Airport art

How is a magic trick like an airport?

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How is a magic trick like an airport?

“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.”

Not almost…

Travel Tidbits for the holiday weekend

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 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.

Here are just a few of the pieces you might see.

We met Tampa Int’l Airport’s giant flamingo

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The Stuck at The Airport arts team is a big fan of big art at airports.

And Tampa International Airport’s (TPA) giant flamingo doesn’t disappoint.

The sculpture is 21 feet tall and lives in TPA’s main terminal. The creation of artist Matthew Mazzota, the sculpture is officially titled “Home.” But thanks to a naming contest hosted by the airport last year, the big bird is now better known as Phoebe.

We finally got to meet Phoebe in person and have to say we are just wowed.

The flamingo isn’t the only newish big work of art at TPA Airport. And far from the only appealing artwork in TPA’s impressive public art collection.

Aaron Stephan’s “Paths Rising,” in the Main Terminal walkway to SkyConnect Station, is composed of over 600 ladders set inside a light well and positioned to imply a portal to what lies beyond.

(Courtesy TPA Airport)

Fresh art at O’Hare Int’l Airport

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If you’re traveling through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) over the holidays and are passing through Terminal 5 (T5) you’re in for an art-filled treat.

The installation of a $3.5 million public art commission featuring work by more than 20 Chicago artists is nearly complete and it’s pretty darn impressive.

Here is a selection of the works you’ll be able to see.

Above is a part of the piece titled a murmuration by Jina Valentine, which consists of 600 wall-mounted convex aluminum discs of varying sizes on view in the Passenger Level Concourse.

The artwork is a data visualization mapping over 200 years of immigration to the Illinois region. The color shifts as you move from one end of the piece to the other, illustrating the changes in immigration patterns over time.

Shinsekai Yori / From the New World (above), by Mayumi Lake is on view in the T5 International Arrivals Corridor.

Buffalo Chart at O’Hare, by Bernard Williams, is also in the International Arrivals Corridor.

In addition to all the new works on view in Terminal 5, you’ll find art in Terminal 1, Terminal 2, the Terminal 3 Rotunda, the muli-modal transportation facility, and elsewhere on the O’Hare Airport Campus.

5 Things We Love about Oregon’s Eugene Airport

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Eugene Airport (EUG)

Oregon’s Eugene Airport (EUG) is also known as Mahlon Sweet Field and was named in honor of Mahlon Sweet. He was the automobile dealer and aviation enthusiast who built the city’s first airstrip – Eugene Airport Park – in 1919.

Today, EUG has 10 gates and is served by 7 air carriers – Alaska, America, Avela, Allegiant, Delta, Southwest, and United – and offers direct flights to 14 cities.

Here are 5 Things to Love About EUG Airport

1. Free Short Stories

EUG is one of a handful of airports around the country that hosts a Short Story Dispenser from French Publishing House Short Édition.

The dispenser at EUG is in a prime location: right at the top of the stairs on the way to the busy A Gates and is offered in partnership with the Eugene Public Library.

Passengers may choose one of three buttons and request a local, international, or kid’s story. Once a selection is made, a free short story or poem is printed right away on an ink-free, eco-friendly strip of paper.

2. A Great Art Collection at EUG

A mural-sized version of a license plate that benefits the Oregon Cultural Trust is on display near the A Gates. Travelers are invited to search for the 127 Oregon cultural symbols featured in the artwork.

The airport has plenty of other art throughout the terminal, including a changing gallery of work by adults in the Oregon Supported Living Program; a collection of images taken from data collected by University of Oregon researchers in astronomy, biology, and other sciences; and a fun multi-site work called “Flight Patterns,” by David Joyce that features almost life-sized photos of people in various mid-flight poses.

3. Rocking Chairs

EUG offers seating with power ports, seating at high tables, and, of course, banks of traditional airport seating.

But the most coveted seats at Eugene Airport, as at many other airports, are the rocking chairs.

4. Big Duck Statues

A handful of the 6-foot-tall fiberglass ducks that were once part of an art installation around town back in 2002 have waddled their way to the airport.

5. Souvenir Sasquatch Poo

There are lots of local and regionally-themed souvenirs to buy in the airport shops. But one of the most popular items is Bigfoot Poop.

5 Things We Love About Eugene Airport is part of the ongoing 5 Things We Love About .. series on Stuck at the Airport. Let us know if you’d like us to add your favorite airport.