Times bestselling memoir “My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey,” published in 2008, according to her website.

Also in 2008, Bolte Taylor was selected as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.

The “Brain Extravaganza!” will begin with a launch party from noon to 2 p.m. April 28 in the Bloomington High School South Auxiliary Gymnasium, where each of the 22 brains will be displayed before being distributed throughout the city.

The brain sculptures will remain until October.