Exhibits at BNA®

Across Country
Artist: Matt Goad
Medium: Terrazzo
Location: C/D Concourse Node
Installed: 2023

“Across Country” intertwines airplanes and musical instruments through a red, white and blue color scheme. The title references both travel across the U.S. and Nashville’s famous music genre. The three stars and color palette represent Tennessee’s flag, while the column symbolizes Nashville’s nickname, “The Athens of the South.” Swirl motifs pay homage to the popular carpet design that the terrazzo floor replaced. The overall design conveys travel to and from Music City through the motion and movement of a two-step dance.

American artist Matt Goad launched his artistic career while working as a graphic designer and illustrator in the mid-1990s. With a passion for color, composition and storytelling, his geometric approach guides viewers through a compositional narrative. His work remains accessible to the public and is widely appreciated. “Across Country” was fabricated and installed by David Allen Company.

Air/Traffic/Control
Artist: Ivan Toth Depeña
Media: Art glass, LED lights and sound compositions
Location: BNA Terminal Garage
Dedicated: December 2018

“Air/Traffic/Control,” created by Ivan Toth Depeña, transforms the six elevator lobbies in the Ground Transportation Center and Terminal Parking Garage at Nashville International Airport® into interactive art experiences.

Inspired by travelers’ journeys, the installation reimagines standard columns using light and glass. Each level features vibrant colored glass with intricate designs derived from flight paths and sound wave translations, visually connecting the different floors.

The artwork responds to movement within the elevator lobbies, with LED components creating visual reactions that mirror human circulation patterns. As viewers walk around and interact with the columns, colors and energy shift, creating an ever-changing display. An additional sensory dimension comes through sound installations triggered by motion sensors. Local musicians Tape Deck Mountain collaborated with Depeña to create randomized audio compositions that differ across floors, making each encounter unique.

Depeña, based in Charlotte, N.C., brings his interdisciplinary background, including a Master of Architecture from Harvard University, to create work that bridges art, architecture, technology and design.

Better Home Awaiting
Artists: Jairo and Susan Prado (Prado Studio)
Medium: Terrazzo
Location: A/B Concourse Node
Installed: 2023

“Better Home Awaiting” celebrates Nashville’s musical legacy, referencing WSM, the pioneering AM station that launched the WSM Barn Dance in 1925, which later became the Grand Ole Opry. From 1943-1974, the Opry resided in the Ryman Auditorium, a former worship space nicknamed “The Mother Church of Country Music.”

The piece honors the Opry tradition of performing “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” the gospel hymn made famous by the Carter Family in 1935. Its medallion design features a jet soaring above Nashville, with a sun resembling Tennessee maple wood, symbolizing homecoming and transcendence central to the song. Nashville artists Jairo and Susan Prado, known for architectural mosaics and public installations, created this vibrant tribute to Music City’s creative spirit. “Better Home Awaiting” was fabricated and installed by David Allen Company.

Celebration
Artist: Jorge Yances
Medium: oil on canvas
Location: BNA® Administrative Offices, Level 6
Dedicated: Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Award-winning artist Jorge A. Yances was born in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, and educated in the United States. He was labeled a creative prodigy by art aficionados at a very early age. During his teenage years, he fine-tuned his creative expression using a variety of techniques and finishes. Yances is a resident of Nashville, Tenn., and has a long, successful career creating and selling his artwork. Yances’ work has been on display and in demand throughout the United States, South America and Asia.

Yances’ unique style gives the viewer the opportunity to sense and feel more than one reality. The power of mind and matter intermingle and come to life on the canvas. This ability has earned Yances a premier position in the Magical Realism Movement.

About Celebration
The city strikes a particular chord in the hearts of those who come to Nashville with visions of a destination, not merely a place to visit. “Celebration” embraces and invites each viewer to awaken to the rhythm of our city; to come closer and see themselves reflected as a part of our story.

Distinctive Nashville imagery that initially draws the audience to the painting for a photo or selfie becomes, in close proximity and upon examination, a discovery of phantom spirits tucked away and peering out, beckoning – a powerful signature element of the Realismo Mágico style.

The magic of Nashville welcomes and unites many voices, songs, stories, cultures and perspectives. Welcome to Nashville!

Lyrical Journeys
Artists: RE:site Studio, Shane Allbritton and Norman Lee
Media: Steel, walnut wood and LED lighting
Location: Concourse D, Gate 2
Installed: 2020

RE:site Studio’s 90-foot installation “Lyrical Journeys” celebrates Nashville’s musical heritage through 14 pairs of steel bridge plates and 20 LED light strings. Designers Shane Allbritton and Norman Lee created this interactive tribute to symbolize multiple connections: the Cumberland River’s bridges, musical composition elements, stringed instruments, and Nashville’s role as a gathering place.

The installation cleverly represents how bridges support both physical infrastructure and artistic expression, mirroring the airport’s function as a transportation hub that welcomes visitors from around the world. Allbritton and Lee, known for exploring community and identity in public spaces, have crafted an experience that blends aesthetics with interpretive design, connecting past and present while encouraging discovery and dialogue.

