Terminal 4 Museum Exhibitions
Terminal 4 Exhibitions
Sewn Together
Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild
Through May 2025
Location
- Terminal 4, level 3, in 8 display cases on the east and west ends
Bonnie Bobman, Wasabi Tango, 2022, quilted fabric
Featured Artists
Bonnie Bobman
Meya Cox
Erika Daniels
Carol Dimpsey
Debra Goley
Kate Gunther
Michelle Hart
Susan Madu
Nanci Mahar
Lori Maxwell
Pam Meylor
Katherine O’Brien
Sharon Root
Margaret Lau Simmons
Cindy Stohn
Barb Tatera
Francine Taylor
Claire Victor
Carmen Williams
Overview
Quilting is an art form that celebrates self-expression and collaboration alike. What begins as fabric and thread can be transformed into an original work of art through ‘piecing and stitching’. These intricate, often large-scale artworks are shaped by individual creativity as well as communal exchange—where different quilting patterns, techniques and inspirations are shared.
While traditional quilts were made primarily for utility, contemporary quilts move beyond function as today’s quilters redefine the craft. Their work now embraces a wide range of non-traditional materials, diverse themes and varied sizes that allow finished works to be displayed exclusively as art.
This exhibition showcases unique quilts created by 19 members of the Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild. Each quilt tells a story through bold experimentation with color, style, technique and material. Some quilts were created individually, while others were a collaborative effort. Several quilts incorporate unconventional materials such as found objects, acrylic paint and upcycled fabrics. Whether the completed fiber artwork was stitched by hand or machine, each of the 24 unique quilts on display were Sewn Together.
Midcentury Marvels
Photographs by Michael Lundgren
Location
- Terminal 4, level 3, near food court
Overview
Phoenix experienced unprecedented growth just after World War II. This surge in development brought a wave of new architectural styles to offices, banks, retail stores and government buildings. Asymmetrical rooflines, large windows and geometric shapes in the building’s façade ushered in a new era of building design—later known as Midcentury Modern. Capturing a specific era in history, these buildings have proven to be timeless, iconic and etched into local culture. The City of Phoenix remains committed to preserving these architectural treasures as a vital part of our urban landscape.
In 2006, Phoenix’s Department of Arts and Culture partnered with the Historic Preservation Office to create the Historic Buildings Photography Project. Commissioned artist Michael Lundgren worked closely with both City Departments to select and photograph Phoenix’s exemplary architectural gems from the mid-20th century. This exhibition showcases a curated selection from this photographic portfolio, highlighting early efforts to establish Phoenix as a stylish, modern city and a vibrant place to live, work and visit.
Image caption: Michael Lundgren, Phoenix Towers (1956), 2201 North Central Avenue, ©2006, courtesy of Phoenix Department of Arts and Culture
Diversity in the Desert
Expanding the Airport’s Art Collection
Through March 2025
Location
-
Terminal 4, level 3, gallery
Featured Artists
Tania Bolin
Carol Eckert
Mayme Kratz
Carolyn Lavender
Aryana Londir
Monica Aissa Martinez
Kathryn Maxwell
Mary Meyer
Aaron Rothman
Mary Shindell
Kaori Takamura
Jeremy Thomas
Clare Verstegen
Teresa Villegas
Jim Waid
Image caption: Carolyn Lavender, Portrait, 2011, graphite and gouache on canvas
Overview
As Sky Harbor grows, so does its vast art collection. It all began in 1962 with one massive 75’-foot-wide mural at Terminal 2 and the airport’s collection has continued growing ever since. The designs of Terminals 3 and 4 incorporated spaces for art with large-scale paintings and sculptures as well as architecturally integrated works.
The Phoenix Airport Museum began in 1988 to enhance the guest experience by producing exhibitions throughout Sky Harbor and maintaining the ever-increasing art collection. Today, the collection includes more than 1,000 pieces in all mediums, styles and sizes.
On view for the first time are 40 newly acquired artworks in a wide variety of styles and techniques ranging from colorful abstracts to realistic portraiture to Southwest themes. These new additions to the airport's collection were purchased through the city of Phoenix’s percent for art program.
Contemporary Arizona artists created art in various mediums using traditional and unconventional materials including cactus spines, bones, glass and metal. Enjoy these paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints and fiber works showcasing Arizona’s rich art and culture representing Diversity in the Desert.
Creative Sustainability
Location
-
Terminal 4, level 2, in two display cases near ticketing
Overview
Artists possess a unique ability to see beauty and potential in the most unexpected of items that they are often drawn to for their texture, color or memory. In the hands of artists, vintage metal serving platters, used postage stamps and outdated fashion magazines become extraordinary works of art.
