New Flying Solo Art Exhibits Take Flight at Nashville International Airport

Tennessee Artists Shine in Renowned Rotating Display at BNA

Nashville, Tenn. (March 17, 2025) – The Spring/Summer installment of the Flying Solo series at Nashville International Airport® (BNA®) has officially debuted, welcoming travelers to partake in an immersive artistic journey. These new exhibits will be on display through June 27, 2025, showcasing the works of talented Tennessee artists including James Allen, William Arthur, Sean Coffey, Mark Flake, Dalia Garcia, and Blaine Steiner.

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 striking paintings and thought-provoking photographs to intricate blown glass pieces. These artistic expressions are carefully curated to provide travelers with a genuine taste of Nashville's thriving arts scene.

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:

 

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.

 

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.

 

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 paintCoffey’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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

About 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, is funded primarily by the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, and receives some funding from the Tennessee Arts Commission. 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.

About Nashville International Airport®
As infrastructure is critical to the region’s growth and prosperity, BNA is a vital asset for Middle Tennessee and serves as a gateway to Music City and beyond. According to a recent State of Tennessee study, in 2019 alone, BNA generated more than $9.9 billion in total economic impact. BNA supported more than 76,000 jobs in the region and produced more than $443 million in state, local and federal taxes. BNA receives no local tax dollars. For more information, visit flynashville.com. Follow us on Facebook: @NashvilleInternationalAirport, X: @Fly_Nashville, and Instagram: @FlyNashville. Learn more about New Horizon, our growth and expansion plan for the airport, at https://BNANewHorizon.com/

About John C. Tune Airport® 
Located in West Nashville, only eight miles from downtown Nashville, John C. Tune Airport, also known as JWN®, is the busiest general aviation airport in Tennessee. It serves the needs of regional, corporate, and private aircraft and is a reliever airport for Nashville International Airport (BNA). JWN has generated $92 million in economic impact and is owned and managed by the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. JWN receives no local tax dollars. For more information, visit flynashville.com/nashville-airport-authority/john-c-tune.

NASHVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT®,  BNA®, COMMANDER BERRY FIELD®, JOHN C. TUNE AIRPORT®, and JWN®, among others, are the registered trademarks and trademarks of The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (“MNAA”). Use of these trademarks without permission from MNAA is strictly prohibited.

###