San Francisco International Airport

Raven Visits SFO.

Art, ,

The Stuck at the Airport team is a big fan of both the work of Seattle-based glass artist Preston Singletary and the impressive exhibits at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) that the SFO Museum puts together.

So we’re delighted that the newest SFO Museum exhibition at SFO is Preston Singletary: Raven Visits SFO.

The Tlingit and other native Northwest peoples, revere the Raven character as not only a creator of the world but also a trickster and a transformer.

Singletary’s Tlingit heritage and culture is reflected in his modern studio glass sculptures. For this exhibit, he’s collaborated with Garth Stein, a New York Times bestselling author who is also of Tlingit ancestry, and both the sculptures and the narrative text explore what Raven might be up to these days.

Preston Singletary: Raven Visits SFO is on view pre-security International Departures Hall of the San Francisco International Airport from June 21, 2025­ ­– October 18, 2026.

(All images courtesy of SFO Museum)

Museum Monday: Chinese baskets at SFO Airport

Art, ,

A new exhibition from the SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) celebrates the artistry of Chinese basketry and containers, many of which feature hand-painted motifs and auspicious symbols.

Portland Craft: Chinese Woven Baskets and Containers is on view post-security in SFO’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1 from April 19, 2025­, to June 7, 2026.

Here are some notes about the craft of Chinese basketry from the exhibit curators.

Baskets range in size, form, and usage—from sewing baskets and hat containers to food-carrying baskets and storage containers for grain, clothing, and other domestic items.

Betrothal or gift baskets, some of the most ornate Chinese baskets, are filled with food and gifts and given to the bride-to-be by the groom and his family.

Still made today in several southeasteHrn provinces, many of these specimens are now intended for the tourist or international market.

However, the SFO Museum exhibition features baskets from the 19th to early 20th century. Included are some baskets that not woven at all but are crafted from wood and laquered to mimic the form of a basket.

Here’s a sampling. All images courtesy SFO Museum.

Cherry blossom festival at SFO

Events, ,

SFO Celebrates Cherry Blossom Festival

Cherry Blossom season is underway in many cities and regions.

And that includes San Francisco and Northern California, where the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is underway.

The festival is one of the largest cherry blossom festivals outside of Japan, with performances, music, art, exhibits, and a Grand Parade.

Activities extend to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) as well.

SFO’s Cherry Blossom Festival features live music events through April 22, post-security in Terminal 2 across from Compass Books.

Here’s the rundown:

Thursday, April 10: Aki Oshiro and Shinobue (10 AM – 1:30 PM)

Aki Oshiro is a queer, trans, and non-binary, fourth-generation Japanese Okinawan-American professional taiko artist based in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area.  

Friday, April 11: Kiyonomoto Ryu (10 AM – 2 PM) 

The USA branch of the Kiyonomoto School of traditional Japanese dancing was founded in 1994.

Thursday, April 17: Kaori Suzuki (10 AM – 2 PM)

Sakura Ren is a non-profit performing art group showcasing Japanese traditional dance called Awa-odori and its music.

Friday, April 18: Ito Yosakoi (12 PM – 3 PM)

Ito Yosakoi is a community yosakoi dance program of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) located in San Francisco Japantown.

SFO Museum celebrates San Francisco

Museums, ,

 

Here’s a great reason to plan or be thankful for a long layover at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

The SFO Museum‘s newest exhibition, San Francisco: City of the World, offers travelers a thoughtful, fun and educational look at the iconic city’s colorful history.

Find it post-security in Terminal 2 through July 6, 2025.

A preview of images and information from the exhibit is below.

Content and images courtesy of SFO Museum.

In 1848, gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The following year, more than seven hundred ships arrived in San Francisco.

The Gold Rush transformed the region into a bustling city of approximately twenty-five thousand inhabitants, including thousands of Chinese immigrants who established California’s oldest and largest Chinatown.

Andrew Smith Hallidie (1836–1900) tested the first cable car in 1873 on Clay Street and public service began in September that same year.

By the turn of the twentieth century, San Francisco was known as the “Paris of the West,” until the 1906 earthquake and resulting fires leveled the city.

The resilient metropolis was quickly rebuilt, and during the early 1900s numerous San Francisco landmarks, such as Coit Tower (1933) and the Golden Gate Bridge (1937)—the most photographed bridge in the world—were built. In addition to its natural beauty and historical sites, San Francisco has long served as a meeting ground for diverse groups of people and countercultures, which are also explored throughout the exhibition.

Fresh art at SFO Airport: Rosie the Riveter

Art, Uncategorized, , ,

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.

(Images courtesy of SFO Museum)