Tuesday, July 5, 2005
Airports try to make flying a
beautiful experience
By Roger Yu
USA TODAY
Fine art and
airports seem less than ideal bedfellows. But airport art programs are
flourishing.
Airports are adding to permanent collections, creating more
space for rotating exhibits and seeing greater demand from local museums that
want to showcase collections.
San Francisco, Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix and
Albany, N.Y., run "museums without walls."
Dallas/Fort Worth
International has spent $6 million for a new art program launched this year,
mostly for permanent pieces in the new International Terminal D opening this
month and in stations of the airport people-mover. (Related column: Catch some
culture before you catch your flight)
Phoenix Sky Harbor has 400 pieces
in its permanent collection, making it one of the largest museums in
Arizona.
Atlanta has 30 temporary exhibit spaces. Some airports, such as
Philadelphia, have a staff dedicated to the programs.
What's behind the
boom
The number of airports with formal art programs is unclear, says
Greg Mamary of the American Association of Airport Executives. But attendance at
the association's annual art conference has grown steadily over the last four
years.
More than 40 airports will be represented at the 2005 conference
next week in Denver.
Behind the revival:
•New construction. Many
local governments require up to 2% of the cost of new buildings to be spent on
art. Art programs have benefited from an airport building boom. Much of the
spending goes to permanent pieces integrated into the architecture. "The amount
allocated to public art is larger than ever," says Yolanda Sanchez of Miami
International.
Her airport will spend $18 million on art projects during
the capital-improvement program that ends in 2010.
•Better service.
Post-Sept. 11 security has meant travelers are stuck for longer periods at
airports, giving them time to kill. And airports have provided art as a customer
service. Art "humanizes the travel experience," says Sharon Bates of Albany
International.
•Competition, imitation. Airports are looking to
distinguish themselves. Phoenix has expanded its program aiming to join San
Francisco as the only airport art programs accredited by the American
Association of Museums, says Lennee Eller, Phoenix's art director.
Terrie
Dean of Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport in Virginia began its art program in
2002 after she looked at Albany's program. Albany's 2,500-square-foot gallery is
one of the biggest exhibition venues in its region.
"The audience now
realizes it's a serious endeavor," says Leah Douglas of Philadelphia
International, adding the presentations have become more
sophisticated.
Different conceptions
Some airports, such as
Phoenix, have large permanent collections scattered throughout. Others, such as
Miami and Albany, have built enclosed galleries.
In new construction,
most of the art is incorporated into the design, says Cheryl Marcell of
Sacramento International. Her airport spent $1 million for steel sculptures of
birds that hover over a new parking lot, as well as other artworks.
The
new terminal at Dallas/Fort Worth displays large art medallions by local
artists, including Richard Zapata, Viola Delgado and Lane Banks. The terminal
also includes other large sculptures, including Terry Allen's giant wishbone and
Anitra Blayton's 16-foot Standing Ovation, featuring bronze and terra cotta
human hands in stages of applauding.
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, at
concourses A and B, will unveil in 2007 an artificial, high-tech forest canopy
that will emit lights and sounds of birds and fireflies.
Rotating
exhibits take off
Airports are introducing more rotating exhibits to
cater to diverse travelers. Exhibits include not only paintings and sculpture
but local history and pop culture.
A current Miami exhibit now shows the
works of Pablo Cano, a local artist who makes marionettes from discarded items.
A Philadelphia exhibit presents the history of Phillies' baseball
stadiums.
Miami now has seven areas designated for rotating exhibits, up
from two a few years ago. It's also building a gallery celebrating the city's
design and architecture heritage. Designing rotating exhibits is a challenge for
airport art directors because they must capture the attention of people on the
go, says David Vogt of Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson.
Rotating exhibits have
to be more decorative and convey information quickly, he says. He relies heavily
on one particular exhibit space — a display case that runs along the wall at T
gates for 140 feet. Travelers can view contents as they walk along. The exhibit
there displays items from Georgia's rich music history. "You don't need a lot of
time to observe James Brown's red-sequined outfits," he says.
Meanwhile,
the idea of showing their art at the airport is gaining traction among artists
and museums, directors say. The exhibit spaces at Charlottesville, modeled after
those at Thomas Jefferson's nearby home, Monticello, are booked until 2007. An
exhibit next January will display the works of Eduardo Galliani, a well-known
Charlottesville photographer whose works often depict local people and
equestrian events.
Passengers, too, seem to be taking notice. Says
Atlanta's Vogt: "Now you see passengers who do take time to appreciate airport
art. Even if they're not consciously aware of it, they're subconsciously
processing, 'That's nice.' "
What's on display where
| City |
Permanent |
Rotating exhibit spaces |
Popular current exhibit |
Exhibit location | |
| Phoenix |
400 |
25 |
"Glass, Metal, Wood" — works by 13 Arizona
artists |
Terminal 3 | |
| Atlanta |
280 |
30 |
"Georgia Music History" — historical items of Georgia
musicians |
T gates | |
| San Francisco |
75 |
27 |
"Mapping America" — historical U.S. maps |
International terminal | |
| Denver |
26 |
10 |
"Why Travel?" — photos and paintings that reveal why the
artists travel |
Bridge toward Concourse A | |
| Albany, N.Y. |
0 |
20 |
"Precious Little" — small to minuscule art objects
|
Main Terminal Gallery | |
| Miami |
0 |
7 |
"New York to Homebase" — marionettes made from discarded
objects by Pablo Cano |
Gallery at Concourse E | |
| Philadelphia |
10 |
13 |
"Building the Ballpark: Phillies' Stadium History"
|
Between Terminals C and D | |
| Sacramento |
8 |
12 |
"The Dream of Earth: 21st Century Tendencies in Mexican
Sculpture" — works by six Mexican-born artists |
Terminal B | |
| Source: USA TODAY research | |||||