Nashville International Airport Showcases New Local Art in the Flying Solo Series
Nashville International Airport®, also known as BNA®, is pleased to announce the debut of its Fall/Winter Flying Solo series, an immersive art experience designed to delight passengers and visitors. These new exhibits will be on display through February 28, 2025, showcasing the works of talented Tennessee artists including Barbara Bullard, Sean Coffey, Alan Finch, Wansoo Kim, Jennifer Luna, Anna Togrye, and Ginny Togrye.
The Flying Solo series is a respected, rotating art exhibit that offers art organizations and gifted artists an opportunity to exhibit their work at BNA each season. The artwork on display covers a wide spectrum, ranging from traditional metalworking techniques combined with modern spray paint to dynamic, three-dimensional paintings and intricate stone sculptures.
Created in 1988, BNA’s Arts at the Airport is an ever-growing, ever-changing showcase of cultural diversity and creative talent in Tennessee. The terminal and surrounding facilities were designed to incorporate rotating public art exhibits, permanent acquisitions, and opportunities for live entertainment performances throughout the airport.
A brief biography of the featured artists and their work is as follows:
Barbara B. Bullard
“Full Transparency” (watercolor paintings)
Located on Level 1, IAF Exit Waiting Area
@barbara.b.bullard
Link to artwork
Barbara Blanks Bullard is a native Tennessean who has resided in Franklin, Tenn., for the last 45 years. She graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Art Education/Fine Art, which led to a long career as a secondary school Art Educator in both public and private schools. This teaching experience solidified her belief that creative expression is an integral part of the human experience, and that the act of making is important and attainable by all.
Now retired from teaching, Bullard focuses on serious studio work, as well as actively participating in arts organizations that foster the support of art and artists. She has been involved for many years with the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tenn., where she currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors.
Her work has been featured in juried exhibitions at the local, regional and national levels winning awards in drawing, painting and mixed media. She has paintings in the permanent collections of Columbia State College Pryor Gallery and the Erlanger Hospital. Bullard was recently named a “National Woman in the Arts” by the National Society of the DAR and has been a featured artist of the Arts and Business Council of Nashville.
Bullard’s paintings capture fleeting moments, small slices of life that hint at a larger narrative through symbolic artifacts and personal imagery. Employing nostalgic objects—flowers from her garden, her grandmother's silver, a jar of childhood marbles—she seeks to bridge the gap between memory and the present, inviting viewers to reflect on their own past experiences.
She is particularly drawn to painting glass objects with watercolor, captivated by the clarity, color, and distortion created by light passing through transparent glass. Her technique involves layering numerous washes of transparent color to build a surface of depth and richness. As watercolor utilizes no white paint, careful planning and control are necessary to achieve the essence of clear glass.
Sean Coffey (mixed media)
Located on Level 1, IAF Exit Waiting Area
Sean Coffey, a Memphis-based artist, is the owner and operator of The Coffey Shop, a full-time creative studio specializing in mural painting, fine arts production, sculpture, and interactive space design. His creative journey, deeply rooted in the vibrant Memphis community, is a fusion of street art and nature-inspired themes.
After graduating from Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in industrial design, Coffey worked as an architectural product engineer for seven years before dedicating himself full-time to his art. His recent move to Memphis in October 2023 has opened new avenues for his creative expression. His recent commissions include seven murals with the Steel City Arts foundation and a sculpture titled "Pirate Shipwreck" for the underwater museum of Florida.
Coffey's work primarily utilizes metal and paint to create captivating pieces that blend urban aesthetics with natural elements. His artistic process involves experimenting with various techniques and materials, resulting in unique metalwork that combines traditional methods with modern spray paint techniques. This fusion allows him to create bold textures and striking visuals that reflect the intricate relationship between urban landscapes and natural environments. By exploring these themes, Coffey aims to highlight the impact of human interactions on the environment and the importance of preserving nature's beauty.
Alan Finch
“Epiphany” (digital photography and mixed media)
Located in the Level 1, IAF Exit Waiting Area
www.alanfinchart.com
Link to artwork
Before beginning to exhibit his work in early 1986, Alan Finch attended Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He began his career as a painter and then became interested in stone sculpting. Finch considers himself a spontaneous abstract expressionist. His artwork has been exhibited locally, regionally and nationally over the past 40 years.
