Art isn’t confined to a gallery or museum anymore. It turns up in the most pedestrian of places, such as the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Placing art in airports opens up a world of opportunities for travelers to experience local talent and gain insight into an area even with a limited amount of time. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is an epicenter for art in airports. With its collection of “Just Plane Art,” a replica of the Wright Brother’s Wright Flyer, and a statue of Queen Charlotte, Charlotte Douglas anchors visitors to North Carolina, showcasing state history and present-day Charlotte. Whether coming or going, travelers now take note when they pass through the Queen City.
Wright Flyer
Installed: December 2003
Location: Entrance of concourse E
Description: Half-size reproduction of the original 1903 Wright Flyer that Orville and Wilbur Wright flew on December 17, 1903, marking the first powered flight
Creator: Aircraft Replicas LTD., a British aviation-design company
Postcards from North Carolina
Installed: October 2007
Location: Baggage claim/ticketing
Description: Six pieces of cut metal showcase the Charlotte skyline, and the North Carolina mountains and coast
Creator: Beatrice Coron
NASCAR Mural
Installed: October 2003
Location: Concourse E
Description: The mural depicts NASCAR drivers and salutes NASCAR’s all-star race, which began in Charlotte in 1985; moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1986; and returned to Charlotte in 1987
Creator: David Arrigo
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
5501 Josh Birmingham Parkway
Charlotte, N.C. 28208
(704) 359-4000
charlottedouglasintlairport.com
To commemorate our 90th anniversary, we’ve compiled a time line that highlights the stories, contributors, and themes that have shaped this magazine — and your view of the Old North State — using nine decades of our own words.
From its northernmost point in Corolla to its southern terminus on Cedar Island, this scenic byway — bound between sound and sea — links the islands and communities of the Outer Banks.
Us? An icon? Well, after 90 years and more than 2,000 issues celebrating North Carolina from mountains to coast, we hope you’ll agree that we’ve earned the title.
After nearly a century — or just a couple of years — these seafood restaurants have become coastal icons, the places we know, love, and return to again and again.
