Airport art

Travel tidbits from airports near you

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Pittsburgh Int’l Airport’s new terminal is almost done

(Image courtesy Gensler)

Later this week, we’ll be doing a hard hat tour of Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal, visiting the airport’s in-terminal day care center (yes, they have one!) and checking in on some of our favorite art pieces at PIT.

Stay tuned for pics.

Fresh art at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

SEA is the home base airport for the Stuck at the Airport team, and one thing we love about the airport is all the art. It’s wonderful and, often, reassuring to see favorite pieces before or after a flight.

And it’s always a treat to spot new art being added to the collection.

It’s not crazy to celebrate an anniversary at an airport

Our tradition of celebrating milestone anniversaries at new or cool airport hotels, such as the Hilton with a rooftop lounge that opened at Nashville International Airport not too long ago, made it into this Washington Post article about airport hotels.

This article is a perfect match for a story we wrote back in 2018 about the first airport hotels.

Airport hotels are no longer dominated by the staid, cheap, bed-for-a-night abodes that were standard for so many decades. New accommodations hark back to the luxury of early aviation, featuring top-notch amenities enjoyable by all. My latest in the @washingtonpost.com.

— Edward Russell (@byerussell.com) 2025-04-22T13:06:28.199Z

Orlando Int’l Airport ready for National Public Sleeping Day

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Have you ever fallen asleep in an airport or on an airplane?

If so, you will appreciate and want to mark National Public Sleeping Day, which takes place each year on February 28th.

The unofficial national holiday celebrates and encourages taking a nap in public places, including airports and on airplanes, a skill most travelers have down pat.

The holiday gets special attention at Orlando International Airport (MCO), which is home to Duane Hanson’s hyperrealistic sculpture commonly referred to as The Sleeping Man, but officially titled “The Traveler.”

The sculpture has been part of the airport’s art collection since 1985 and now sits in a display case on Level 3 of MCO’s Main Terminal. According to the airport, when the sculpture was first installed, “the model who posed for the piece – a neighbor of Hanson’s – was in attendance, sitting next to the finished sculpture. When the model abruptly stood up and walked away, it caused quite a stir among the staff and visitors.”

In 2024, “The Traveler” underwent a refresh from a local conservator who was able to complete the job “without waking him up from his almost 40-year slumber.”

This year, in honor of National Public Sleeping Day – February 28 – Orlando International Airport is hosting a look-alike contest inspired by “The Traveler” sculpture.

To enter, all you need to do is dress up as the sleeping man and show up by the sculpture at MCO airport between 11 am and noon on Friday, February 28th. The prize: an MCO Icons pin for your collection.

Snooze and you lose. Or, in this case, win.

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)