Having founded two art groups, Finch has embarked on a new artistic journey, focusing on abstract nature photography. His work seamlessly integrates photography with painting and mixed media, resulting in captivating abstract expressions of the natural world.
Wansoo Kim
“Within Me” (ceramic sculpture)
Located on Concourse A, across from Gate 2
Hailing from South Korea, Wansoo Kim is a talented artist and educator now at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. With a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts from the University of Nebraska and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramic Art and Design from Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Kim has actively exhibited his art in both solo and group shows.
Kim's art has been featured in notable exhibitions, including those at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California (2024), the Red Arrow Gallery in Nashville, Tennessee (2013), Whitespace in Atlanta, Georgia (2023), and the Jane Hartsook Gallery at Greenwich House in New York, New York (2022).
Some of his recent exhibitions include: The American Museum of Ceramic Art (Pomona, Calif., 2024), the Red Arrow Gallery (Nashville, Tenn., 2013), Whitespace (Atlanta, Ga., 2023), and the Jane Hartsook Gallery at Greenwhich House (New York, N.Y., 2022). He currently teaches at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn.
Jennifer Luna
“Transcending the Surface” (wood block prints)
Located in the Level 1, IAF Exit Waiting Area
@lunamaplemoon
www.maplemoondesigns.com
Link to artwork
In her exploration of painted woodcuts, Jennifer Luna seeks to create vibrant and whimsical narratives that captivate the eye and provoke introspection. Her woodcuts reflect the intricate relationship between humanity and nature, capturing the essence of creatures engaging in everyday human endeavors. Each carving is a testament to the interconnectedness of all living beings, reminding viewers that they are not separate from the environment that surrounds them, but rather an integral part of it.
As these creatures partake in human activities, they serve as mirrors reflecting humanity back to itself. The artist invites viewers to contemplate their own place in the world and reconnect with their true selves by “Transcending the Surface.” Just as these creatures find joy and fulfillment in simple acts, so too can viewers find meaning and purpose by embracing their innate connection to the natural world and rediscovering their authentic selves.
Anna Togrye
“Impressions of Nature” (sculpture)
Located on Concourse D, near Gate 2
Anna Togrye is a self-taught artist whose passion for the natural world stems in part from a background in biology. She draws inspiration from the beauty of the planet and its inhabitants and uses that as a foundation for her creative expression.
Togrye's animal sculptures are crafted with a metal framework, layered with a combination of polymer and air-dry clays, and finished with raw pigments and acrylics. Her sculptural wall pieces draw inspiration from the dynamic movements and migrations of animals, as well as the intricate patterns found in natural and geological formations.
Through her art, she aims to evoke an emotional connection to the natural world, encouraging viewers to pause and appreciate its vast beauty and our place in it.
Ginny Togrye
“The Science of Creativity” (mixed media)
Located on Concourse D, near Gates 3 and 5
@gtogrye
Link to artwork
Ginny Togrye, a visionary artist at Creative Visions Artists, merges her passion for both art and science in her work. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, she earned her degree from Middle Tennessee State University and honed her skills as a scientific illustrator during the Human Genome Project at the University of Tennessee. This experience ignited her passion for exploring the intersection of science and creativity, which serves as the foundation for her body of work titled “The Science of Creativity.”
A highlight of the collection is "The Universe in a Nutshell," a monumental painting inspired by Stephen Hawking's iconic book. Previously showcased as a mural at the Discovery Center Museum, this loaned masterpiece reflects her deep fascination with the cosmos and scientific concepts.
Togrye’s works are part of prestigious collections, including those of the city of Murfreesboro, the Discovery Center Museum, the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and St. Thomas Ascension Hospital. Dividing her time between studios in Nashville and Savannah, her work spans sculpture, painting, portraits and murals, though she is best known for her unique sculptural painting style.
Employing materials such as modeling paste and clay applied to canvas or board, her works are highly textured, inviting viewers to engage with them on a tactile level. This dynamic, three-dimensional painting technique stems from her background in sculpture and her love of color. Ginny uses a variety of tools, including palette knives, cake decorating instruments, clay and dental tools to create her unique style.
