Nashville airport unveils new spring, summer art series featuring Tennessee artists
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The Nashville International Airport (BNA) has launched its Spring/Summer installment of the Flying Solo series, offering travelers an immersive artistic experience.
The new exhibits, which will be on display through June 27, 2025, feature the works of Tennessee artists James Allen, William Arthur, Sean Coffey, Mark Flake, Dalia Garcia, and Blaine Steiner.
The Flying Solo series is a rotating art exhibit that allows art organizations and talented artists to showcase their work at the airport each season. The current collection includes art varying from paintings to photographs to intricate blown glass pieces, all curated to give travelers a taste of Nashville's vibrant arts scene.
Here are this season's new artists:
1) James Allen- "Time Travellers”
Location: Concourse D, near Gates D2, D3 and D4
James Allen is a visionary artist whose unique approach to "book excavations" transforms found books into captivating relief sculptures. By meticulously carving through the pages, Allen reveals hidden content, and with the pages he removes, he crafts intricate multi-media collages. His artwork serves as windows through which viewers can explore the relationship between time and travel. His creations bring the past into the present while inviting contemplation of the future in a new light as we prepare for the next leg of our journey. Allen's work has been exhibited in museums and galleries nationwide and is part of esteemed collections at institutions such as Middle Tennessee State University, University of California, Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins University, and Ringling College of Art and Design. Currently based in Nashville, Allen continues to create and inspire.
2) William Arthur- 'the end is in the beginning’ T.S. Eliot
Location: IAF Exit Waiting Area, Level 1
William Arthur’s artistic journey began after rediscovering his passion for academics and printmaking, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Miami University and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Georgia. While at Georgia, he restored a letterpress, incorporating text into his lithography, and produced a graduate thesis featuring original poems and prints. In 1983, Arthur began teaching at The Ensworth School, where he taught art, coached sports, and led 33 wilderness canoe trips to Quetico Provincial Park over 23 years. These trips provided students with challenging and transformative experiences in nature. As a teacher, Arthur emphasized meaningful, original art rooted in technique and history. Since retiring in 2015, he has continued his passion for woodblock printing, creating work inspired by a connection to the elemental and sublime.
3) Sean Coffey- Untitled
Location: A/B Exit Waiting Area, near the Tennessee Tribune
Sean Coffey is a Memphis-based artist and owner of The Coffey Shop, a creative studio specializing in murals, fine arts, sculpture, and interactive space design. His work blends elements of street art with nature-inspired themes using metal and paint. Coffey’s artistic journey began in 2005 when he moved from Chambersburg, PA, to Pittsburgh to earn a bachelor's degree in industrial design. After working as an architectural product engineer for seven years, he opened The Coffey Shop in 2012. In 2023, he relocated his studio to Memphis. His recent projects include murals with the Steel City Arts Foundation and a sculpture for the Underwater Museum of Florida. His work reflects a deep appreciation for nature and explores the interaction between urban and natural environments. By combining traditional metalworking with modern spray paint techniques, he creates bold, textured pieces that highlight the relationship between humans and nature. Coffey’s artistic practice is constantly evolving, driven by a desire to push boundaries and tell stories through his art.
4) Mark Flake -"Fables”
Location: IAF Exit Waiting Area, Level 1
Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Mark Flake is a painter, composer, and filmmaker. He earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from East Tennessee State University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the University of Memphis. Compared stylistically to the German Expressionists and Surrealists, his paintings feature rich impasto and muted colors, often black, white, and earth tones. Flake's surreal and expressionistic oil paintings have been exhibited across the United States. His graphic art graces album and compact disc covers in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Flake's sculptural works are primarily found object pieces reminiscent of Marcel Duchamp's style and temporary installations inspired by the Fluxus movement. His early art explored finding beauty and hidden meaning in the mundane. Since 2010, his work has become more monochromatic, with impasto combined with transparent washes and unpainted spaces.
5) Dalia Garcia- “The Duality of Colors-Reflection”
Location: Concourse D, near Gates D2, D3 and D4
Dalia Garcia is an American painter and bilingual singer/songwriter based in Nashville. Born into a U.S. military family, her upbringing took her across Europe, Central America and the U.S., including seven years in Madrid, Spain. Garcia, a University of South Carolina graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, has followed an unconventional artistic path. Her passions for art and music are intertwined, one influencing the other. Her work has garnered attention for its emotional and bold use of color. Her series, “The Duality of Colors-Reflection,” showcases her quieter side. With a growing portfolio of commissioned pieces and a continuously evolving artistic vision, Garcia eagerly anticipates her next chapter, always ready to embrace new opportunities for growth as an artist and storyteller.
6) Blaine Steiner - Untitled
Location: Concourse A, Near Gate A2
Blaine Steiner, who earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Tulane University in New Orleans, specializes in large-scale cast glass sculpture. She often laughs when asked about being a glass artist, as she considers herself a sculptor who appreciates glass for its contradictions. Steiner finds self-reflection in glass, a medium she believes is underestimated for its strength and versatility. Her work embraces these contradictions and challenges traditional expectations of glass as a fine art material. Steiner has collaborated with various artists and worked at studios across the country, including the Pittsburgh Glass Center and the Corning Museum of Glass. Recently, she and her partner, Sam Spees, have been working to open a studio in Nashville, aiming to bring glass art to the city. They operate their businesses, Spees Studios and Pontus Design Co., from their space in Berry Hill.
BNA's Arts at the Airport, established in 1988, focuses on showcasing cultural diversity and creative talent in Tennessee. The airport's terminal and surrounding facilities are designed to incorporate rotating public art exhibits, permanent acquisitions, and opportunities for live entertainment performances.
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