Works by Nashville-based artists on display at BNA in seasonal exhibit through Jan. 5, 2026
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 8, 2025) – The fall and winter installment of the Flying Solo series at Nashville International Airport® (BNA®) has officially debuted, inviting travelers to experience an immersive artistic journey. The exhibits will remain on display through Jan. 5, 2026, featuring works by Nashville artists including Omari Booker, Tamla Boone, Chalet Comellas, Heather Hillhouse, Brian Tull and Taylor Walton.
Flying Solo is a respected rotating art exhibit that allows local artists and art organizations the opportunity to showcase their work at BNA each season. The rotating collection features a variety of media, including oil paintings, acrylics and ceramic sculptures. Each piece is carefully selected to offer travelers a glimpse into Nashville’s vibrant arts scene.
Established in 1988, BNA’s Arts at the Airport program is a dynamic showcase of Tennessee’s cultural diversity and creative talent. The terminal and surrounding facilities were designed to feature rotating public art, permanent installations and live entertainment throughout the airport.
A brief biography of the featured artists and their work is as follows:
- Omari Booker
“Fifteen” (oil paintings)
Located on Concourse D, near Gates 3 and 5
Instagram: @omaribooker
Omari Booker is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nashville and Los Angeles. He discovered his passion for art during his senior year at Montgomery Bell Academy. While attending Belmont University, he initially studied mathematics before shifting his focus to studio art and graphic design. He later earned a Bachelor of Science in graphic design from Tennessee State University.
Booker primarily works in oil, although his practice often incorporates mixed media including charcoal, ink and salvaged items. His creative output also includes murals, poetry, prose and children’s literature.
He approaches art as a therapeutic process, using it to explore themes of independence and personal freedom. His work aims to inspire viewers to connect with their own capacity for liberation and emotional release.
- Tamla Boone
“Seventy Seven Percent” (ceramic sculptures)
Located on Concourse D, near Gate 2
Tamla Boone is a ceramicist, conceptual artist, storyteller and educator whose work explores ancestry, adornment and cultural memory. She combines clay, metal, wood and glass to create layered sculptures, clay quilts and jewelry that honor African American heritage. Her practice draws from traditions of resilience, oral history and coded symbols that once guided freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad.
Boone’s ties to Tennessee stem from her work as a teaching artist and historical reenactor at sites including the Carter House, Belle Meade, Carnton, Travellers Rest Historic House Museum and the Sam Davis Home. These experiences deepened her understanding of the South’s complex histories, which continue to shape her art.
She earned a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics from East Carolina University and has taught at universities, community colleges and schools throughout the Southeast, blending history and creativity in both her teaching and artistic work.
- Chalet Comellas
“AI Love Songs for Chatbots” (paintings)
Located on Level 1, IAF Exit Waiting Area
Instagram: @chaletcomellas
Chalet Comellas is an artist and educator based in Nashville. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in interdisciplinary art from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art with a concentration in painting from the University of Tampa. Her teaching experience includes serving as an assistant professor in the Department of Art at Florida State, a visiting artist-in-residence at Vanderbilt University and most recently a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Art + Design at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Building on her academic and teaching background, Comellas creates new media work that blends text, electronics, video and paint. Her interdisciplinary practice explores themes of technology, collective consciousness and shared experience. Using generative processes, her multimedia and text-based pieces often prompt reflection on society’s evolving relationship with algorithms, data and artificial intelligence.
Her work is held in public and private collections including Soho House Nashville, Vanderbilt University Library, Colorado College Special Collections Library in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida and the City of Tampa Public Art Collection.
Comellas’ projects have been featured in publications such as The Nashville Scene, The Tennessean, Tampa Bay Times, Orlando Sentinel, Chicago Reader, Art in America’s Art & Tech Newsletter, Art Spiel, Art Valley, BURNAWAY, Chronogram, Hyperallergic, Locate Arts, Mid America Print Council Journal (MAPC) Journal, Number: Inc., Ruckus Journal, Style Weekly and The Program.
- Heather Hillhouse
“Lying in Wait” (mixed media)
Located on Level 1, IAF Exit Waiting Area
Instagram: @houseonahillphotography
Heather Hillhouse is a photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee. She received her first camera from her dad at age 5— a purple plastic Minnie Mouse camera from Bass Pro Shops—and has been taking photos ever since. Growing up in Oklahoma City, she loved dropping off film at a 24-hour photo hut and the thrill of picking up prints to see what she had captured. Some shots missed the mark, but the few she loved felt like she had captured something truly special.
In high school, Hillhouse always had a camera in hand, usually a disposable one. She studied photography in college, working exclusively with film and darkroom techniques. She bought her first digital camera at age 21 and began photographing family and friends.
In 2011, she launched House on a Hill Photography. She quickly realized how much she loved the entire process—from scouting locations and chasing the right light to editing and delivering the final images.
- Brian Tull
“While There’s Light” (photorealistic paintings)
Concourse A/B Exit
Instagram: @artistbriantull
Brian Tull is a Nashville-based artist known for photorealistic paintings that evoke nostalgia and Americana. He was born in Jackson, Tenn., and raised in Selmer before attending the University of North Alabama. After graduating in 1998, he and his wife moved to Nashville’s Antioch community, where they continue to live with their daughter, Olive.
He worked as a graphic designer before becoming a full-time artist in 2007. Tull’s work ranges from detailed, narrative-driven paintings to bold, color-rich murals. His art often features the female figure as a central character and draws heavily from reference photography, much of it taken in Tennessee using local models.
His murals appear in cities across the Southeast and Midwest, including Chicago, Atlanta and Columbia, S.C. He has created commissioned work for brands such as Verizon, Venmo, Dos Equis, TOMS, Spotify and NBCUniversal’s Peacock and recently led a mural project for Vice President Kamala Harris.
- Taylor Walton
“Tauri Fuga – Flight of the Bull” (acrylic on Bristol paper)
Located in the Level 1, IAF Exit Waiting Area
www.taylorwalton.myportfolio.com
Taylor Walton is a visual artist based in Nashville, Tennessee, whose work explores race relations and the socioeconomic history of the United States. Originally from Chattanooga, Walton showed an early passion for creativity, often sketching and experimenting with various artistic mediums throughout his upbringing.
Walton was a featured artist in the EPHEMERA exhibition at NKA Gallery in July 2022. His solo show, “I’m Not Scared of You MFKAZ,” debuted at COOP Gallery in December 2022.
His institutional partnerships include the Frist Art Museum, Turnip Green Creative Reuse, Soho House Nashville and Coop Gallery. In 2025, he completed a 10-month studio residency as part of the inaugural Arcade Arts artist-in-residence program. Recent collaborations with Risology Club and the Nashville Soccer Club, alongside his work at BNA, highlight Walton’s versatility in connecting with both grassroots creatives and established institutions.
He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU).
The Flying Solo series stands as a testament to BNA’s dedication to uplifting local artists and enriching the traveler experience.
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 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-airport.
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