Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is displaying new artwork in commemoration of the 2013 inauguration. More than 34,000 passengers will have the opportunity to view “Hail to the Chiefs: Portraits of United States Presidents and First Ladies” as they travel through the airport during the weekend. The artwork was created by artist Morgan Monceaux, using oil and acrylic paints, markers and recycled objects including campaign buttons, ribbons, jewelry and other materials that draw attention to the uniqueness of the works. Travelers can expect to see portraits of George and Martha Washington, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, George H.W. and Barbara Bush, William and Hillary Clinton, and several other U.S. Presidents and first ladies. The artwork will be on display on the Baggage Claim Level until February 28, 2013.
“As inaugural celebrants visit Washington from across the nation, the Presidents and first ladies will greet travelers, reminding them of America’s legacies of democratic process and creative spirit,” said Monceaux, a historian as well as the exhibit’s artist. “For these men and women, their vision and strengths have guided the future of this nation.
In 1992, Monceaux created “George to George, the Presidential Portraits,” depicting U.S. Presidents from George Washington to George H. W. Bush. “Presidents and their First Ladies” is the second installment of this selection highlighting American history. For more information about this collection and its artist, visit here.
The new exhibit will enhance the airport and add to the enjoyment of passengers as they travel through the airport.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, through its Arts Program, offers diverse regional, national and international exhibits, live performances and public art displays that celebrate the beauty and creativity of the National Capital Region. For more information about the Airports Authority Arts Program visit theReagan National and Dulles International airports “Arts Program” pages at mwaa.com.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority was established in 1987 by the governments of Virginia and the District of Columbia to manage and operate Washington’s Ronald Reagan National and Dulles International airports, which together serve more than 40 million passengers a year. The Airports Authority also operates and maintains the Dulles Airport Access Road and the Dulles Toll Road and manages construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of the Washington region’s Metrorail system into Loudoun County, Va. No taxpayer money is used to operate the toll road, which is funded by toll revenues, or the airports, which are funded through aircraft landing fees, rents and revenues from concessions. The Silver Line construction is funded by a combination of toll-road revenues, airport contributions and federal, state and local government appropriations. The Airports Authority is led by a 17- member board of directors appointed by the governors of Virginia, Maryland, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the president of the United States.
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