One of the newest SFO Museum exhibitions at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) tells the story of Rosie the Riveter and the accomplishments of more than 16 million women who joined the workforce during the Second World War.
More than sixteen million women were employed at the peak of wartime production in 1944—with over three million in skilled factory positions to support the massive increase in war-related industries. Many of those jobs were in aviation.
Here’s the story of “Rosie the Riveter” from the exhition notes:
The Second World War had a profound impact on working women in American society. After the United States entered the war on December 7, 1941, millions of men left manufacturing jobs for military service and recruiters scoured the country in search of replacements. Women joined the workforce in record numbers and filled industrial positions previously denied to them. Migrating from diverse regions and cultures, women converged on the nation’s industrial centers and quickly learned skills that traditionally took years to master. Popular culture and propaganda launched the legend of “Rosie the Riveter,” the anonymous, bandanna-clad woman in coveralls who produced all manner of wartime equipment on the home front.
Look for Rosie the Riveter: Womanpower in Wartime post-security in Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport through May 11, 2025.
Tag along and then be sure to take in a few of the great exhibits at SFO Airport next time you’re there. We’ve arranged a long layover at SFO this week just so we can see the Airplane Model exhibit in the International Terminal.
“High Wire,” a 180-foot-long mural by artist Michael Fajan, has been at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) since 1993.
In 11 panels, Fagan depicted a magician and his assistant performing a magic trick.
Depending on which direction you view the artwork, it either depicts a person disappearing into a magic box or shows a person emerging from it.
For years the artwork was on a corridor wall in Concourse D where crowds of passengers made it difficult to see. But in 2021, “High Wire” was cleaned and reinstalled above the Concourse A corridor.
And in its new location, it is much easier to see.
But what about that magician in the painting? Turns out he’s a real Seattle-area magician named Jonathan Docter.
SEA recently shared the video below showing the magician at the airport, standing under the artwork, telling the story of how he came to be portrayed in the painting.
And he reveals the connection between magic and the airport.
“Traveling by air is a magical experience. You’re in one city and then after a couple of hours of flying in this large tube that we call an airplane or a jet, you are transported to another world, another city. Almost as if by magic.”
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen more than 18 million passengers at U.S airports over the Memorial Day travel period, which stretches from May 23 to May 29, about 6.4% more than in 2023.
If you’re one of the holiday travelers, here are some fresh art and amenities to look for at airports along the way.
Art at LAX Airport
It’s been about a year since LAX finally created an airside connection between all its terminals. That means ticketed passengers don’t have to go back through security to make a connecting flight in another terminal and can access all of the airport’s shops, dining venues and art.
Among the newest art installations at LAX is “Flora (Flores amplificati), by Laura Hull.
For the installation, Hull digitally manipulated and layered photographs of plant life commonly found in Southern California to create a digital mural printed on vinyl. Look for it in the hallway that connects Terminals 1 and 2 post-security.
Find a full list of all the permanent and temporary artwork at LAX on the LAX Art Program site.
(Laura Hull, “Flora (Flores amplificati),” Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports)
Beer – and more – at Bradley International Airport (BDL)
Beercode Kitchen & Bar has opened at Bradley International Airport (BDL) near Hartford, CT just in time for the busy holiday weekend. The gastropub is open in the Gates 21-30 concourse and is the first sit-down restaurant on that concourse. It’s open by 4 am daily for breakfast and has a lineup of local craft beer and other beverages.
Creatively Remade art objects at Denver Int’l Airport
Denver International Airport’s (DEN) newest exhibition, Creatively Remade: Upcycled Art and Design, features a wide range of art, fashion and functional objects made from materials that would have otherwise been discarded.
The exhibit stretches through several areas of the airport, including Ansbacher Hall (before A-Bridge security), Concourse B East between gates B60 and B62, on level three of Concourse C, and east and west baggage claim.
If you’re arriving, departing or making a connection at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), be sure to leave some time to explore some of the museum-quality exhibits offered by the SFO Museum.
The newest exhibition comes to SFO Airport courtesy of the Fowler Museum at UCLA. It features bells, rattles, harp lutes, drums, slit gongs, and lamellophones or “thumb pianos” from the West and Central African countries of Liberia, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Here’s a bit about the exhibit from the museum:
Africa’s rich cultural heritage encompasses a tremendous range of music, musical instruments, and performing arts. The variety of instruments made and used in Africa ranges from drums, xylophones, and zithers, to electric guitars and keyboards. Many traditional musical instruments appear utilitarian, while others are embellished with geometric, anthropomorphic, and zoomorphic features, allowing them to simultaneously serve as works of art.
Take a look at a few images from the exhibit below and see the rest of the instruments in SFO’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1 through April 13, 2025.