Nashville's Rhythmic Skies
Artist: Eric "Mobe" Bass
Medium: Artist-grade spray paint
Location: BNA International Arrivals Facility
Installed: September 27, 2023

Crafted and painted by Nashville’s own Eric “Mobe” Bass, “Nashville’s Rhythmic Skies” is a sprawling 1,000-square-foot mural celebrating Nashville’s vibrant culture and the wonder of air travel. This installation honors the history of Nashville International Airport® while reflecting Music City’s rich cultural heritage and iconic imagery. Created with artist-grade spray paint, the mural achieves a distinctive texture and appearance unique to this medium.

Born and based in Nashville, Bass’ artistic style blends realistic and surrealistic elements with playful, lighthearted themes. His work features distinctive light play and graphic techniques influenced by his early passion for graffiti and street art. His creations adorn private collections worldwide and public spaces throughout the United States.

Discover more about Mobe Studios

On Air
Artists: Jake Elliot and Eric Mobe Bass
Medium: Artist-grade spray paint
Location: BNA® Terminal Garage 2, Ground Level
Dedicated: Wednesday, April 18, 2018

The mural “On Air” is a play on words, paying homage to the rich musical history of our city and to the role aviation plays in building our strong culture. “On Air” acts as a window from the airport into the city. It pulls viewers into a depiction of a recording studio, overlooking the state-ofthe-art airport and iconic Nashville skyline.

“On Air” is a collaboration by two accomplished Nashville-based artists, Jake Elliott and Eric “Mobe” Bass. Their public art pieces can be found throughout Nashville from Charlotte Avenue to East Nashville.

The Stars Come Out at Night
Artist: Guy Kemper
Fabricator: Mayer of Munich
Project description: This sculpture is composed of 12 four ft. x eight ft. Italian glass smalti mosaics with gold accents.
Dimensions: Mosaics measure 384 square feet total and are mounted on columns 30 inches in diameter.
Medium: Glass mosaic tiles
Location: Entrance, Consolidated Rental Car Center (CONRAC)
Installed: 2021

For nearly a century, Nashville has been a destination for those seeking stardom or wanting to witness greatness. The legacy of the city’s performers stands tall in the skyline, with each night bringing new stories to life. Some join the pantheon of legends; others appear briefly, shooting stars and one-hit wonders. Beyond music, Nashville thrives as a vibrant hub of diverse industries. “The Stars Come Out at Night,” is an elegant, understated artwork that captures the city’s evolving cosmopolitan character, evoking the night sky as seen from both above and below.

Guy Kemper translated these emotions into abstract paintings, which were meticulously recreated in glass mosaic tiles by Mayer of Munich. Artisans from Mayer of Munich worked alongside Kemper to adorn the twelve columns with these stunning mosaic glass tiles. Kemper lives and works on his farm in Kentucky. His work has been exhibited and commissioned in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

Due to construction on the Terminal Lobby's Central Core, this artwork will go into storage. "The Unscalable Rampart of Time" will be reconfigured with the artist and reinstalled at the completion of the Central Core project.

The Unscalable Rampart of Time
Artist: Jacob Hashimoto
Installation and site-specific development: Superabundant Atmospheres
Location: Grand Lobby Entrance, Nashville International Airport®
Installed: January 2023

Materials
9,000 kites – handmade washi paper (mulberry paper) and bamboo kites
4,800 fiberglass rods
More about the kites:

• Each kite circle measures 9-inches in diameter
• Some of the kites are printed with colorful images, including 650 unique graphics representing Nashville and Middle Tennessee
• Rivers, grasses, plants, trees and flowers are represented at the bottom of the sculpture
• Architecture, music, business, education and cultural symbols are positioned above the water, grasses, etc.
• The white kites represent the sky, clouds, aviation, planes, airports and travel

“The Unscalable Rampart of Time,” Jacob Hashimoto’s largest permanent sculpture, comprises 9,000 washi paper and bamboo kites. The form flows around the oculus and cascades into the atrium, past the escalators and the mezzanine. It reflects Nashville’s landscape, hills, waterways, native plants and open skies, featuring local references including Ryman Auditorium, Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge and Cumberland Park. Prominently displayed in the terminal, passengers experience the artwork at various speeds, whether dropping someone off or waiting beneath the swaying kites. The site-specific development and installation of the sculpture was managed by Superabundant Atmospheres.

Hashimoto is an American artist living in Ossining, N.Y. He creates complex worlds from a range of modular components such as bamboo and paper kites. His work can be found in both public and private collections nationally and internationally.

Wind Reeds
Artist: Ned Kahn
Medium: Aluminum
Location: Consolidated Rental Car Facility (CONRAC) exterior
Dedicated: 2011

The “Wind Reeds” sculpture adorns a section of the rental car facility with over 500 hinged aluminum elements that sway with the breeze like grass. These metal panels capture colors from the sky and the surrounding environment, creating an ever-changing mosaic that reflects sky conditions and wind currents. The artwork maintains a unique connection to Nashville’s atmosphere and climate, drawing its energy and animation directly from the moment-to-moment conditions of the local environment.

Ned Kahn, the creator, is an environmental artist and sculptor renowned for his public art installations and museum exhibitions. Throughout his career, he has been captivated by the intersection of science and art. For two decades, he has developed artwork inspired by atmospheric physics, geology, astronomy and fluid motion. Kahn’s artistic mission is to create pieces that allow viewers to observe and interact with natural processes. Rather than constructing alternative realities, he seeks to capture the inherent mystery of our surrounding world through his art.