Art

Fresh art at Reno-Taho International Airport

Art

Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) is celebrating the grand opening of its newly expanded Ticketing Hall.

Sadly, the new ticketing hall does not bring us the pneumatic “Travel Tubes” teased on April 1 that would allow passengers to go whiz straight from the airport lobby to the gate.

But travelers will benefit from 10,000 square feet of new ticketing lobby space and the airport’s first, site-specific public art commission.

The Ticketing Hall expansion is part of RNO’s “MoreRNO” infrastructure program, which promises a ‘new era’ for the airport and more than $1 billion in targeted improvements.

RNO’s new public art is a 450-foot-long piece by Dixie Friend Gay titled “Repeated Refrains.”

It will be hard to miss there on the wall behind the airline ticket counters.

The work references northern Nevada’s diverse environment, which includes forested mountains, vegetation-covered hillsides and desert valleys. It is divided into four sections, each dedicated to a different season and portraying the colors and diverse ecosystems that can be found within a 100-mile radius of Reno.

Airline Travel Posters from the SFO Museum Collection 

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Artists of the Airways: Airline Travel Posters from the SFO Museum Collection is the newest exhibition at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

On view in the Aviation Museum and Library in the SFO’s International Terminal, the exhibit features the work of some wonderful airline poster artists from the early 1930s to 1980s.

Here’s a bit about the art of airline posters from the exhibition description: 

With the advent of commercial aviation in the late 1910s and 1920s, and the novelty of traveling by airplane, artists initially illustrated aircraft on their posters to attract customers through this emerging medium of mass production.

During the 1930s, as commercial carriers expanded their fleets, routes, and services, artists soon began incorporating illustrations of the destinations as well, in conjunction with the airlines’ appeal to their target audience of primarily affluent American tourists.

These often included landscapes, landmarks, people, flora, and fauna intended to promote the airline’s service to the viewer. Although posters usually contained descriptive text, poster artists created images that were designed to convey a message the viewer would immediately understand.

All the posters reproduced in this exhibition are from the SFO Museum Collection, which consists of nearly thirteen hundred airline posters, from the 1920s to the present.

Look for Artists of the Airways: Airline Travel Posters from the SFO Museum Collection pre-security in the Aviation Museum and Library in the International Terminal of San Francisco International Airport through October 5, 2025.

Science snaps on display at Rapid City Regional Airport

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Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) in South Dakota is welcoming travelers with a temporary art exhibition, “The Science at SURF: Images from the Underground, Lead, SD.”

Located in the former site of the Homestake Gold Mine, SURF is now an underground research facility whose tagline tells us, “Scientists probe the depths of space to learn more about our place in the universe.”

The exhibit includes photographs snapped within the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) by SURF photographers Matthew Kapust and Stephen Kenny. Here’s a sampling.

Gloved hands work on delicate wiring in a cryostat.
Geologists drill holes to extract core samples of rock.

Images in concrete at Miami Int’l Airport

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If you’re traveling to or through Miami International Airport (MIA), take a minute to visit the airport’s CameraWork Gallery at Gates D22 and D25.

A new exhibit in that gallery features photographs of concrete structures in Miami and Havana that were designed by Cuban architects who fled the island after the Cuban Revolution.

The photographs are by Miami-based Cuban photographer Silvia Ros and portray sites such as the Miami Marine Stadium, Miami Dade College’s North and South campuses, and Havana’s legendary Nautical Club (Club Náutico).

Parque Jose Marti Stadium (1959-60). Photo courtesy of the artist.

On display through June 10, 2024, Connecting Concrete: Modernist Architecture from Havana to Miami is a collaboration between Ros and art director, designer, and writer Tim Hossler.

The exhibition features 12 architectural photographs taken in Havana, Cuba, and Miami, Florida, from 2015 to 2023. The photographs are grouped by city, with Havana images from Ros’s project Cuba Modern at D22 and Miami images from Concrete Miami at D25. 

“Miami is well known for its beachside Art Deco, famous landmarks, MiMo motels, and the vital residential areas, but the relationships between Miami and Cuba are reflected in many significant buildings and environments,” said Ros. “These buildings deserve the honor of being acknowledged and documented, not only for their storied pasts but for future generations who may not have the opportunity to interact with these buildings as we have.”

Miami Marine Stadium (1964). Photo courtesy of the artist.

“Concrete architecture in Miami and Havana exudes a poetic beauty that transcends the utilitarian nature of the material,” said Hossler. “Though distinct in their cultural and historical backgrounds, these cities share a common thread of embracing concrete as a canvas for artistic expression.” 

Fresh art + lots of music at Nashville Int’l Airport

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Not for nothing is Nashville, Tennessee known as Music City.

And the tunes start right at Nashville International Airport (BNA). There, live performances featuring all manner of musical styles, from traditional and contemporary country to rhythm and blues, jazz, pop, gospel, and bluegrass are presented on stages located near the A/B Waiting Lounge, the C/D Waiting Lounge, and in the Concourse C Food Court (beyond security).

If you’re headed that way, check out the BNA events calendar filled with live performances. And be sure to take a moment to listen up when you land.

(Photo above: Singer-songwriter Joe West, dubbed the “house band” for Nashville International Airport)

Fresh Art at Nashville International Airport

(Artist: DeShawn Lewis)

While you’re at Nashville International Airport, look for the art as well.

The Spring/Summer installment of the Flying Solo series at Nashville International Airport is on view through June 23, 2024, showcasing the works of talented Nashville artists including Daniel Arite, Sarah Clinton, Joel Keas, DaShawn Lewis, Josh MacLeod, Vanessa Sharp Multon, Tammy O’Connor, and Mary Ruden.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll see:

(Artist: Joel Keas)

(Artist Daniel Arite)

(Artist: Sara Clinton)

(Artist: Joshua MacLeod)