Arts at the Airport and Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival® Announce Winners of the 10th Annual Bonnaroo-Themed Skylight Exhibition at BNA®

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 13, 2023) – Nashville International Airport® (BNA®), Arts at the Airport, the Bonnaroo Works Fund and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival® are proud to announce the 10th annual Bonnaroo-themed skylight exhibition at BNA. The winning artists for 2023 are Dennis DeBon, Sarah Deppe, Mr. Hanimal and Cie Hoover.  

This exhibition is funded by Arts at the Airport and the Bonnaroo Works Fund, the charitable arm of the festival. The winning entries are suspended from the ceiling in four skylights located in Concourses B and C and will be on display through April 7, 2024. Each artist received a $4,500 honorarium.  

The four winning entries were selected by a jury composed of members of the Bonnaroo team and Arts at the Airport Board of Directors. The winners were selected based on artistic quality and communication of the Bonnaroo brand to both new and familiar audiences.  

Below is a brief description of each artist and skylight exhibit:  

Dennis DeBon (Florida)
“Energy Webs”
Concourse C, near Gate 2
www.EnergyWebs.com
@energywebs
Link to artwork

Dennis DeBon grew up in Buffalo, N.Y, where he developed skills in mechanical drafting and structural design. He attended the Rochester Institute of Technology where he studied photography and graphic design before moving to the Tampa Bay area.  

Debon has trademarked “EnergyWebs™” to brand his unique process of creating stacked glass pieces that are hand-cut, scalloped, polished, painted and then adhered together. The transparency of glass is integrated with not only splashes of color but also the element of motion. Each piece is a handcrafted, one-of-a-kind, unique form of modern glass art. The radiating colorful designs evoke the fun of childhood “spin art,” as well as the pulsing music of Bonnaroo.

Sarah Deppe (Wisconsin)
“In the Clouds”
Concourse C, near Gate 3
www.sarahdeppe.com
@sarah_deppe_
Link to artwork 

Sarah Deppe earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Northern Iowa. Her work is an investigation of the constantly changing urban landscape. Deppe is interested in how objects and materials within our urban spaces shift and warp our interaction with the natural world. She has exhibited in many juried shows throughout the nation including Chicago, Ill., Des Moines, Iowa, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Oak Park, Ill. Deppe also has permanent installations at Texas A&M University and Coralville, Iowa. She is currently creating artwork in Madison, Wis.  

“In the Clouds” reflects the colorful, upbeat Bonnaroo festival atmosphere while using reclaimed plastic materials. Engaging reclaimed materials is an integral to the Bonnaroo brand, which emphasizes sustainability.

Mr. Hanimal (Colorado)
“Reflections on Peace”
Concourse C, near Gate 19
www.mrhanimal.com
@mr_hanimal
Link to artwork 

Mr. Hanimal is a multidisciplinary artist who creates murals, large paintings and sculptures. He got his start painting large-scale projects as a basketball court painter. In that capacity, he executed multiple high priority job sites including Division One schools with contracts in the millions of dollars. He worked with clients to make sure that the job was painted within budget and on schedule. Since becoming a mural painter, Mr. Hanimal has produced many private and public commissions. He has participated in RiNo Arts Fest in 2018 and in Far Out Mural Fest in Walsenburg in 2021. He has installed work at Gem and Jam, Sonic Bloom, Luminade Denver, No Vacancy Denver, and RiNo Arts Fest. An active member of the Denver art community, he taught a mural painting course to teenagers at the Center for the Visual Arts in Denver as a way to give back to younger generations.  

Mr. Hanimal’s art deals with environmental justice through a careful use of recycled and upcycled materials while focusing on whimsical and surrealist subject matter. The reused materials and peaceful message fit the Bonnaroo focus on recycling, sustainability and global consciousness, while disco tiles echo the iconic Bonnaroo fire tower with its giant disco ball.

Cie Hoover (Colorado)
“Infinite Crescendos”
Concourse B, near Gate 4 

www.CieCreativeCo.com
@CieCreativeCo
@CieCreativeCo
Link to artwork

Cie Hoover lives and creates art in Ouray, Colo., also known as the “Switzerland of America.” He worked in the Nashville music industry for nearly a decade, and then toured full-time for six and a half years throughout North America alongside his wife Karisa in the folk-rock duo “You Knew Me When.” Afterward, he immersed himself in the visual arts among Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Hoover’sartwork utilizes various types of wood to create wall-mounted works with depth and texture, as well as large sculptural pieces that can be studied from all angles. His public art installations can be seen throughout Colorado and his work is represented by the Slate Gray Gallery in Telluride.  

Through the employment of wood as the primary medium, “Infinite Crescendos” pays homage to nature and to the natural world. It is art derived from a need for humans to reconnect with nature and the earth, and thus reconnect with each other, creating a sense of balance and peace. 

About Bonnaroo Works Fund
The Bonnaroo Works Fund was established in 2009 with a mission to make the world a better place through its support of nonprofit organizations that advance the arts, education, and environmental sustainability, with a focus on local reinvestment and asset building in the communities where we work, live and play. Organizations interested in grants can apply online here. Bonnaroo Works Fund was created by the festival founders to foster a year-round philanthropic spirit – and to give back to the local communities.   

Arts at the Airport
The Arts at the Airport (AaA) program showcases the region’s visual and performing arts. AaA is governed by a 15-member Arts at the Airport Foundation board and is funded by the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. The award-winning Arts at the Airport program reviews and presents works by local, regional and national artists for the enjoyment and enrichment of BNA’s passengers and visitors. In addition to visual art, Arts at the Airport includes live music performances on stages throughout BNA’s passenger terminal.  

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