NAP Fatured in The Village, "The Gulf Coast's Premier Niche Arts Magazine"

The Art of Airports

 

There are some things you come to expect at airports-long lines, expensive food, people rushing. What you might not expect is artwork ranging from pre-school painters to Dutch masters enlivening terminal walls, transforming some airports into contemporary galleries rivaling any you will find downtown. We recently travelled through several major airports and were amazed by what we saw.

 

Boston’s Logan Airport art program mission is to “create and manage exhibitions that refine the airport environment while supporting local artists and institutions. By creating an ambience in the airport that reflects the sophistication and cultural diversity of the City of Boston, the region of New England, and the world at large, we aim to educate, inspire and entertain all Logan visitors.” New exhibits in 2012 include a collection of over 30 movie posters from films shot in Massachusetts, beginning with the 1961 classic, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” The exhibit will expand as state hosts more film crews.

 

At Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport we were lucky enough to have a flight out of Concourse E, a portion of the airport that was built for the Centennial Olympic Games that the city hosted in 1996. Each gate area in the terminal features installations by artists of the southeastern United States. Atlanta’s airport features rotating exhibits as well as a permanent collection of 250 pieces by Georgia artists, and was lauded by CNN in a piece on art in airports.

 

Orlando International Airport also boasts a permanent art collection as well as occasional temporary exhibits. Currently on display is Share the Art, an exhibit of work by airport employees and their families, sponsored by the National Arts Program and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

 

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