The American Society of Aviation Artists turns 21 years old this year and the party it throws to celebrate - an exhibit of members' art - is touching down at an airport for the first time.
The group, which promotes excellence in and appreciation for aerospace art, is holding its annual international exhibition at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The exhibition began Monday and will run through Sept. 7.
"It's very appropriate that while they're looking at the paintings, they'll hear airplanes taking off," Kristin Hill, the president of the society, said of passengers who will see the artwork. "They will see a whole variety of aviation subjects and they are going to go be involved in aviation."
The exhibition of 58 paintings depicts aircraft and flight. It is free and on display on the upper level of the airport's international terminal. The exhibit is open to the public; visitors do not need to be at the airport for travel to view the show.
Aviation art is similar to other forms of art because each artist has a unique style and favorite subjects, society members said. For some, that means focusing on the technical side of aviation, while for others it means concentrating on the reactions which flight produces.
Keith Ferris, one of the society's founders, will have two paintings on display at the exhibition. His works use light, distance and depth to highlight flight.
"A lot of people are just interested in the details of airplanes," Mr. Ferris said. "I'm interested in the tree-dimensional feeling of flight."
Aviation art is important and enjoyable because aviation plays a role in history, the military, commerce and culture, Ms. Hill said. The first aviation art included the 19th-century depiction of air balloons but the field really took off after airplanes were introduced into the first World War.
"Many people are fascinated by it or curious about it even if they haven't pursued that field," she said. "There's a certain romance to it, a certain excitement. It's had an enormous influence on our world."
The society was founded in 1986 and meets annually to share information about aircraft and art. Today the group, which also met this week in the county, has about 300 members. The group has gathered in the state once before at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
Previous exhibits have been held at art and air museums. Those venues have been appropriate, but members said they are excited that the airport will allow viewers to interact with their art in a unique way.
The airport has focused on art during its renovations, spokesman Jonathan Dean said, including installing sculptures, hosting a youth gallery and adding decorative tile to garages.
The aviation art exhibit, though, is one of the largest to ever be held at the airport.
"At airports generally is there's a lot of traffic and usually there's not a good location to hang paintings," Mr. Ferris said. "But BWI has this wonderful wall in the international terminal that's perfect for this. We're looking forward to see how this one works."
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