If you’re looking to add some art and culture into your next trip, there’s no better place to start than Gerald R. Ford International Airport!
From arrival at the terminal all the way to your destination, it’s easy to add some creativity to your next adventure. We’ve got your guide to art at the airport, as well as the most famous masterpieces, celebrated artists and unmissable installations at world-class museums, galleries and parks at your favorite nonstop travel spots.
Gerald R. Ford International Airport
As part of our Public Art Program, the airport features commissioned pieces from local artists that elevate the guest experience and showcase West Michigan’s culture. Our community and local artists are celebrated across pieces in the terminal and outside spaces, including murals, terrazzo flooring, sculptures and aerial installations. Learn more about the airport’s Public Art Program and view the entire collection at FlyFord.org/art.
New York, New York
There’s plenty for art-lovers when you fly nonstop to the Big Apple. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is the largest art museum in the Americas and has over 5,000 years of art from around the world in its collection. Just a quick cab ride away you’ll find The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), which boasts an expansive collection of thought-provoking modern and contemporary art. Or if local’s a little more your style, the Whitney is the only museum dedicated to American art, featuring works by over 4,000 artists including Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keefe, and Alexander Calder.
Must-sees:
The Temple of Dendur (10BC)
Where to see it: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Starry Night (1889), Vincent Van Gogh
Where to see it: The Museum of Modern Art
Amy Sherald: American Sublime
Where to see it: Whitney Museum of American Art
Los Angeles, California
Complete your trip to the West Coast with a visit to their many art institutions. Start at the Getty Museum, with more than 250,000 pieces from French impressionism to Roman sculptures to modern American photography. Plan a visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the western US, exhibiting works of art from new and unexpected points of view. Also be sure to stop by The Broad, a work of art on its own, and experience a curated collection of post-war contemporary art.
Must-sees:
Still Life with Apples (1893), Paul Cezanne
Where to see it: Getty Museum
Urban Light (2008), Chris Burdan
Where to see it: Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Expansive Presentation of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Where to see it: The Broad
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nestled within the heart of this Twin City you’ll find some of the most-visited museums in the U.S. The Walker Art Center features 11 galleries of modern and contemporary art, primarily from post-1960, and a renowned visual arts program. The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, an 11-acre free public park connected to the Walker Art Center, is filled with more than 60 larger-than-life art installations. And don’t miss the Minneapolis Institute of Art, home to more than 90,000 works representing 5,000 years of world history.
Must-sees:
Streetview (2023), Kahlil Robert Irving
Where to see it: Walker Art Center
Spoonbridge and Cherry (1985–1988), Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen
Where to see it: Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
City Night (1926), Georgia O’Keefe
Where to see it: Minneapolis Institute of Art