The artists in this exhibition found innovative solutions to reduce waste and promote reuse. While some artists create paintings directly on found objects or assemble them into sculptures, others cut and shape items to use as art material. Artists accrue personal collections of beads, buttons, tins and cherished mementos just waiting for the opportune moment to incorporate them in art. Some scour thrift stores or junk yards seeking to give new life to discarded items, experiencing the thrill of discovery in finding something that sparks inspiration.
This exhibition celebrates the power of an artist’s imagination to repurpose ordinary materials into works of art, imbuing them with new meaning and value. Whether they have retrofitted an old nightstand to become an intricate sculptural work or rolled magazine paper into a wearable masterpiece, each artwork reminds us that art can be made from just about anything and to consider the impact of Creative Sustainability.
Barbra Brandel, Couple, 2008, mixed media collage, Phoenix Airport Museum collection
Trajectory Print Portfolio Project
Through June 2025
Location
- Terminal 4, level 3, near the center
Overview
Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art (phICA) is a nonprofit organization with a goal of helping artists advance their careers. Through phICA’s financial support, initiatives and opportunities, artists expand their reach and knowledge.
This exhibition presents a diverse array of artworks resulting from phICA’s Trajectory Print Portfolio Project. Arizona artists applied for the opportunity to enhance their artistic skills by experiencing printmaking. For many of these artists, this is new territory as they typically work in mediums like painting, drawing or sculpture.
These 12 local artists, using the technique of relief printing, worked with Master Printer Brent Bond at Santo Press in Scottsdale, AZ. Relief printing is a process where the artist carves their design into a block of wood, linoleum or some other material's surface. The image is transferred from the raised surface onto paper by running the fully inked block and paper through a printing press.
This compelling collection showcases these artists’ existing creative practices enhanced with newfound techniques offered by printmaking. It is a beautiful snapshot of the richness and diversity of skilled artists at work in our local community and is testament to phICA’s dedication to support artists, their vision and artistic Trajectory.
Papay Solomon, J.B., ©2021, hand-cut key image from PVC sheet and multi-block hand-cut linoleum, 17.75 x 14.5”, Phoenix Airport Museum collection
Form Over Function: Ceramics from the Phoenix Airport Museum's Collection
Ongoing
Location
- Terminal 4, level 3 near center
Overview
Ceramic artists sometimes create containers that are more about aesthetics rather than their use. They may design pots, bowls, cups and vases that challenge conventional form, either by deviating from a traditional shape or defying utility altogether. As art objects, their vessels draw upon the expressive nature of sculpture.
This exhibition features ten artists who have taken a unique approach to functional objects. While some artists shape or carve clay to emphasize texture, others create cups with fractures and vases with small openings that would otherwise make an impractical object. These artists contribute to the enduring legacy of the vessel, but they are transcending tradition to favor Form Over Function.
Featured Artists
Anitra Watley Allen
Sharon Brush
Victor Curran
Anne Goldman
Maurice Grossman
Michael Prepsky
Don Reitz
Patricia Sannit
Junya Shao
Greg Wenz
Image caption: Anitra Watley Allen, Guinomi: Sake Cups, 1997, glazed earthenware and porcelain, Phoenix Airport Museum Collection
100 Years, 100 Ranchers
Photographs by Scott Baxter
Ongoing
Location
- Terminal 4, level 1, international walkway (post-security)
Overview
Wide open landscapes dotted with grazing cattle and sheep herded by the rancher on horseback have become an iconic symbol of our western culture. For more than 100 years the ranching tradition has been an integral part of Arizona’s history and growth. In celebration of Arizona’s Centennial in 2012, Scott Baxter photographed 100 Arizona ranchers whose families have been ranching for a century or more.
For more than ten years Baxter has been traveling to ranches across the state, getting to know the individual ranchers and their operations. He chose to use large-format cameras, a traditional process which takes time and allowed him to engage his subjects in a personal manner. Using black and white film Baxter captures a sense of timelessness and directs the viewer’s full attention to the subject in the frame.
The strength and independent nature of this unique group of Arizonans is apparent in their portraits. Baxter’s collection of photographs is a tribute to Arizona’s ranching legacy by preserving an important piece of Arizona character and history.
Image caption: Scott Baxter, Shannon Marie Nicholson Bales, 2011, Corporal Stripe Ranch, Cochise County near Willcox, AZ ranching family since 1885, Phoenix Airport Museum Collection